ACTING

Celebrating Ensemble Spirit & Individual Ambition

Whether your dream is to star in Hollywood feature films, perform in classic Shakespeare plays, create new devised theatre from Aotearoa or get a job on Shortland Street, you can learn all the skills you need to follow your passion at Toi Whakaari.

The Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting) programme at Toi Whakaari is the premier acting degree in New Zealand.

Through the training at this School we assist you to hone your craft as well as your hunger to communicate. At Toi Whakaari we provide a range of challenges and skills that strengthen your craft as an actor as well as your capacity to achieve your dreams.

Download a copy of our 2012 Acting brochure here.

Our graduates will have:

• Skill to work to their potential
• Talent to manage and sustain a career in the performing arts
• Imagination to dream
• Flexibility to adapt readily to performance conditions
• Confidence to trust and work with others
• Leadership to initiate stage and screen projects
• Understanding of and respect for place, relationships and culture guided by Te Tiriti o waitangi
• Ability to critique the theatre and screen practices of yourself and others
• Courage to experiment, test and innovate

We aim to provide:

• Teaching that develops actors who are skilled, professional and creative
• Training to develop actors who survive in the performing arts
• Support so the individual may learn from failure and success

In 2007 the degree was awarded the prestigious NZ Screen Council ScreenMark. This is accreditation given for high quality, relevant, successful, practical tertiary level courses in the film and theatre industry. Toi Whakaari has the only acting programme in the country with such an accolade.

Check out the recall weekend in a Radio NZ National Spectrum Documentary made by acting graduate Sonia Yee on the Radio NZ website.

Successful Graduates

For over 40 years Toi Whakaari has graduated some of New Zealand’s most successful actors, including Cliff Curtis, Robyn Malcolm, Jarod Rawiri, Nancy Brunning, Gareth Reeves, Martin Csokas, Kerry Fox, Jacob Rajan, Rawiri Paratene, Tim Balme and Rima te Wiata.

Many balance their acting work while making their name as directors including Tim Spite, Rachel House, Sima Urale, Louis Sutherland, Katie Wolfe and Sophie Roberts.

In addition our acting graduates have gone on to be successful film producers, television directors and producers, playwrights, teachers and authors. Check out more of our success stories here.