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With help from Mercury Energy, Centrepoint are bringing you another year of full day, one-off intensives with industry professionals from New Zealand AND Australia! These intensives are FULLY FUNDED so you don't have to spend a cent to get inspired by, be challenged and learn from the best. From design, tech, stunt, acting and more… we have a little something for everyone!
HOW TO TAKE PART
In 2026, thanks to our generous funder Mercury, the course is FREE to Manawatu students aged 14 to 18.
Any questions please contact hello@centrepoint.co.nz
Current workshops:
14th March - Costume with Nicola Smillie-Starling: With award winning Costume Designer for companies such as Auckland Theatre Company, New Zealand Opera and The BBC UK.
26th April - Acting with Leo Gene Peters: With Director of A Slightly Isolated Dog with renowned productions such as Don Juan, Jekyll & Hyde and the Trojan War.
10th May - Set Design with Darren Mosher and Sanit Klamchanuan: With Special Effect Engineers from blockbuster films Avatar, Thor: Love and Thunder and District 9.
31st May - Voice Acting with Tessa Livingston: With professional Voice Actress and Vocal Coach for brands such as Google and Air New Zealand.
21st June - Stage Combat with Allan Henry: With Actor, Stuntman and Mo-Cap Performer behind King Kong (Godzilla x Kong), Cocaine Bear (Cocaine Bear) and Malgosha (Minecraft Movie).
26th July - Musical Theatre with Jason Te Mete: With founder of Tuatara collective and Director of over 40+ musical productions.
29th August - Sound with Abi Symes: With Manager of Palmerston North’s the Stomach (Creative Sounds Society Inc).
30th August - Lights with Talya Pilcher: With entertainment industry Lighting Designer, staging, pyrotechnics, and Event Manager.
20th September - Shakespeare with Peter Hambleton: With Shakespeare Globe NZ Ambassador, Director or copious professional Shakespeare productions and Gloin (The Hobbit films).
SUPPORTED BY
Costume with Nicola Smillie-Starling
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Nic has worked across the disciplines of film, theatre, television, and opera for nearly 30 years. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Textile Design from Victoria University’s School of Design in Wellington.
Throughout her career, she has worked at numerous theatres across New Zealand, as well as on international productions, and has received several awards for her work.
Nic places strong value on attention to detail and thrives on collaboration—both with the design team, the performers and in realising the Director’s vision.
Her portfolio spans a wide range of genres, including horror films, children’s television, NZ history, local and international Opera, and docu-dramas.
Her theatrical work is equally diverse, ranging from gritty contemporary storytelling to imaginative fantasy productions.
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Discover how to bring characters to life through costume in this practical creative workshop.
You’ll learn how to interpret a script, and design costumes that align with the Director’s vision while considering aspects such as the physicality of both the role and the performer.
We’ll explore how to balance creativity with practicality, work with colour palettes, touch on the visual codes of clothing, and manage real-world constraints like timelines and budgets.
Perfect for anyone keen to deepen their understanding of storytelling through costume along with a few tips and tricks to deliver a cohesive design concept - you don't have to have experience, just a passion for Costumes or for Theatre in general.
Acting with Leo Gene Peters
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Leo is the Director of A Slightly Isolated Dog (ASID). After graduating with an MTA (Directing) Degree at Toi Whakaari & VUW in 2004 he has consistently directed innovative and highly acclaimed NZ Theatre. He’s currently directing ASID’s Trojan War, Don Juan & Jekyll & Hyde which continue touring internationally/nationally. Other notable works from ASID include Our Own Little Mess, Slay/Save the Dragon, Death and the Dreamlife of Elephants, Settling, and Perfectly Wasted in partnership with Long Cloud Youth Theatre. Other works include writing/directing An Awfully Big Adventure for Capital E, directing Awhi Tapu & Strange Resting Places for Taki Rua Productions.
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Participants will learn to use physical action and game to grow their performance technique. Working with physical action enables performers to fully embody their performance in a structured yet intuitive way. The technique assists the actor to sculpt and shape their work, and to physically understand how to keep the work alive through multiple performances. Performing with game builds playfulness and grows the imagination of the performer. It opens up new and exciting possibilities for developing performance outside of the text. Both these techniques are physically engaged, fun and vibrant ways for creating a performance.
Set Design with Darren Mosher and Sanit Klamchanuan
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Darren A Mosher, an award winning Special Effects engineer has worked in the Film, TV & Theme Park industry for over 25 years. He is known for his work on films such as the Avatar films, Star Wars films, Avengers , Ghostbusters & Alien Romulus. He hosts a mentorship for Young Adults in the Arts, which is hosted virtually for students around the world.
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Sanit Klamchanuan (Spicythaidesign in the cosplay world) is known for infusing Thai culture into his costumes & unique original designs. Working at Wētā Workshop since 2013 as a costume designer in the Costume Specialty Props department, he specializes in the production of foam prototypes & has worked on films such as Power Rangers, Ghost in the Shell, Mulan, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Avatar: The Way of Water & The Creator.
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Go backstage and create! Starting with a story concept and the “Director’s vision”, you will work in teams to design and create a basic scene and set piece for a black box theatre using a variety of techniques and materials.
You will learn how to work to scale, perspective and take your completed miniature set home when you are finished.
There will be time for plenty of questions and even a chance to learn about making your own sets for stories you have created.
Voice Acting with Tessa Livingston
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Tessa Livingston is all about voice. She’s a voice-over artist, demo producer, vocal coach, actress, accent coach, and podcaster. She has also worked as a Talent Manager and Booking Agent for a leading voice-over agency.
Specialising in commercial and broadcast voice-over, Tessa has voiced campaigns for major national and international brands including Honda, Fresh Choice, Eco Store, Google, Air New Zealand, and Toyota.
She trained as an actor at The Actor’s Program and holds an Honours Degree in Speech and Language Pathology. Tessa has taught at Unitec, Toi Whakaari, The Actor’s Program, The Voice Academy, and Gravy for the Brain—an internationally recognised voice-over education platform.
Tessa is passionate about teaching voice in a grounded, human-centred way, helping performers thrive in an ever-evolving technological world while having fun doing it.
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Ever heard an accent on TV and wanted to know how to do it? How a voice can sound American one moment and British or Scottish the next – or even something totally new?
Well no more guessing! Come learn how accents really work. Tessa will break down everything you need to know to perform accents with confidence.
You’ll experiment with new sounds, record real scripts on a studio mic, and hear your progress as you go. It’s playful, practical, and seriously fun.
Join Tessa for a week of accent and vocal discovery – you might surprise yourself with what your voice can do.
Stage Combat with Allan Henry
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Actor, nerd, Goofball dad. Allan is a performance capture artist and actor based in Wellington. Most recently appearing as Malgosha in a Minecraft Movie, King Kong in the Monsterverse and Cokey in Cocaine Bear, Allan is often found rolling dice, or rolling around in Lycra. A founding member of Aotearoa Fight directors, Allan always looks forward to sharing his knowledge of Stage Combat with students of all ages.
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A punch kick slam crash course in Stage Combat techniques to help you design safe effective staged violence.
Musical Theatre with Jason Te Mete
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Jason Te Mete (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai te Rangi) is a multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years of professional experience. He has directed 40+ musical productions, and has worked with all of the major theatre companies in Aotearoa.
He has received many awards including the 2024 Te Auahatanga o te Wā (Creative of the Year) - Te Waka Toi Awards, and the 2018 Adam Play Award for Best Play by a Māori Playwright. He was Programme Leader of Performing Arts and Research Lead Creative Arts at Manukau Institute of Technology until 2020 when the entire faculty was disestablished.
Jason is dedicated to empowering young people through creativity and expression. With a passion for nurturing talent and fostering confidence, Jason has spearheaded transformative programmes that enable youth to discover their artistic voices. As the founder of Tuatara Collective, Jason has provided countless opportunities for Māori, Pasifika, LGBTQi+, and rangatahi to hone their skills and showcase their talents on stage. His innovative approach combines rigorous training with a supportive environment, in particular the Rātā initiative supporting mental health in the arts industry.
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Join award-winning performer, director and vocal coach Jason Te Mete for an inspiring musical theatre workshop! Dive into the magic of storytelling through song - exploring character, emotion, and connection in both solo and ensemble work. With Jason’s industry experience and creative guidance, you’ll learn how to bring authenticity, confidence, and heart to every performance. Whether you’re preparing for auditions or simply love to sing, act, and move, this is your chance to develop your craft and shine on stage.
Sound with Abi Symes
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The Stomach is a community music hub in Palmerston North, offering affordable rehearsal spaces, an accessible recording studio, and an all-ages venue. We support artists of all genres and stages, from first-time jammers to seasoned performers. Our focus is on creativity, connection, and keeping live music thriving in the Manawatū. The Stomach is operated by Creative Sounds Society Inc — a not-for-profit proudly run by musicians, for musicians.
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Get hands-on with the essentials of live sound! This workshop covers the basics of setting up a PA system — from plugging in and signal flow to EQ and gain structure. Learn how to choose and position microphones for vocals, instruments, and drums to get the best sound possible. Perfect for beginners, bands wanting to level up their live shows, or anyone curious about how it all works behind the desk.
Lights with Talya Pilcher
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Talya is a graduate from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School’s technical production course. She has since worked in the entertainment industry doing lighting, staging, pyrotechnics, and event management for over 20 years. She has designed the lighting for many of Centrepoint Theatre’s productions including That Bloody Woman, Shortland Street – The Musical and Misery. Recent credits include: Act Three's production of Come From Away, the touring production of Two Guitars, and Monument at Circa Theatre. When she's not working on theatre lighting design projects, she can be found working behind the scenes on Trackside broadcasts around the lower North Island and tutoring lighting at Feilding High School.
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Focusing on the basics of light rigging, learn about lighting systems and their uses.
Shakespeare with Peter Hambleton
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Well-known Wellington Actor/Director Peter Hambleton (of THE HOBBIT movies, and local TV comedy HAPPINESS) has directed many of Shakespeare’s plays, including ALL's WELL THAT ENDS WELL, and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS for Manawatu Summer Shakespeare. He also appeared at Centrepoint Theatre in HUDSON AND HALLS LIVE.
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Who are you talking to? An intensive, fun-filled session exploring what we can learn from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, and the Pop-up Globe. We’ll delve into practical skills that will improve your focus, connection and confidence on stage. Great fun for newcomers who want to decode Shakespeare’s mystery, for those wanting to enhance their skills before 2027 SGCNZ Festivals, and for theatre-lovers!
