RARANGA: Whakaari Aotearoa Drama New Zealand Conference 2026
Date: 8-10 April 2026
Venue: Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Our 2026 Conference will focus on:
Raranga: the first day of weaving - following the child in drama across sectors
Marutau - creating safe and inclusive spaces in the classroom
Whakaako - pedagogy - Drama in education across the sectors (ECE, primary, secondary).
Pūrākau - weaving Aotearoa storytelling and theatre in the classroom
Auaha - changes in Drama Education and future possibilities
Harikoa - finding joy and hope in the classroom - Drama as experiential, uplifting and therapeutic.
Conference Pricing
$395 for Members (includes Primary membership if not already a member)
$475.50 for Secondary, Tertiary, and Institutional Non-members (includes price of membership)
Conference Schedule
Wednesday 8th April
8.15am - 9.00am Registration
9.00am - 5.00pm Mihi Whakatau, Welcome, and Conference begins
5.00pm - 6.00pm Wine, Cheese and Chats followed by AGM
Thursday 9th April
9.00am - 5.00pm Conference Sessions
5.30pm - 8.00pm Conference Dinner and Awards at the Court Theatre followed by a tour of the venue.
Friday 10th April
9.00am - 12.30pm* Conference Sessions
*Please note that the Conference concludes on Friday 10th April at 12.30 and lunch is not provided on this day.
Keynote Speaker - Lynne Cardy
Lynne is one of Aotearoa’s most experienced producers in the Theatre for Young Audiences sector. She has collaborated with theatre companies, festivals, museums, schools, and communities nationally and internationally. For over a decade, Lynne was the associate director at Auckland Theatre Company, where she supported young artists and audiences through groundbreaking festivals, commissions, school tours, and enrichment programs. Recent projects include programming for the World Choir Games 2024, mentoring the education team at the Royal New Zealand Ballet, directing Capital E’s National Theatre for Children and collaborating with the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. Lynne is spearheading Theatre in Schools Aotearoa, a new touring and development project to bring brilliant theatre and dance to children aged 12 and under and she has joined the team at Auckland Live as a creative producer curating the We The Young Festival. She is the Chair of Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa (PAYPA) - the New Zealand arm of ASSITEJ International, and a trustee of the Tauranga-based independent arts company Tuatara Collective.
Sponsored by Trinity College
