Gaenor Brown
The 2025 President’s Award goes to someone that has a long history with Whakaari Aotearoa Drama NZ, and the many citations for this person show her passion and commitment to Drama in Education.
Gaenor continues to inspire us with her wise and thoughtful mahi - She is a mentor and friend to many and her research will continue to inspire the next generation of Drama teachers and practitioners She is a valued member of the Whakaari Aotearoa Drama New Zealand whānau, this year I am delighted to present the President’s Award to Gaenor Brown.
Personal responses:
“I first met Gaenor when she was running a workshop for the Waikato branch of DNZ (then NZADiE) in the early 2000s. I was immediately impressed by her energy, her skills as a facilitator, and her brilliant brain. I knew right then she was someone I wanted to get to know better. And lucky me, I have been able to do just that.
For over a decade we worked closely as co-teachers and academic colleagues, mostly through Waikato University. And we have remained dear friends. Gaenor is such a lovely person - deeply caring, empathic and kind. As others have said, she is also a stunning teacher and a lifelong learner. I had the privilege of supervising her Masters study, which was a slightly terrifying prospect given Gaenor’s unique and incredible rhizomic mind. Every conversation with her is a vibrant whizz through multiple topics - always discussed with passion, commitment and deep understanding. As well as an exceptional intellect, she’s also got a strong drive for social justice. I’m thrilled that her soon-to-be-completed PhD thesis has allowed her to dive deeply into this territory.
Gaenor has given years of energy and service to drama education in Aotearoa through her teaching, lecturing, workshops, writing, research and creative work and I feel sure she’ll give many more, as she somehow manages to get more youthful, more energetic, more committed, and more inspired as the years go by! Congratulations Mother G - you’re one in a million.”
“I first met this incredible woman a few years ago at the Drama Australia Conference, and I’ve been inspired by her ever since. She is a poet, academic, mother, nana, and friend—a truly multifaceted force. Her deep empathy, keen attention to detail, and outstanding presentation skills make her a standout in any room. As a scholar, she brings both rigour and heart to her work, and as a person, she radiates warmth, wisdom, and generosity.
At both Whakaari Aotearoa Drama NZ and Drama Australia conferences, her presentations are nothing short of exceptional. She captivates her audience with a dynamic presence and content that is both intellectually rich and deeply human. Her ability to connect with people, provoke thought, and share knowledge in such an engaging way is a testament to her skill as both a communicator and a creative academic.
She serves as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Waikato and is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Theatre and Education. Her doctoral research delves into how drama education can foster a sense of belonging within ensembles, highlighting her commitment to creating inclusive and empathetic learning environments. Beyond academia, her poetry has been publicly showcased across Aotearoa, reflecting her creative prowess and dedication to the arts. I’m proud to call her my friend, she is a truly special human being and very deserving of this award.
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“Gaenor Brown’s international profile as an academic in the field of Drama in Education and her identification with the educational focus fostered by Whakaari Aotearoa Drama New Zealand, which underpins her world view, should not be taken for granted. Her commitment to developing the field of Drama Pedagogy in a practical sense is undeniable. Moreover, her generosity of spirit in continuing to work across fields and present at numerous Whakaari Aotearoa conferences and overseas conferences is not to be taken for granted. Gaenor is a wonderful ambassador for our organization who thoroughly deserves the President’s Award.”
“I am limiting my acknowledgement to the impact of Gaynor’s workshops at DNZ National Conferences over the years. The content may be embedded in a specific style or theatre form, such as Brecht, Artaud … or Mantle of the Expert, but her kaupapa is always to stimulate fresh perspectives through Drama. For example, Gaynor has engaged us physically, visually, and intellectually in exploring concepts such as Vā - a Pasifika term for ‘the space’ - the relationship between two entities - and the connection, context and meaning that arises from that space. She has enriched our understanding of the dynamics of our māhi. Kia ora Gaynor for bringing a theatre aesthetic to our drama conference-going experiences in Aotearoa.”
“Gaenor is a dedicated Drama practitioner. She has always been absolutely student focused and is deeply passionate about issues of equity and justice. She embodies the lifelong learner, seeking knowledge and deepening her practice well beyond her time in the classroom.
She has made opportunities for teachers in a small province to access practitioners from Australia by running workshops and has been incredibly supportive of local teachers, attending NCEA workshops run as part of the Whaakari Aotearoa NEX workshop series- always asking the big questions when we are bogged down with how to manage the nitty gritty of uploading digital submissions, reminding us of the power of drama education.
In term four last year she came to my year 13 class’s opening of the fictitious ‘Bruce Mason Memorial Museum’, for which students had made exhibits about Mason’s life and the social and historical context of The End of the Golden Weather. She took the role of VIP guest with dignity and grace, treating their presentations with the utmost respect. Gaenor engaged them in conversation about Mason and the play in a way that empowered them as experts and happily ate orange jelly boats with us.”
“Gaenor Brown is currently a lecturer in Arts Education and specifically Drama at the University of Waikato. Over the last few years, Gaenor has taught Drama education and English, sharing her passion for theatre and drama education with students in the Arts and Education faculties.
Originally from the UK, with a proud affinity for her Welsh homeland, Gaenor’s teaching career began in the greater London area. She moved to Aotearoa in 1994 with her Kiwi partner and quickly became connected to Mt Taranaki and her adopted home of New Plymouth.
Gaenor has long been an advocate for the planet, education, social justice and the arts. She is passionate about the state of the world and using drama and the arts to tackle crucial issues and shine light into dark places. She exemplifies the concept of life-long learner, with her ongoing study of te reo, mātauranga māori and of course her almost completed PhD. Her PhD is a self-study that interrogates the concept of belonging and the ensemble. Through this work she has generated principles of practice that will help theatre practitioners and drama teachers consider the aspects of their practice that cultivate and sustain belonging.
Over the years, Gaenor has remained an incredible support for Whakaari Aotearoa as a Waikato representative, frequent conference presenter and exemplary practitioner. She will always make time to help colleagues and guide early career teachers in drama education. She has traversed both sides of drama debate and happily works with both drama as a theatre form and drama as a pedagogical approach. Significantly Gaenor is always ready to take on new challenges, critique her own assumptions and learn from others. She embodies whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and ako and proudly tangata tiriti. Gaenor is a great teacher, a great thinker, a great questioner and most importantly a great friend.”