Photo: Provided
Problematic. Controversial. Difficult. Racist. Words even the curators of the first substantial exhibition in decades of the late artist Theo Schoon use to describe his character. So why, in the face of protests, an exhibition now? And what do Maori then and now think of him. First up on Standing Room Only after 12.30pm We speak to Reuben Friend and Hamish Coney ahead of a weekend of talks at City Gallery Wellington.
After 1pm arts patron Chris Parkin, the man behind the Parkin Drawing Prize, who has just donated $1 million towards a national music centre. Then, an opera about rugby sounds about as probable as, well as a Samoan performance group based in London: Gafa Arts Collective on the line.
After 2pm: On the Laugh Track Jesse Griffin, the man behind comedy country music star Wilson Dixon and TVs The Educators. And we get on the McCahon bus, with McCahon House director Vivienne Stone, and former mayor of Waitakere Bob Harvey, who used to ride the bus back from the Auckland CBD with Colin back in the 1950s.
Our writer and the inspiration for our musical theme – levitation is Craig Cliff. In Nailing Down the Saint Craig asks whether people can fly. Then: among the most beautiful and distinctive aspects of New Zealand culture are kākahu, Māori cloaks. We’re with Awhina Tamarapa.
And after 3pm our radio drama is Dave Armstrong’s radio adaptation of his own very funny stage play The Tutor.
