Lin Clark
Like the smartest of all octo-invertbrates, our recipient has her fingers in very many drama pies.
Unlike most octo-invertebrates she does not smother; rather: for the last half century (and some) she has nurtured, cradled, caressed, quietly shoved, and often poked and provoked today’s reality.
David Chambers recalls “I just wanted to be in her gang. As an economics, accounting, geography and social studies teacher, I had been an active member of the subject associations, but they were nothing like the crazy gang that was having all the fun. Her drama gang was the best gang in town – NZADIE was going places and so I climbed on board and was smitten from the start by this dynamo of energy, vitality and dogged determination: Huge heart, massive smile, will of steel.”
Because of her on-going work, we have a sustainable, valued, validated drama curriculum in New Zealand schools in which students (akonga) are challenged to meet the national curriculum goals and principles, and in which they are measured by NZQA. Sure it’s not just down to her, but her persistence and her integrity have prevailed right through the huge curriculum and assessment developments, throughout the Tomorrow’s Schools era.
Our recipient has played a huge part in this development: she has been a great champion and a cautious critic of the NCEA process, because she has always seen it as a means to an end. “Students need to be given the chance to present and share work; and to receive informed comment both within the timetabled curriculum and beyond”.
So how did that happen:
She Intertwined threads and influence in community theatre and drama education which grew and spread regionally, nationally and internationally
In education:
Graduated MA Hons at what was then the University of New Zealand
Became HoD English (at Cashmere High) in the 70’s and soon added HoD Drama to the portfolio because she had directed countless one act plays and had “done” heaps of major (100+ kids) productions taking every spare minute from January to May …
Became passionate about drama performance as a teaching medium
Pushed and promoted drama production opportunities beyond her own school so that her kids could share their work in the community and so that all participants could receive informed comment about their work
High Schools Drama Festival
BNZ High Schools Drama Festival
Good Will Shakespeare Trust
Canterbury Young Shakespeare Company
Co-director National Shakespeare School (Globe Centre NZ)
David recalls how when the Arts Employment Scheme dried up and the High Schools’ Festival was in jeopardy, she announced,
“well, I’ll just go to the bank and get money out of them”
and … she did. Incidentally, that triggered a lifelong partnership and collaboration with her drama co-conspirator and greatest ally (but more of that later)
Onwards: she was
National Secretary for NZATE
Regional Secretary for NZADIE
Conference Committee organiser for 2 National Drama Conferences (Skillduggery and Close to the Edge)
Became Adviser in Secondary English /Drama, Support Services Christchurch College of Education
Became Lecturer in English/Drama Education, Christchurch College of Education 1995 onward which, in turn, led to:
Consultation contract MoE: drafting NZ Arts Curriculum
National panels and advisory groups writing and wrangling, writing and wrangling, writing and wrangling words, words, words to create National curriculum and assessment materials for Unit Standards and then Achievement Standards through into the new century
National facilitator for training teachers and moderators in Drama
Regional moderator NZQA
On-going National Assessment Panel Officer NZQA
Many presentations at conferences: NZ, UK, Norway
It was in this role she became principal advocate for and developer of the B.Ed (Performing Arts) degree course which was jointly run by Christchurch College of Education and the University of Canterbury – trained drama teachers sharing a common vocabulary, pedagogy and purpose.
Kerri Fitzgerald recalls alongside this
she was a professional director of professional and community theatre
As a committee member at Repertory Theatre, she got that grand old lady available as a playground for students to perform in.
Served 9 years on the Board Member of Court Theatre with responsibility for education
Along with her best buddy and co-conspirator, she created the Summer Shakespeare season which was subsequently taken up by the Christchurch City Council – memorable productions of The Shrew, The Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Wind in the Willows
Prolific writer of theatre reviews for The Press and latterly, Theatreview “keeping an eye on the grown ups too”.
The list goes on and on
It is her imagination and her ability to collaborate that has kept her going in this crazy drama world; always encouraging; always holding the banner high!
It is her flexibility about ways and means to attain and maintain the super-objective which is having drama recognised as a valid way of knowing and understanding.
It is her adherence to the Stanislavskian approach to objective/problem/action that has made her so effective in developing the place of drama … in education and in the New Zealand way of life.
She is eloquent, innovative, canny, persistent and above all lovingly generous to all who are touched, mentored and inspired by her.
Lin is such an advocate and visionary - she even set up the B. Ed Performing Arts - a joint degree between UC and CCE (Chc College of Eucation). At one point Lin invited me to be a guest tutor in Dance and left it pretty much to me to plan the content. During and after the first session, Lin supported me totally as I had students integrate ideas and knowledge about the Haka in a dance unit called THE CHALLENGE (which I believe is still available through TKI). She enabled me and strengthened my own resolve to work in a bi cultural context even though at the time it was not always encouraged. I am so grateful to have worked beside this wise woman.
Our teacher, our wise-head, (and Rozena Hallum’s best buddy): LIN CLARK
