I grew up in rural New Zealand (Aotearoa) and lived there until I was 21. During that time I was accepted into the Iowa Summer Workshop at the International Institute of Modern Letters, a course which enabled me to discover much about poetry. Since that time I have also participated in a workshop with Sir Andrew Motion, in Melbourne, another beautiful and encouraging experience. For examples of my published work, please check out my poetry page! :) I have also had some of my writing for theatre staged (in Edinburgh and Auckland), and participated in wonderful workshops exploring butoh and playing with playwriting (both in Melbourne), which are documented on my theatre page. I studied English Literature and Drama at Victoria University of Wellington and Auckland University, where I graduated with First Class Honours and a First in Course Award (Shakespeare and Empire). I then recieved an Australian Postgraduate Award to study at the University of Melbourne. I completed a Research MA in Literature, combining cultural and psychoanalytic approaches to fairytale in a thesis entitled "Identity and Identification: Gender, Rewriting and Little Red Riding Hood", for which I also received First Class Honours.
EXPRESSION
I am an experienced and versatile singer and actor, having performed since my teenage years, and I am a classically trained soprano as well as a jazz and blues singer. My music pages provides more details about the band Ooh La La, comprised of myself and my brother, who is an accomplished guitarist currently studying classical performance at NZSM. We cover jazz standards, blues numbers, eclectic indie-pop, and the odd chanson. We love performing together and our sense of fun, as well as our technical prowess, can transform any occasion from a gathering into a party.
JOY
I love experimenting, experiencing new things and exploring. For me, life is about adventure and expression. Since leaving Aotearoa, I have called six different countries home and travelled solo in places as varied as Diyarbakkir, East Turkey; Florianopolis, Brazil; and Inverness, Scotland. My ventures into various art forms reflect this sense of openness, curiosity, and playfulness -- an attitude upon which I base my life and my art.
CHOICE
I have had diverse and fascinating experiences so far, and I try to make the most of these through appreciating the love, luck and beauty around me; through paying attention to the guidance the universe has to offer; and through choosing to turn towards compassion, gratitude and positivity.