Writer and theatre-maker Jo Randerson (tangata Tiriti) is one of New Zealand’s most original voices. She is part of a team who have re-purposed a disused bowling club in Vogelmorn, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, as a creative community space www.vogelmorn.nz. She has received the Robert Burns Fellowship, an Arts Foundation New Generation Award, the Bruce Mason Award for playwrighting, and an ONZM. Jo often collaborates with communities and is a popular public speaker and progressive thinker about the arts’ relevance in society and the way artists structure their careers.  Jo has taught at Massey University, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School and on the MFA at Victoria University.   Jo has MC'ed events such as PANNZ, the Wellington Theatre Awards, alongside comedy line-ups and various community events. She is the founder and artistic director of the performance Barbarian Productions based in Pōneke. She also recently received the Topp Prize for Comedy, and is the child of a high school teacher and guidance counsellor. See www.barbarian.co.nz for more information. 

(image by Matt Grace)