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Paula is a performance maker and arts educator passionate about supporting emerging practitioners and the development of original work. She regularly teaches performance and devising skills workshops for the Victorian College of the Arts Foundation and short course program in Melbourne. She is a core tutor on the Melbourne University curriculum subjects ‘The Actor’s Process’ and ‘Improvisation: Space, Text and Action’. For five years Paula taught the solo-self devising project ‘Lifepaths’ for Verve Studios and currently has returned to her hometown of Wellington, NZ, to do some teaching at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School.
Praised as a supportive and passionate performance teacher Paula’s unique expertise in creating original work has been forged over 20 years of professional experience. 
Contact me for tailored teaching and learning opportunities |
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Paula plants the seeds of ideas and provocations, it’s up to you to allow your playfulness and curiosity to allow it to come to fruition. Mistakes and failings are welcome.
– Natalie, Intro to Devising 2018 |
Paula’s style of facilitation is flexible and she’s generous with her time and knowledge. She reads the energy in the room very well and knows how to maintain everyone’s attention and enthusiasm.
– Rasha, Methods for Making 2018 |
Paula is warm, enthusiastic and encouraging. She is the perfect tutor in helping you learn to take risks and be brave in forging your own creative path.
- Benji, Methods for Making 2018 |
Professional experience
Tutor: Craft and Mentorship (2018)
Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, Acting Dept
Sessional tutor (2014 - 2018)
Breadth Subjects (Award), VCA, Melbourne University
The Actor's Process
Improvisation: Text, Space, Action
Foundations and Short Course Tutor (2008 – 2018)
School of Performing Arts, Victorian College of the Arts (VCA)
Courses taught include:
Devising - 6 week solo making project
In the Beginning - 10 week foundations of performance practice
The Actor's Instruments - 8 week Introduction to Acting
Movement for Actors - week intensive for Summer & Winter School
Lifepaths solo self projects ( 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Studio Verve, Melbourne
For this independent acting school I’ve taught the term-long course component on creating an original solo performance based of self, identity and life experiences.
Creative and Technical Collaborator (2010 - 2016)
School of Performing Arts, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne
I work with both the dance and animateuring postgraduate students in the realisation of their assessed performance projects.
Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, Acting Dept
Sessional tutor (2014 - 2018)
Breadth Subjects (Award), VCA, Melbourne University
The Actor's Process
Improvisation: Text, Space, Action
Foundations and Short Course Tutor (2008 – 2018)
School of Performing Arts, Victorian College of the Arts (VCA)
Courses taught include:
Devising - 6 week solo making project
In the Beginning - 10 week foundations of performance practice
The Actor's Instruments - 8 week Introduction to Acting
Movement for Actors - week intensive for Summer & Winter School
Lifepaths solo self projects ( 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Studio Verve, Melbourne
For this independent acting school I’ve taught the term-long course component on creating an original solo performance based of self, identity and life experiences.
Creative and Technical Collaborator (2010 - 2016)
School of Performing Arts, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne
I work with both the dance and animateuring postgraduate students in the realisation of their assessed performance projects.
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Paula is an amazing teacher – I have leant so much about generating a solo – the process & different tools needed to create & reflect on performance
– Tess , VCA Acting Studio Intensive Devised project 2017 |
Through Paula’s creative facilitation I feel I’ve experienced several significant ‘light bulb’ moments. I’ve found my confidence to create unique, honest and original works that has developed my skills as a performer and a creative person.
- Scott, Lifepaths project, Verve Studios 2013 |
Paula is absolutely excellent! I am usually very cynical about ‘abstract movement’ and all that, but she completely changed the way I look at different types of performance making.
– Hayley, Acting Studio, Term One 2012 |
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Independent Practice The Collective by Jean Betts (2010)
VCA Foundation Studio 11.
Workshops and courses:
Workshop - Contemporary Performance: Intro to Devising Tuesday 6th February 2018 Studio 1, Brunswick Mechanics Institute Suitable for all live performance practitioners – actors, playwrights, dancers, performance artists and musicians - who want to explore how to generate original material in a supportive environment. Short course - Contemporary Performance: Methods for Making Tuesday 13, Tuesday 20, Tuesday 27 February 2018 Studio 1, Brunswick Mechanics Institute Explore some methods for making your own creative process come to life. Drawing widely from design-thinking, improvisation and process-focused art methods find a way of making that suits you. Interdisciplinary practice (2013) Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart with Ria Soemardjo Intercultural ritual workshops (2013) - Vitalstatistix, Adelaide - Street Theatre, Canberra - Blacktown Arts Centre, Sydney with Ria Soemardjo and Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal Make with Light Practical and conceptual workshop in 'how to think in light' School of Architecture & Design, RMIT, Melbourne (2015, 2016) SPACE, Hobart (2014) School of Performing Arts, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne (2011, 2012) Tools for Original Composition Exploring the creative process to make original work The British School, Tokyo, Japan (2009) Wellington Fringe Festival & Loonesco Theatre Company, New Zealand (2007) |