Nick Smith, Everybody Cool Lives Here
july - december 2017
Toi Pōneke has been thrilled to host Everybody Cool Lives Here as part of our community arts residency, July-December 2017.
about the group
Everybody Cool Lives Here produces inclusive arts reflecting Aotearoa’s unique and diverse voices. They connect with artists on the fringes building confidence and supporting them to become leaders in their community. Formed by Rose Kirkup and Nic Lane, Everybody Cool Lives Here creates and presents work that attempts to challenge perceptions, encourage engagement, and ultimately entertain.
what they’ve been doing
Everybody Cool Lives Here have used this residency towards multiple projects, regularly meeting up with the artists leading these works:
Nick Smith (Best Actor 2015 NZ Fringe Festival) was keen to document and interview 1300+ athletes participating in the Special Olympic National Games resulting in a web series pilot called Secrets of the Special Olympics.
Jacob Dombroski continued developing his solo performance, Big J Styles, as well as developed a workshop for young people. Jacob’s show will be presented during the 2018 NZ Fringe Festival, 6-10 March at Te Auaha. He’ll also be pitching his work during the Performing Arts Market.
Duncan Armstrong spent three weeks with Isobel MacKinnon devising Force Field, his solo work, which will head to the Auckland Fringe Festival in February 2018. Everybody Cool Lives Here supported Duncan’s application for a Quick Response Grant from Creative New Zealand. Everybody Cool Lives here believes that Duncan might be the first person with a learning disability to be successful in applying to Creative New Zealand as an individual.
Artistic Director Rose Kirkup continued developing her script Unflattering Smock that hopes to celebrate the diversity of Aotearoa's caregivers.