Stella will be in residence at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre from June -September, where she will be provided with a grant, studio space and experienced creative support from Producers; Desray Armstrong (Stray, Ellen Is Leaving, Meathead), Vicky Pope (Savage, Gardening with Soul, Two Little Boys), and Director Rob Sarkies (Scarfies, Out of the Blue, Consent ), who make up the mentoring panel.
Stella recently directed Second Unit (What Will You Do In The Shadows) and the NZ On Air funded short film Drop Down Globe. She helped develop the web-series BURBS, directing and writing several episodes. She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School.
On applying for the residency, Stella said: “I currently write in a converted spare room I share with two dartboards and a pinball machine, played daily. I call it the office, but my partner refers to it as the games room. To me the Write Room Residency offers above all else a place of refuge.”
Vicky Pope says there was a great response to the Write Room Residency Programme with 25 applications in the 2020 round.
The inaugural recipient of the Write Room Residency was Harry Meech in 2018 and Abi King Jones in 2019.
Toi Pōneke Arts Centre currently run three residency programmes to support Wellington based arts practitioners across a variety of mediums. A Sound Art Residency in partnership with Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, a Dance Residency, and a Visual Arts Residency. For more information on their support and opportunities. https://toiponeke.nz/support-and-opportunities