The aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019 produced a sense of unreality; that “this is not us! This is not Aotearoa New Zealand. These things don’t happen here.” That same aftermath saw a wave of compassion.
One response to all of this was the quiet launch of The Christchurch Invitation: Mahia te Aroha (Action the Compassion) – as a platform for inclusive conversations.
Listen to “Christchurch Invitation" for conversations with a wide range of people – about identity and what it means to belong.
Ep 39: Pedro Ilgenfritz – Physical Theatre: learning who are you are and speaking without words
How do we speak? What messages do we send out, even unconsciously? We can take three elements: the words you use, your tone of voice, and your body language, and reflect that it's the record of the words spoken that have been held up to history as most significant. E.M.Forster asked "How can I know what I think until I see what I say?" But it's those other two – tone and body – that may sometimes convey far more than the words themselves.
I think it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who offered the insight that, "What you are speaks so clearly that I cannot hear what you say."
Can we learn to "speak" more effectively even without using words? At Hagley Theatre School that's a powerful part of the acting course under Director, Pedro Ilgenfritz.
Pedro’s theatre journey began in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, down towards the border with Uruguay. A time towards the end of dictatorships so his father rightly cautioned the dangers of voicing your beliefs. In times of suspicion about the mechanisms and the reach of power it's necessary to remind yourself that, "You may not know who's listening."
So Pedro travelled, learning from circus and clowns and mime; then of what the body could say and teach without words, through Physical Theatre, masks, and the techniques of Jacques Lecoq.
Now, as the Theatre School's Director, his students in the acting programme are challenged in so many ways to use these techniques to construct theatre that speaks to the urgent issues we face; issues that politicians seem to fail to address and that can leave us feeling impotent.
One focus in these podcasts is on identity and the importance, maybe necessity, in these testing times of knowing who you are.
The value is real. One young man from a university background as a scientist explained his presence on the acting course: "I want to discover who I am.”
25 Aug 2026
Ep 38: Former Mayor Garry Moore – Active citizenship, localism, and how those out of work deserve better
Is unemployment just a necessary consequence of economic reality or more like a moral choice? Do political differences mean you can’t sit and talk together? What might a recognition of local knowledge and abilities bring that central government might not?
Garry Moore “ran out of excuses” against standing for Mayor of Christchurch; was elected, and served for three terms (1998 to 2007). Here we talk about the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and the power and connections of localism and the talents that surround us, to effect real change. About speaking across political divides; and the moral failure of unemployment that can remove a sense of belonging and purpose from those who are left behind.
About Gary’s practice, as mayor, of bringing a chair to the Cathedral Square so he could listen to people’s concerns and and act on them. And "The Tuesday Club" as a place for the vital conversations of active citizenship.
And we mention, too, the coming tenth-anniversary of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks – an event of global significance.
15 Jul 2026
Ep 37: Lyn Cotton & Jolt Dance: rich creative opportunities for the intellectually disabled
All of our stories invite questions, because history isn’t just about what happened; it’s what gets recorded and retold. It’s about what we see and the assumptions we make. What we learn and the opportunities that arise.
So we can ask ‘who is visible in our communities and who is not?’ And today our kōrero is about creating spaces for those with intellectual disabilities; for their voices and stories, through dance.
Lyn Cotton is Artistic Director of Jolt – a dance practice that’s all about inclusion. At Jolt the intellectual disabilities of the dancers are not a limiting thing; they’re an invitation – for them to lead audiences on a creative journey through openness and awareness. You see this in the performances of the dancers and their mutual connections on a deeper level, where the eye contact is strong and the movement of one is not imposed on another. Where touch is subtle.
With Jolt came the realisation that inclusion without leadership was not enough. This prompted the creation of ‘Move’ – a space for the dancers to become teachers, leaders, working both with others with disabilities and, very importantly, with people in schools and other ‘mainstream’ places.
Lyn started working with people with disabilities in London, under the guidance of the late Wolfgang Stange. His credo was that “You’re never too disabled, too blind, too old or too proud to be able to perform.”
You can learn more about Jolt and Move at https://www.joltdance.co.nz/about
Who has been a guest on Christchurch Invitation
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Farid Ahmed
John Psathas
Raesha Ismail
Bariz Shah
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