Madeline McNamara

BIO

Madeline McNamara is a South Islander. She was born in Otautahi/Christchurch but raised for most of her life in Whakatu/Nelson. Of Irish, Scottish, Cornish, Polish and Alasation (as in Alsace Lorraine not the dog!) descent, she identifies as Pakeha and Tangata Tiriti. She is a performer, director, teacher, organiser and community arts networker. Inspired by the work of The Magdalena Project, an international network of women in contemporary theatre she co -founded Magdalena Aotearoa, with Sally Rodwell in 1997. In 2004 she completed her Masters in Theatre Arts, in Directing (MTA) at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and Victoria University. Madeline has also worked as actor in stage, film, television and radio. From 2005-2012 she was also co-artistic director of Acting Up Charitable Trust, an organisation that provided training and performance opportunities in the fields of theatre, film and music for people with learning disabilities.

Madeline's political education came mainly through her experiences and active involvement with the women's movement in the UK and USA in the late 70's and 80's and on her return to Aotearoa in the mid 80's, with the anti racism and Treaty education networks based mainly in Auckland. This learning has gone hand in hand with her development as an independent theatre practitioner both here and overseas over the last 30 years. This has included active engagement with a number of queer and women's theatre companies and festivals in the late 70's and 80's in the UK and USA including London's Hormone Imbalance, Double Edge Theatre and The Feminist American Theatre festivals in Boston, Massachussets. In Aotearoa since the late 80's it has involved work with theatre group Red Mole, Taki Rua Theatre, women's theatre festivals Not Broadcast Quality, women's comedy company Hens Teeth, Nga Mahi Whakaari O Nga Tamariki O Taone Hou, a Newtown based multi cultural children’s theatre project, The Magdalena Project, Magdalena Aotearoa, Maori Women's Performance network Tii Kouka, Acting Up and New Pacific Theatre.

Madeline works in the experimental, self- devised traditions, which often involves an engagement with political or social perspectives outside the mainstream. She is interested in experiencing and creating for the theatre, ideas and forms that have hitherto been unexpressed in that arena. She is interested in the voices of those who have for one reason or another been excluded or excluded themselves from engagement with theatrical forms.

In order to support her life in this kind of performance realm Madeline has also worked as nurse aid, an artist’s model, a cook, cleaner, waitress, dish washer, gardener, house painter, and art gallery security guard. She has worked with homeless women, and as a care giver for the elderly, disabled and convalescent and with people who are mentally ill. She currently works part time at VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad) and on- call at Mary Potter hospice as a health care assistant while continuing her performance practice.

ARTEFACT

'A Pilgrim's Progress', published in Magdalena Aotearoa (Issue 36, October 2010)