Peter O'Connor

BIO

Peter O’Connor is a theatre maker, arts activist, and academic. He is Professor of Education and Director of the Critical Research Unit in Applied Theatre at the University of Auckland. He was formerly the President of the NZ Peace Foundation, National Education Manager of the Race Relations Office, National Manager of the Like Minds Campaign for the Mental Health Foundation and oversaw the introduction of Drama as a compulsory subject with the Ministry of Education. His theatre programme Everyday Theatre has worked with 70,000 children on issues around family violence and child abuse. He has created theatre in prisons, youth justice facilities, forensic psychiatric hospitals, and earthquake zones.

His most recent theatre making and research includes anti-racist work with Sydney Theatre Company, arts based work on sorcery based violence in Papua New Guinea, and theatre making with 7 and 8 year olds in the most quake damaged parts of Mexico City.

ARTEFACT