Arts

Teacher defends Shakespeare after Creative NZ funding cut

08:10 am on 17 October 2022

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"To be or not to be?", that is the question, and as far as Shakespeare is concerned, Creative New Zealand says the answer is "not".

The arts funding body has pulled its support from a popular Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, which has been running for the past few decades for high-school students, who perform extracts from Shakespeare's plays.

Creative New Zealand ruled the Bard is "located within a canon of imperialism" and simply isn't relevant for a "decolonising Aotearoa". 

Tania Roxborogh is an author and high school teacher who says the decision is misguided.

Morning Report invited Creative New Zealand to come on the programme but they were not available until 10am.