about us
mission
We are an independent theatre company who want to never lose sight of our heart in Ōtepoti Dunedin. We recognise that we are on unceded territory of mana whenua. We believe that theatre and performance are a meeting place for the community and also make and remake our culture. We pledge to make our audiences and our collaborators feel welcome and to feel like they are sharing in our efforts: dollhouse wants to turn away from the idea that theatre and performance are only for some people, which we have experienced firsthand. We will strive to centralise accessibility, including financial accessibility, in everything we do. Our dedication to artistic excellence is also a dedication to joy, kindness and playfulness.
We look forward to formally constituting ourselves as a not-for-profit and would welcome any assistance from those who are experts in this area.
home @ the NAT
The New Athenaeum Theatre is destined to be a resource hub and central meeting space for theatre practitioners. They welcome local and touring artists to use the space as they need.
One of the primary goals is not only to provide a venue for established companies, but also provide support to new ventures and emerging practitioners, creating theatre and performance opportunities.
dollhouse is proud to be the NAT's company in residence.
our values: kaupapa
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We believe that theatre and performance are live acts, not fossilised museum pieces.
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We contend that theatre is for everyone, not just the financially well-off and ‘theatre people.’
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Our audience is welcome and they are our guests.
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It is imperative to us that all members of our community — regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, political views, physical non-normativity and neuroatypicalities, alongside other aspects of their identities — are accepted, valued and supported as collaborators and audience members both.
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That we work with professional and acknowledged industry standards of intimacy protocols and thrive on exchange, trust and adventure
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We believe in exploring as many ways of storytelling as possible.
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We will explore non-standard forms of casting and collaboration and refuse the logic of ‘casting to type.’
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We will be a home for emerging artists and provide them with pathways.
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We will also be a home for emerged and submerging artists if they want to share in our kaupapa.
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We welcome people contacting us and we will share our process with those who would like to know about it.
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The most important thing for us is to hold open a space where theatre and performance matter.
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We will always have a Terry MacTavish seat.
our friend:
modaks espresso
When in need of what Agent Cooper would call a damn fine cup of coffee, dollhouse haunts Modaks Espresso. Their motto is a dollhouse-friendly concept: ‘Never Underestimate the Importance of Being Properly Caffeinated.’ Purveyors of fine food for the carnivore through vegetarian and vegan options, their brunches help us answer the questions ‘have I been rehearsing too long? Do I need some food?’ They source local ingredients from and coffee roasted in Ōtepoti Dunedin. Conveniently located at 337-9 George Street, a fairly easy walk from our home theatre, the NAT (on The Octagon), we are proud to call them our café partner.
