The Upper Clutha U3A’s next talk will focus on the place of the arts in society and in people’s lives.

Professor Peter O’Connor, director of the centre for arts and social transformation at the University of Auckland, will present ‘The Arts: Healing balms for a sick world’ for a Wanaka audience on Friday June 11.

The arts are the bridges we cross to remember the past, to think about the present and hope for the future, Peter says. 

“They are tools for training the imagination and are vital for the preservation of democracy.” 

Peter is an internationally recognised expert in making and researching applied theatre and drama education: He has made theatre in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, earthquake zones, and with the homeless. 

In 2020 he was presented with the President's Award by Drama New Zealand for his lifelong contribution to drama education and social justice and, most recently, he led the development of Te Rito Toi, an online resource that is being used in 120 countries around the world to support the return to schools during Covid-19 by using an arts and well-being approach. 

The heart of the talk will focus on the question: How we might harness the arts’ potential for the future of New Zealand?

U3A is an international movement that provides intellectual stimulation for those in the community now living in their ‘third age’ - typically those people no longer in full-time employment.

Wanaka has two U3As: The Mount Aspiring U3A, which was formed in 2018 because the original local chapter, Upper Clutha U3A, had closed to new members due to popularity.

“Our aim is to promote learning for all, especially for retired people,” an Upper Clutha U3A spokesperson said.

‘The Arts: Healing balms for a sick world’ will take place on Friday June 11 from 10am-12pm at the Wanaka Presbyterian Community Church Centre at 91 Tenby St, Wanaka.

Enrolment is essential: Email no later than Friday June 4 to [email protected] and provide names and dates for the members who will be attending. If you can’t email, phone Errol Carr (443 8669) to enrol.  

PHOTO: Supplied