Outstanding contribution recognised
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the late Sue Paterson won the lifelong contribution award posthumously at the annual Wellington Theatre Awards last night.
Known as arts administrator extraordinaire, the former New Zealand Festival executive director lost her long battle with cancer earlier this year.
She has fittingly received the Mayoral Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre for her more than 40 years of service to arts and culture at the prestigious awards ceremony held at Te Papa.
It’s an accolade two of her colleagues and friends, New Zealand Festival executive director Meg Williams and World of Wearable Arts chief executive Gisella Car, say is a fitting tribute to a woman who has touched many lives over the years.
“It is the perfect award for Sue, it’s recognition of a lifetime contribution and that’s exactly what she made,” says Gisella.
“The award will have meant a lot to the people at the awards, there would be very few who haven’t connected with Sue, or if they haven’t connected with her personally, they’ve certainly benefited from the work she’s done.”
Sue had been executive director of the biennial New Zealand Festival from 2009 until last year, having been the marketing director between 1994 and 1998.
Her retirement ended a lifetime of arts management, including shepherding seminal contemporary dance company Limbs through its early years, managing Don McGlashan’s and Harry Sinclair’s The Front Lawn and reforming the Royal New Zealand Ballet to reverse its near-fatal financial woes as its general manager in the 1990s.
Sue’s Festival achievements included bringing the Edinburgh Military Tattoo to Wellington in 2016, to record-breaking audiences.
She was a board member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for several years as well.
Her career also included stints with the London Contemporary Dance School and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.
Just last year Sue was named Metlifecare Senior New Zealander of the Year in recognition of her 40 years of service to arts and culture. She was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004.
Despite her huge contribution to the arts community, both Meg and Gisella say Sue would have been humbled.
“She would have been really touched to be recognised in this way, but then she would have told us to get on with it, she would have been pretty humbled,” says Meg.
Being a modest person, Gisella says Sue would have found the attention a little overwhelming.
“She would have laughed, of course, and if she was in the room while we were saying these things she’d cover her ears and go ‘da, da, da’.”
Gisella and Sue first met in a professional capacity in their 20s, when Gisella worked for the New Zealand Student Arts Company and Sue ran Limbs, and have been friends ever since.
“She was enormous fun, generous and just drew people to her – she had an enormous number of friends and people who felt very understood by her, very supported by her.”
Meg, who worked alongside Sue for 10 years, says Sue was an inspirational leader who was generous with her time and expertise.
“I just know so many New Zealand and international artists, where she was the person at the end of the phone, someone to have a coffee with, she was a real connector of people.
“This is a tough industry and sometimes it’s just that person to reach out to that can really make all the difference, and she has made a massive impact on a lot of people who she’s supported and championed, including myself.”
Equally, Sue had that entrepreneurial spirit and determination that saw her lead the New Zealand Festival team to success over four festivals, six Wellington Jazz Festivals, and four Lexus Song Quests.
As her successor, Meg is humbled to be in the role and is focused on fulfilling Sue’s ambitions.
“We are trying to live up to her standards – she was passionate about innovation and change, she was always really future focused to bring in new audiences, so she’s set us on a really good path.
❚
The George Webby Most Promising Newcomer Award: Eleanor Strathern, Producer, A Mulled Whine.
The Willem Wassenaar Most Promising Newcomer Award: Trae Te Wiki, Acting Hine Kaha¯wai; Writing Beneath Skin and Bone. Lighting Designer of the Year: Rachel Marlow Wild Dogs/Peter and the Wolf.
Sound Designer of the Year: Eden Mulholland, Meremere /Rushes. The Constance Scott Kirkaldie Outstanding Composer of Music: Robin Kelly,Valerie.
Set Designer of the Year: John Verryt, Rushes.
The Paul Jenden Costume Designer of the Year: Sheila Horton, Bloomsbury Women and the Wild Colonial Girl.
The Peter Harcourt New Playwright of the Year: Ho¯hepa Waitoa, He Kura E Huna Ana.
Outstanding new New Zealand Play of the Year: D. F. Mamea, Still Life with Chickens.
The Absolutely Positively Most Original Production of the Year: Jane Doe, Zanetti Productions.
The Grant Tilly Actor of the Year: Rodney Bell, Meremere.
The Dorothy McKegg Actress of the Year: Anapela Polataivao, Wild Dogs Under my Skirt.
The Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance: Goretti Chadwick, Still Life with Chickens.
The Michele Amas Accolade for Outstanding Performance: Anya Tate-Manning, My Best Dead Friend.
Excellence Award for AV Design: Rowan Pierce, Big J Stylez/ Meremere/Rushes.
Excellence Award for Puppetry: Peter and The Wolf.
Excellence Award for Community Engagement: Taurima Vibes, Breathe/All Good.
Director of the Year: Malia Johnston, Meremere/Rushes.
The Jack Jeffs Charitable Trust Production of the Year: Wild Dogs Under my Skirt (NZ Festival and FCC.
The Mayoral Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre: Sue Paterson.