Zane Berghuis from Aotearoa New Zealand has become the company’s twentieth Pettman DARE Fellow. During his time with the company, Zane will engage in a year of practice-led research with the Learning & Engagement department and undertake postgraduate studies at the University of Leeds before returning to his home country to spend time with New Zealand Opera.
Zane’s primary interest is in the interplay between arts and culture. Influenced by his diverse whakapapa (a Māori descriptor for all kinds of heritage) including his performance and academic study at Te Kōkī—the New Zealand School of Music—his work emphasises the importance of performance that reflects a rich cultural tapestry. As the twentieth Pettman DARE Fellow, Zane is looking forward to deepening his understanding of cultural leadership within opera and to discover more about both Opera North and New Zealand Opera’s innovative community engagement initiatives.
Previous Pettman DARE Fellow Andrew Gordon (L) with Zane Berghuis (R)
The Pettman DARE Fellowship programme was set up over a decade ago thanks to generous funding from philanthropists Professor Barrie and Maureen Pettman. Having spent time in the UK and New Zealand and with an abiding love for both countries alongside a strong belief in the power of the arts, the Pettmans were keen to benefit young music educators at the outset of their careers.
The resulting programme is a valuable combination of theory and practical work, with Fellows from both Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK/EU embedded in Opera North’s busy Learning & Engagement department in parallel with postgraduate studies in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at the University of Leeds. After nine months in the UK, the successful participants return to Aotearoa New Zealand to spend a further three months working within the New Zealand Opera participation team, exploring and supporting the delivery of engagement opportunities with communities across that country.
Following their time on the programme, Fellows have gone on to undertake further postgraduate studies or forged successful careers in the Arts and Education sectors in the UK, as well as in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Previous Pettman DARE Fellow Marcus Norman
Since his Fellowship in 2015/16, Marcus Norman has returned to Ōtautahi/Christchurch to become director of The Piano, the city’s leading purpose-built performance arts venue. Originally set on becoming a professional clarinettist, Marcus credits the Pettman DARE Fellowship with altering the course of his career: “The exceptional people I learned from, and the many wonderful projects I worked on at Opera North and across the North, still inspire me today! This Fellowship is truly life changing. It was a really exciting turning point for me.”
2017/18 recipient Callum Blackmore also credits the Fellowship with helping him to acquire crucial skills in arts administration, which has enabled him to pursue a rewarding career in fundraising for the arts: “After completing my PhD at Columbia University, I took a job as the Head of Fundraising for Perth Symphony Orchestra in Western Australia, helping to raise money for a range of music education and outreach activities. Indeed, I was inspired to go into fundraising by the Pettmans, who give so much to support arts and music education in England and New Zealand. How could you not be inspired by their generosity, their openness, and their vision for the future? The Pettman DARE Fellowship was the best year of my life, and I still cherish all the lessons I learned, the connections I made, and the inspiration I received.”
It is a sentiment echoed by Blaire White, a former Pettman DARE Fellow, who is currently working at the Royal Ballet and Opera in London as Business and Operations Manager in the Schools team: “I am so grateful to have been a recipient of the Pettman DARE Fellowship. My practical experience working with schools, colleagues, and cultural partners at Opera North and New Zealand Opera taught me skills that I use in my career on a day-to-day basis. This, coupled with the theoretical knowledge gained at the University of Leeds, have been foundational for my career working in arts management. Personally, I will always be grateful for the experiences I had during my year on the fellowship; it was such a lovely supportive environment for me to learn in and make a lot of incredible memories.”
Previous Pettman DARE Fellows Callum Blackmore (L) and Andrew Gordon (R)
The Pettman DARE Fellowships are part of the pioneering DARE partnership between Opera North and the University of Leeds which includes research, skills development, public engagement and collaboration. It also includes the appointment of an Academic in Residence at Opera North each year, with the current postholder being Dr Katie Gardner, Lecturer in Arts-based Pedagogical Practices in the School of Music and the School of Performance and Culture Industries, who is exploring the possibilities for digital and immersive technologies in live performance.
