Seminar: Chinese Performance and Inter-Community Relations in a 19th-Century New Zealand Gold-Mining Setting
Free Seminar
Chinese Performance and Inter-Community Relations in a 19th-Century New Zealand Gold-Mining Setting
Professor Henry Johnson
Music, University of Otago
Wednesday 12 May 2021, 3:30pm
Burns 5 Lecture Theatre, Albany Street
The history of Chinese music making in Aotearoa has received little attention in music research. A hegemonic and Eurocentric lens of scholarly convention has for so often foregrounded some creative arts at the expense of obfuscating others, frequently disparaging or exoticising musical practices that fall within unknown epistemologies. Challenging the selective subject matter of music history, this paper uncovers some of the active and diverse contributions that Chinese musical performance has had in the making of New Zealand. Particular attention is given to instances of inter-community relations in a 19th-century gold-mining setting and the dynamics of cultural diversity of the time.
Holocaust and Antisemitism in New Zealand Teaching Day
The Centre for Global Migrations was delighted to recently co-sponsor a Teacher Professional Development day on teaching the Holocaust in schools.
Kris Clancy, Education Director at the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, began with a discussion of what, why, and how to teach the Holocaust. He emphasised that although often taught as an overseas event, the Holocaust is also a local story about who came to Aotearoa. Connecting the Holocaust to human rights and what constitutes free speech versus hate speech, Kris encouraged teachers to ensure students learn the repercussions of inaction. He also stressed the importance of using individual stories and images purposely and to avoid role plays. Encouraging an interdisciplinary approach, teachers then worked through a survivor’s personal testimony and workshopped some lesson plans. Kris concluded the informative day with an overview of past and present antisemitism in New Zealand.
