Unity In Adversity

Rising from the ashes of loss and uncertainty, Unity in Adversity is a fiercely determined showcase of internationally recognised New Zealand talent celebrating solidarity, resilience, and community.

Back at home to wait out the easing of overseas COVID restrictions, a group of stranded dancers, choreographers and vocalists have banded together to meet their new reality head-on, creating a show that honours their losses, celebrates their determination, and strengthens their passion for creative expression.

When the handbrake of global pandemic brought most overseas performance industries to a sudden halt, New Zealand performers working overseas had to pivot quickly. Eddie Brunton, company spokesperson for Unity in Adversity, has no regrets about getting back to Aotearoa, but acknowledges that it’s been complicated. “Deciding to come home was simple, but it wasn’t easy,” says Brunton. “And that’s the way a lot of our cast feels. There’s this sense that we’d been living the dream, working overseas and getting paid to do what we love every day and that’s not an easy thing to just drop, especially when you have no idea how or when you might get it back.”

Not that any of these performers are complaining about where they’ve landed. But they’re passionate professional artists, and they’re not taking things lying down. “Being able to talk to each other about the challenges the industry’s facing and how we’re each dealing with it has made what we want to hold on to very clear. Unity in Adversity has been a really important show for us to make together, because it's been a way we could lift each other up, come together as a community and feel connected, to each other and to the audiences we’re sharing our work with. The world needs performance and storytellers, especially in uncertain times.”