Canterbury Earthquake - What you can do!

I don't know what to say. It is truly horrific. My thoughts and love are with everyone affected by yesterday's Canterbury earthquake.

Here is a list of 

USEFUL CONTACTS

• New Zealand Red Cross Person Enquiry Line: 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276)
• For people enquiring about family from outside New Zealand should call +64 7 850 2199
• International Visitors in Christchurch who need assistance should call 0800 779 997 (This number is the official earthquake hotline!)
• New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management website, www.mcdem.govt.nz or http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/
• Environment Canterbury's earthquake site at http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/.

• Christchurch Airport: http://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/ 

If you want to help, here's what you can do:

DONATIONS

Go online and donate to the Salvation Army from anywhere in the world here.

ASB, ANZ and the National Bank are also taking donations.

ASB Bank: Account number: 12-3205-0146808-00. BIC/SWIFT code: ASBBNZ2A

ANZ Bank: Account number 01-1839-0188939-00. BIC/SWIFT code: ANZBAU3M

National Bank: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00. BIC/SWIFT code: ANZBNZ22

I haven't been able to go to the website of the New Zealand Red Cross. It seemed to be momentarily overloaded. But please do try it yourself

You can also donate to Women's refuge here.

You can also donate via GrabOne and 1-dayout.

Whatever charity or organisation you want to go through to make a donation, research them before you make contact to avoid the spammers that are already surfacing!

DONATIONS VIA TEXT MESSAGE

An easy thing to do if you are a Vodafone customer, text 'QUAKE' to 333 ($3) or 555 ($5) to DONATE to RED CROSS for Chch Emergency Appeal. 100% of funds goes to Red Cross. A $10 and $20 text donation will be launched on ALL networks later today. Check with your provider! 

DONATING BLOOD

Before you go out to donate blood, contact your local blood bank/Red Cross office etc to make an appointment. Lots of people have already donated, so the blood banks are looking good. Give them a call first to make sure your blood is needed and they have the resources to take it.

TEMPORARY ACCOMODATION

If you are in the Wellington region and have a spare bed or even a couch for Cantabrians being evacuated, please get in touch with the Wellington City Council at (04) 801 4205 or email CD.Welfare@wcc.govt.nz with your details.

If you are in the Auckland region please do the same by calling 0800 Auckland (0800 282 552)

Also check out these facebook pages here and here if you are looking for accomodation yourself or know someone who does.

MUCKING IN 

If you're in Christchurch check out the amazing work done by the UCSA Student Volunteer Army here and join in! 

WELLINGTON ACTORS FOR CANTERBURY 

Wellington improv troupe The Improvisors are donating the proceeds of their Fringe show at Circa Theatre, Wellington to Chch relief. Here is the link to the facebook event but here's what you need to know now:

22-26 February, 7.30pm
Circa Two, 1 Taranaki St, Wellington
Bookings: 04 801 7992 or www.circa.co.nz
Tickets: $18/15

Circa Theatre has also offered it's main venue for a 7:30 pm show on March 7 host inga fundraiser for the Christchurch quake. Show starts 7:30 and tickets will be $25. Obviously they need some content!

So, if you've got something short you'd like to do - on your own, with your band, your dance company whatever - let me know and we'll see what we can make happen. There'll be a facebook event for this real soon but in the meantime you can email Greg at greg@theimprovisors.co.nz.

Another fundraiser event, El Jaguar and Friends Heart Shakytown, is being organised at the Fringe Bar, Corner of Vivian and Cuba Street Wellington for Friday, 25 February from 9.30pm to 11:30pm. The line-up looks fantastic!

I'm sure there is more you can do but I am out of ideas right now. Please leave a comment if you have heard of any other ways to help out!

Lots of aroha to you Cantabrians and to all of those with family and friends affected by the quake. Kia kaha! X

Wellington Actor's Studio: NEW CLASSES!

The Wellington Actor's Studio's 2011 classes are about to start and there is some really cool stuff going on.

6 Month Meisner Beginners Class starting 14 February 2011

6 Month Meisner Intermediate Class starting 2 March 2011

Get Camera Ready for Your Big Break with Todd Rippon, 12 week teen acting class, starting 18 February 2011




Practical Aesthetics with Kerry Glamsch, 12 week class, starting 1 March 2011



Go on, you know you want to! 

The year ahead

This week my amazing partner signed his contract for an acting gig which awesome, crazy, glorious, mind-boggling, fantastic doesn't even begin to describe. He is pretty much guaranteed him full time acting work for at least the rest of this year. Which means a years worth of constant acting experience. It means getting all sorts of crazy training that goes with it. It means exposure, networking and have I mentioned acting all day every day? It also means no worrying about the mortgage for a whole year. ONE WHOLE YEAR! We're both over the moon excited...

...and I'm freaking out...

At five maybe six days a week at 12 hours a days, we are not going to see much of each other. I'm effectively going to be a solo mum with three part-time jobs for the whole of 2011 and I'm thinking how the hell am I going to get it all done? Can't really quit being a mum, right, and not that I wanted to anyway ever! Job one - childcare, frees me up for job two - the one that actually pays money, so quitting either is not an option. Job number three - the one that I really really want to be doing and full time, come on ya'll know what I'm talking about - seems to be slipping away.

I'm really hoping that I'm just a bit overwhelmed by the news of impending 'single parenthood' and that it won't be as all-consuming as I imagine it to be.

After all, there are auditions and new classes coming up, submissions to new representation is in the pipeline (update on that soon) and I'm working on my postcard submissions... So, come on 2011, put a few more hours in each day, mh-k?

Call for Subissions: Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival 2011

I just got a new comment on one of my older posts from Ngawang at the Indigenous Film Archive in Nepal. How cool is that?!

The Archive is hosting the Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival 2011 and are seeking submissions (no entry fees!) by indigenous film makers. Submissions close on 28 February 2011 and submission criteria can be found here.

This year's festival is

dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the indigenous woman. The festival aims to bring out the sensitivities, strengths, skills, knowledge and wisdom that enables the indigenous woman to play a key role in holding societies and communities together.

So, if you know or are an indigenous film maker get the word out and get submitting! Good luck and enjoy!