The Engine Room 2025 - Meet our Residents Nī Dekkers-Reihana and Katrina George

Auckland Theatre Company are delighted to announce that Nī Dekkers-Reihana and Katrina George have been selected as Engine Room Residents at Auckland Theatre Company in 2025 made possible by the Friedlander Foundation.

Nī and Katrina will join the Auckland Theatre Company team for five months each and will participate fully in the working life of Auckland Theatre Company. Additionally, they’ll each work across three shows in the company’s 2025 season as Engine Room Assistant Director at the ASB Waterfront Theatre.

The Engine Room programme is designed to support the training and development of early to mid-career theatre directors, supporting career development by providing directing experience in the context of a large producing company.

The programme allows access to the inner workings of a large producing theatre company, and insight into its programming and producing processes, audiences, teams, venues and ongoing core business. Residents will be part of the process of staging three theatre productions at the ASB Waterfront Theatre: from the design phase, planning, rehearsals, production week and opening through to closing night.

Auckland Theatre Company received Expressions of Interest from 83 theatre directors and artists from across Aotearoa and from around the world. Each Expression of Interest was reviewed by the ATC team, and eight directors were invited to apply for the programme. The Application process included submitting a full application form and CV and participating in an interview with a panel of Miriama McDowell (Ngāti Hine), Benjamin Kilby-Henson and Sam Phillips. The appointments were made after a final interview with Artistic Director & CEO Jonathan Bielski.

The Engine Room Assistant Director Programme has been previously run in 2016 and 2020/21. Previous Engine Room residents include Ahilan Karunaharan, Benjamin Kilby-Henson, Sananda Chatterjee, Whetu Silver, and Samuel Phillips.

“The Engine Room residency programme represents an essential investment in the future of theatre in New Zealand. We aim to support directors who are ready to immerse themselves in the creative, operational, and strategic life of a busy theatre company."

"We’re excited by what directors can offer us, and for artists to gain new knowledge, invaluable industry contacts, and insights that will prepare them for the demands and opportunities of directing on stages of scale. 

We owe the Friedlander Foundation a debt of gratitude for their extraordinary generosity in supporting young artists.”

- Artistic Director & CEO Jonathan Bielski

The 2025 Engine Room is generously supported by the Friedlander Foundation, Excellence Partner of Auckland Theatre Company.