Latest news with #Educators
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Bold, Modern Twist On Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Press Release – The Court Theatre Prepare for a wild ride with Shakespeare's riotous rom-com, where laughter and bewilderment go hand in hand The Court Theatre – Stewart Family Theatre | 9 August – 6 September Shakespeare's Twelfth Night arrives at The Court Theatre next month with all the mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and sharp wit audiences love—brought to life with modern dress, contemporary style, and a spirit of playful mischief. Performed in full Shakespearean text, Twelfth Night is a vibrant rom-com packed with humour, heart, and timeless insights into human nature. The production combines a fast-paced script, an ensemble of dynamic performers, and original music composed by cast member Hester Ullyart, who plays Feste. Directed by The Court Theatre's artistic director Alison Walls, this production is set in a world pulsing with colour, music, and movement—a feast for the senses brought to life by a knockout cast of Aotearoa's finest. 'This is a rom com!' says Dr Walls. 'It remains fresh and pacey. The text offers great freedom in its staging. Illyria can be anywhere that allows you to explore a different version of yourself. Twelfth Night is funny and ridiculous with some real psychological truths at its core.' Audiences will meet twins Viola and Sebastian, shipwrecked and separated, as they navigate a world of disguise, love triangles, and comic chaos. Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the clever and resourceful Viola, separated from her twin brother Sebastian, disguises herself as a man and enters the service of Duke Orsino. As she navigates her new life, she becomes entangled in a whirlwind love triangle where identity, passion, and gender blur and collide. Bursting with vitality and romance, Twelfth Night introduces one of Shakespeare's most captivating heroines, who matches wits with an array of memorable characters, from the lovesick Olivia to the puritanical Malvolio. This play is a rich tapestry of comic courtship, mistaken identities, and fluid romance. With its ingenious central plot involving twins of different genders, and its delightfully funny side plots, Twelfth Night serves up a feast of laughter, poignant moments of grief, and the joy of unexpected revelations. Multiple award-winning actor Victoria Abbott keeps us guessing Viola. After a shipwreck leaves her believing her twin brother has drowned, Viola disguises herself as the young man Cesario—setting the stage for a whirlwind of romantic mix-ups and comic confusion. A creative chameleon herself, Victoria is a writer, performer, director, and clown from Ōtautahi now based in Sydney. She comes fresh from the Australian premiere of Pride and Prejudice, with credits including Top of the Lake, Power Rangers, and Educators, alongside stage work with Pop-Up Globe, Red Leap Theatre, and Auckland Theatre Company. Viola's long-lost twin, Sebastian, is played by Nic Kyle, returning to The Court Theatre with a dazzling international resume. With 18 years of professional work across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK, his credits span Savage (The Arts Theatre, West End), Spamalot, and Closer to Heaven in London, to local favourites like Cabaret, RENT, The Music Man, and Kinky Boots. Nic was nominated for Best Actor by Broadway World UK and named 2023 Variety Artists Club Top Male Artist. As the elegant and grieving Countess Olivia, Emma Katene (Ngāti Kahungunu) returns to The Court Theatre following standout roles in The Girl on the Train and Fun Home. Olivia has sworn off love—until she meets Cesario, unaware 'he' is actually Viola in disguise. Playing the lovesick Duke Orsino is James Kupa (Ngāti Kahungunu), a Court Theatre favourite (Murder on the Orient Express, The End of the Golden Weather), with television credits including The Brokenwood Mysteries, Dark City: The Cleaner, and Nothing Trivial. A stellar cast includes: Dan Bain (End of Summer Time, Director) as the raucous Sir Toby Belch Kathleen Burns (End of the Golden Weather) as the mischievous maid Maria Jonathon Hendry (Pike River, Lord of the Rings) as the pompous but pitiable Malvolio Hester Ullyart (A Streetcar Named Desire) as the witty fool Feste and original music composition. Cameron Clayton (Strictly Ballroom, The Musical) as Antonio and the Captain William Burns (SpongeBob SquarePants, Stage Manager) as Andrew Aguecheek and Valentine This Twelfth Night explores gender, identity, and love through a modern lens, balancing laugh-out-loud comedy with aching tenderness and unexpected revelations.
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Bold, Modern Twist On Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Prepare for a wild ride with Shakespeare's riotous rom-com, where laughter and bewilderment go hand in hand The Court Theatre – Stewart Family Theatre | 9 August - 6 September Shakespeare's Twelfth Night arrives at The Court Theatre next month with all the mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and sharp wit audiences love—brought to life with modern dress, contemporary style, and a spirit of playful mischief. Performed in full Shakespearean text, Twelfth Night is a vibrant rom-com packed with humour, heart, and timeless insights into human nature. The production combines a fast-paced script, an ensemble of dynamic performers, and original music composed by cast member Hester Ullyart, who plays Feste. Directed by The Court Theatre's artistic director Alison Walls, this production is set in a world pulsing with colour, music, and movement—a feast for the senses brought to life by a knockout cast of Aotearoa's finest. 'This is a rom com!' says Dr Walls. 'It remains fresh and pacey. The text offers great freedom in its staging. Illyria can be anywhere that allows you to explore a different version of yourself. Twelfth Night is funny and ridiculous with some real psychological truths at its core.' Audiences will meet twins Viola and Sebastian, shipwrecked and separated, as they navigate a world of disguise, love triangles, and comic chaos. Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the clever and resourceful Viola, separated from her twin brother Sebastian, disguises herself as a man and enters the service of Duke Orsino. As she navigates her new life, she becomes entangled in a whirlwind love triangle where identity, passion, and gender blur and collide. Bursting with vitality and romance, Twelfth Night introduces one of Shakespeare's most captivating heroines, who matches wits with an array of memorable characters, from the lovesick Olivia to the puritanical Malvolio. This play is a rich tapestry of comic courtship, mistaken identities, and fluid romance. With its ingenious central plot involving twins of different genders, and its delightfully funny side plots, Twelfth Night serves up a feast of laughter, poignant moments of grief, and the joy of unexpected revelations. Multiple award-winning actor Victoria Abbott keeps us guessing Viola. After a shipwreck leaves her believing her twin brother has drowned, Viola disguises herself as the young man Cesario—setting the stage for a whirlwind of romantic mix-ups and comic confusion. A creative chameleon herself, Victoria is a writer, performer, director, and clown from Ōtautahi now based in Sydney. She comes fresh from the Australian premiere of Pride and Prejudice, with credits including Top of the Lake, Power Rangers, and Educators, alongside stage work with Pop-Up Globe, Red Leap Theatre, and Auckland Theatre Company. Viola's long-lost twin, Sebastian, is played by Nic Kyle, returning to The Court Theatre with a dazzling international resume. With 18 years of professional work across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK, his credits span Savage (The Arts Theatre, West End), Spamalot, and Closer to Heaven in London, to local favourites like Cabaret, RENT, The Music Man, and Kinky Boots. Nic was nominated for Best Actor by Broadway World UK and named 2023 Variety Artists Club Top Male Artist. As the elegant and grieving Countess Olivia, Emma Katene (Ngāti Kahungunu) returns to The Court Theatre following standout roles in The Girl on the Train and Fun Home. Olivia has sworn off love—until she meets Cesario, unaware "he" is actually Viola in disguise. Playing the lovesick Duke Orsino is James Kupa (Ngāti Kahungunu), a Court Theatre favourite (Murder on the Orient Express, The End of the Golden Weather), with television credits including The Brokenwood Mysteries, Dark City: The Cleaner, and Nothing Trivial. A stellar cast includes: Dan Bain (End of Summer Time, Director) as the raucous Sir Toby Belch Kathleen Burns (End of the Golden Weather) as the mischievous maid Maria Jonathon Hendry (Pike River, Lord of the Rings) as the pompous but pitiable Malvolio Hester Ullyart (A Streetcar Named Desire) as the witty fool Feste and original music composition. Cameron Clayton (Strictly Ballroom, The Musical) as Antonio and the Captain William Burns (SpongeBob SquarePants, Stage Manager) as Andrew Aguecheek and Valentine This Twelfth Night explores gender, identity, and love through a modern lens, balancing laugh-out-loud comedy with aching tenderness and unexpected revelations.
Zawya
15-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Salalah conference urges smarter training policies for AI
SALALAH - The 11th Annual Human Development Conference concluded in Salalah with a unified call to upgrade national training policies and adopt smarter, innovation-led workforce strategies that respond to accelerating technological change. Held under the theme 'Developing Human Capital through Training and Qualification', the two-day event convened senior officials, industry leaders, educators and experts to examine how innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) can be integrated into workforce development, in line with the priorities of Oman Vision 2040. The closing recommendations focused on two main levels: institutional transformation and individual empowerment. At the institutional level, the conference called for the overhaul of traditional training systems. The participants urged public and private sector organisations to align continuous learning programmes with the demands of digital transformation and AI integration. They emphasised the importance of developing structured systems for training needs analysis to ensure resources are directed efficiently and outcomes are measurable. Institutions were also encouraged to implement professional development pathways across all employment tiers to raise productivity and future readiness. At the individual level, the conference urged workers and job-seekers to take greater ownership of their development journeys. This includes setting clear learning goals, pursuing internationally recognised certifications, and actively participating in workshops and volunteer activities — both within and beyond the workplace. These experiences were highlighted as essential for sharpening real-world skills, strengthening employability and fostering a culture of lifelong learning. The final day of the conference featured several expert-led sessions. A technical paper presented by OQ Industrial Investments outlined the company's practical approach to identifying training gaps through systematic needs assessments. Another paper examined how organisational culture can shape the success or failure of training initiatives. A third presentation explored the growing value of professional certifications in driving talent development and organisational competitiveness. Two specialised workshops added further depth to the programme. One focused on real-world applications of AI in learning environments, while the other explored methods for measuring the impact and return on investment (ROI) from training activities. A high-level panel discussion, titled 'Future Trends in Human Development: Advanced Training and Qualification', addressed how governments, industries and academic institutions can collaborate to anticipate future skills gaps and build adaptable, innovation-driven employment ecosystems. Organised by Al Asayel Conferences in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, the Office of the Governor of Dhofar, and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Dhofar branch, the conference served as a national platform to align human capital development with global trends. As Oman pushes forward with its Vision 2040 agenda, the Salalah conference reinforced the strategic importance of investing in people, modernising education and training systems, and equipping the workforce for a future defined by digital transformation and continuous change.
The Verge
30-06-2025
- The Verge
Google is opening its NotebookLM AI tools to students under 18
Google is announcing a variety of new features for its Classroom software suite, including free Gemini AI tools for educators and NotebookLM for users under 18 — the first time the tool has been available to minors. Teachers with a Google Workspace account will have a new dedicated Gemini tab in their Google Classroom, offering tools that can help brainstorm lesson plans, make math problems, or draft emails, among others. For those with Education Plus Edition accounts, Gemini audio lessons will also be offered as add-ons. Another new tab for Analytics will allow teachers to track student performance, highlighting any who have been showing recent improvement or who are missing assignments and may need more support. Google will also be opening up its NotebookLM research and note-taking tool to users under 18 'in the coming months.' Students will be able to use NotebookLM to access things like interactive study guides and podcast-style audio overviews based on source materials their teachers upload. And educators can create their own custom Gems, mini custom Gemini agents, based on their curriculum to share with students. Students will be able to interact with a Gem to get extra help or learn more about a topic it's based on. This feature goes one step higher as well, as administrators will also be able to share Gems with the teachers they oversee in their district, to help with lesson planning or whatever else administrators might like to micro-manage. A few other new tools coming to educators include Google Vids for generative AI video creation, a new 'Help me create a form' feature in Gemini, and the launch of Google's Class Tools. Class Tools were previously announced this year, and now that they're live they'll allow teachers to manage their students' Chromebooks — like sharing content to their screens and minimizing distractions — during a lesson. By connecting directly to their students' accounts of sharing a session code, teachers can push a workbook, video, presentation, or even a quiz directly to their screens. Speaking of Chromebooks, Google is also highlighting that it's got more than 12 new Chromebook, Chromebook Plus, and Chromebook OPS (Intel's Open Pluggable Specification) devices for front-of-classroom displays coming — at some point. There's no specific timeframe given, though the list includes the recently announced Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 that I got a preview of, which is launching today. With all these new Gemini tools for teachers and students, Google is also announcing that Gemini for Education is now the standard tier for base-level Google's education accounts. It offers Gemini 2.5 Pro AI models, which educators can access with higher limits than base level consumer accounts. Existing Gemini Education and Gemini Education Premium add-ons will be unified as Google AI Pro for Education.
Sunday World
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Home and Away actor joins cast of RTÉ series The Dry as it returns for final season
The third and final series of the show has begun filming Home and Away actor Rick Donald has joined the cast of RTÉ series The Dry. Rick Donald will star in the third and final season of the show, Deadline reports. He will play the role of Daryl, a 'handsome and mysterious' Australian stranger, who meets the main character and recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan, played by Róisín Gallagher. Róisín Gallagher and Rick Donald / Image: Peter Rowen/RTE News in 90 Seconds - June 19th Donald played the role of Kieran Baldivis in popular Australian soap Home and Away. He's also starred as Danny in the Australian version of hit show The Office. His other acting credits include Educators, Australia's Sexiest Tradie and Population 11. Filming has already begun on the third season the show produced in collaboration with ITV. Original cast members, Siobhán Cullen, Ciarán Hinds, Adam Richardson and Pom Boyd will all return. The Dry (season 2) RTE One Eugene chat with Michael McElhatton 'It has been a true joy to see audiences embrace the Sheridan family in all their dysfunctional glory and I am so grateful to have gotten to tell this story over three seasons,' the show's creator, Nancy Harris said. 'The third and final season aims to go deeper than ever before, really getting under the skin of Shiv and the family in a way that we hope is both surprising, funny and (painfully) honest.' The series follows 35-year-old Shiv Sheridan, a recovering alcoholic who after spending 10 years in London returns home to Dublin to a family who are not supportive of her newfound sobriety. The final installment has promised to dive deeper into the lives of the Sheridan family as long-buried family secrets come to the surface. As the family deal with the emotional reckoning, Shiv has to confront the possibility that the real problem may never have been alcohol – but may have been herself all along.
