Silo Theatre today made the unprecedented move to announce that it would be spending most of 2023 developing three new works, rather than focussing on presenting live, in-person, performances.

The theatre company cited the need to survive in a post-pandemic world with smaller audience numbers, rising prices, diminishing government support and loss of key industry talent – all of which means creating new local work is a priority. Over nine months Silo will develop these works, all “wildly different in their ideology, scale and approaches to storytelling”.

The artists leading these developments include Anapela Polatai’ivao, Stacey Leilua, Leon Radojkovic, and Freya Finch. “This climate has demanded that we look closely at the impact we want to make in the future,” said Silo artistic director Sophie Roberts. “Returning to business as usual feels not only boring in this context but also dangerous. Risk and experimentation excite us, and this might be our riskiest move to date – we need to make time and space for new ways of thinking, leading and art making.”

She also noted that this will be the most significant investment in artistic development in the company’s history and that this will futureproof its artistic success and financial security over the medium term.

After this reset, Silo aims to have these works in the repertoire, ready to present multiple seasons both nationally and internationally, from Spring 2023.

The High Court in Auckland has learned that a critically sick baby had previously been given a blood transfusion. That’s despite the parents refusing further treatment unless their son is given only blood from unvaccinated people.

Health New Zealand wants custody of the child so that they can ensure he receives the treatment needed to survive.

Paul White, the lawyer acting for the health agency, told the court: “It’s curious now that such a firm position is taken to further blood products when there was already an earlier consent to blood products being administered, which were administered and there haven’t been any adverse consequences to the baby from that.”

You can read more about today’s court hearing here – and more about the science of blood transfusion here.

It was called a “trainwreck” by the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan – and now minister Willie Jackson has admitted his defensive, at times near aggressive, interview on TVNZ’s Q+A wasn’t his best work.

During a discussion about the government’s planned RNZ-TVNZ merger, Jackson lashed out at host Jack Tame for his “negative” interviewing style and suggested he may soon be hosting Celebrity Treasure Island.

Yesterday, Jacinda Ardern revealed she had spoken to Jackson about the interview and its tone.

Speaking to media today, Jackson wouldn’t divulge what was said during that conversation. “That’s between me and the prime minister, but I accept what she was saying and she is obviously concerned about how one responds, but we had a talk and it’s all good,” Jackson said.

“There’s no intention to interfere in terms of anything with regard to the new entity and if it came across like that in the interview then I’m sorry because the reality is editorial independence is everything.”

On the style of the interview, Jackson added: “I have a bit of a relationship with Jack Tame, I have known him for years and we have a bit of fun, it’s just part of jousting in an interview. “I don’t think Jack took it badly but I can see the media took it badly.”

Missed the interview? Here it is:

It’s the time of year where media outlets around the world unify in the decision to roll out the end of year best of list. Don’t worry, we’ll have some for you before December 31 too.

But today I’ve been catching up on some of the annual lists from major international publications – and stumbled on a couple that are worth mentioning.

Firstly, Rolling Stone magazine which admirably named The Beths’ latest album, “Expert in a Dying Field”, as the 67th best of 2022. “From the excellent title track to the bombastic highlight “Knees Deep,” the New Zealand quartet’s third album shows a return to the uptempo, adrenaline-inducing power-pop hooks that made their 2018 debut, Future Me Hates Me, so beloved,” the publication wrote, calling the group “one of the greatest indie-rock bands of their time”.

A well deserved plaudit for sure.

Meanwhile, Pitchfork has named Aldous Harding’s “Fever” as the 12th best song of 2022 – an incredible feat considering Pitchfork’s often unpredictable reviewing style. “Nobody darts around the edges of narrative and inscrutability quite like the folk-pop enigma Aldous Harding,” the outlet said. (You can read The Spinoff’s thoughts on Harding’s most recent album “Warm Chris” here – it’s really good!).

The Trikafta announcement on Sunday was undoubtedly brilliant news for those with cystic fibrosis. However, media handling of the announcement by Pharmac is raising questions.

Emily Writes, who is the parent of disabled children and has campaigned with the advocacy group Patient Voice Aotearoa, documents what happened. Pharmac has blacklisted MediaWorks from any future media interaction with Pharmac until they can be trusted again. That happened after Today FM’s (a Mediaworks station) Rachel Smalley appeared on Lloyd Burr’s show on Friday afternoon after hearing the news from four sources. The embargoed press release did not arrive until Sunday. 

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We’ve all seen the new political poll by now which has revealed a strengthening right bloc at the expense of Labour, with New Zealand First nipping at the heels of a parliamentary return. That being said, it wasn’t exactly the disastrous result some may have predicted after a pretty tough few weeks for Jacinda Ardern and the government.

The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire has the only analysis you need of the polling landscape right here.

Meanwhile, one senior Labour minister – Kiri Allan – has told Today FM’s Tova O’Brien she wasn’t overly concerned by the result of the poll. “Our job right now is to crack on,” she said.

As justice minister, Allan has faced criticism over the ongoing crime wave. She told O’Brien she acknowledged that criminal activity, along with the current economic situation, will have impacted Labour’s poll result.

Despite being behind National in the party contest, Ardern was still ahead of Christopher Luxon in the preferred prime minister stakes – but the gap was closing. Allan said it wasn’t a bad thing to have a proper battle between two leaders. “We haven’t had that kind of contest in the last couple of elections at the very least,” said Allan. “Despite some of the challenges we’ve been facing as a nation, Jacinda is still outpolling as preferred prime minister. She’s got the track record.”

National’s Chris Bishop was also on Today FM this morning and called the poll result “encouraging”, but said there’s a long road ahead.