In November 1986, film maker Ann Andrews organised a week-long drama workshop for six 13 year olds from the Kelston School for the deaf. During the week, the children were coached by professional drama and music tutors. The workshop concluded with the play, The Magic Park, written and acted by the students.
In 1987, ‘The Magic Park’ was distributed as a short film – advertised as being about a group of hearing impaired children discovering the excitement of drama as they work to present their own play. Where appropriate, the film has been subtitled. The NZ Film Commission called it a “multi-levelled film which has been praised out not only by teachers of deaf children and parents of deaf children, but the children themselves enjoy the film too.”
