Ōtepoti inspiration for Arts Fellows

The University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Arts Fellows have been selected for 2026.

Rachel O’Neill will take up the Robert Burns Fellowship and Jeremy Beck (Ngāi Tahu) will take up the Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance.

They will receive a stipend for one year and six months respectively, and space on campus to pursue their creative projects.

Te Kete Aronui  – Division of Humanities Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hugh Campbell says he is excited to announce the appointment of the 2026 Fellows.

“Their formidable career outputs show the extraordinary strength of creative talent Aotearoa has to offer.

“I welcome them into the Otago community and wish them all the best for the year ahead.”

Professor Campbell also acknowledges that the University’s College of Education Children’s Writer in Residence fellowship, Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, and Mozart Fellowship remain paused for 2026.

“We understand the importance of these fellowships to the wider community and the University.

“We continue to seek further community and philanthropic support to build the trust funds for all fellowships to a place of secure and ongoing resilience. We have received some indications of support and remain positive that we can reinstate them in the near future.

“We would welcome any further support from friends of the arts and the University to ensure all our fellowships can thrive again.

“But, for now, join me in celebrating this great news.”

The Fellows

2026 Robert Burns Fellow - Rachel O’Neill

Poet, film maker, and artist Rachel O’Neill says they’re excited to relocate to Ōtepoti from Te Whanganui-a-Tara to undertake the 12-month fellowship.

“The Robert Burns Fellowship supports writers to be bold, imaginative and maybe an extra bit courageous, too, to discover new capabilities through doing things differently, or doing different things.

“Receiving the fellowship means I can continue to devote passion and energy to my next books, public programmes and collaborations.

“It is also a reminder that I wouldn’t be here without the support of many people in the wider arts community, and to reciprocate this generosity and faith in me as I take up the fellowship. It’s an incredible opportunity and dream come true.”

An author of three published books, with numerous other projects in development, O’Neill says living and working in Ōtepoti will provide vital inspiration, particularly by participating in the local arts community.

“I have a background in visual art, filmmaking and more recently music, and I’m really excited about potential synergies with local creatives and like-minded collaborators.”

They believe everyone is innately creative.

“Even living a life can be a creative act in itself. For this reason, I enjoy connecting with people, including other artists and those who appreciate the creative process.

“Solitude is important to me, too. The more I can hear my inner voice, the better I can listen to what is being expressed around me.

“It’s a practical necessity, too, when doing the steady work of writing and editing books.”

During their fellowship, they plan to develop the remaining narrative poems and prose poems in their fourth book of poetry, Master of the Female Half-Lengths, as well as begin to outline and conduct research for their fifth book, a verse novel called Captured Stars, set in planetaria around the world.

“You'll likely find me lurking in the Tūhura Otago Museum 3D planetarium, trying my best to understand astronomical maths.”

They would love to continue collaborations with local composers and musicians for a concert based around pieces responding to their latest book Symphony of Queer Errands, published earlier this year.

“If I can also fit in a few workshops, and an event based around a resilient musical note travelling 500 years into the future, inspired by The Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc by Julius Eastman and its galvanising call to ‘speak boldly’, I’ll be happy.”

Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance – Jeremy Beck (Ngāi Tahu)

Contemporary dancer, teacher and choreographer Jeremy Beck is truly honoured to receive the fellowship, and grateful such an opportunity exists in Ōtepoti.

“To be able to do this work in my hometown feels incredibly meaningful – it’s not just a personal milestone, but a chance to deeply share, exchange, and grow alongside my family, friends and the Dunedin dance community.”

Beck has more than a decade of professional experience within the Australian and Aotearoa dance industry.

A Distinguished Graduate of the New Zealand School of Dance, he has performed and choreographed for leading dance companies including Footnote New Zealand Dance, The New Zealand Dance Company, and Atamira Dance Company.

He describes his approach to dance as “always evolving” and shaped by the environments and communities he is working in.

“In Dunedin, I see huge potential for dance to be more valued, more understood, and more approachable for a wider population.

“For me, dance has two faces. On one side, it’s a tool for embodiment: a creative outlet that helps people connect with their bodies, sharpen their awareness, and enjoy movement as a social and playful act. On the other side, dance is also a language capable of expressing complex, abstract ideas without words.

“I’m drawn to the challenge of pushing movement to communicate deeply – much like visual art – where the body can reveal and express things that are otherwise difficult to articulate.”

During the fellowship, Beck will be facilitating a multi-faceted, community-focused contemporary dance programme titled MOMENTUM.

He hopes the project will spark new and sustained interest in contemporary dance in Ōtepoti.

“Dunedin has a rich contemporary dance history – especially in relation to community engagement and accessibility – a legacy strengthened by the Caroline Plummer Fellowship.

“I aim to continue this important tradition while expanding the conversation – offering new opportunities to engage with dance not only as participants but also as viewers, thinkers, and contributors to a growing local culture of contemporary performance.”

This will include a series of accessible workshops, open classes, and performance events “where music and dance collide in unique ways”.

“I’m excited to shake things up and curate events that feel fresh, engaging and unexpected. Whether as participants moving in a workshop or as audience members engaging with performance, I would like people to feel a new sense of discovery and appreciation for dance.”