???? Drumroll please… introducing our wonderful intern from Germany, Lena!

Lena’s interest in all things creative (plus her desire to travel Aotearoa) made The PumpHouse the perfect place for her to do her internship! She’s been helping with all aspects of theatre – production week, backstage, front of house, marketing, and more! She has been working closely with Mags and Meg and giving a helping hand to the amazing theatre companies that hire our space.

We are lucky enough to have Lena with us at The PumpHouse until Christmas. Find out more about her below ????

Tell us five random facts about yourself!

1. I‘m born in July, so in Germany, that’s in the summertime (which I love)

2. I love the ocean, even though I don’t live anywhere near a beach

3. My favourite kind of pasta is tagliatelle

4. I love music and going to concerts

5. I never watch the German version of movies and tv shows, always the original/English one

How did you get to intern at The PumpHouse Theatre?

I’m interested in art and the production of movies and theatre plays, and since I don’t know what to study yet I thought an internship would be a good option. I always wanted to go to another country after finishing school to do some work and travel, so I combined those and decided to do an internship before travelling around New Zealand. When I signed up at New Zealand Internships, The PumpHouse chose me as an intern which I’m really happy about!

 

Were you involved in the Performing Arts in Germany?

Sadly not really, since we don’t have a theatre near my village. I used to be part of the children’s Christmas plays in our church every year as a kid though, which was always fun.

What is your favourite thing about New Zealand so far?

I’m getting to know so many new and different people, which is a nice change after two years of covid. I also love how it’s spring here, I’m definitely not complaining about two summers in a row!

What do you like about interning here?

The way everyone welcomed me here, everyone is really nice. Since we’re such a small team it’s a really familiar feeling and I have much fun working here. I also really adore the building and where it’s located, it’s so beautiful.

 

What’s the coolest thing you’ve done in your intern job?

I’ve done an Instagram takeover, which was pretty cool. I also was allowed to shadow one of the productions (Di and Viv and Rose) during production week, so I got to see what it’s like backstage and during the preparation of the play.

What do you get up to after hours?

I love meeting up with people, going for walks, and reading.

What is your favourite food?

Pasta, because there are so many options – as a salad, with a sauce, pesto, olive oil, etc. And garlic bread, I love garlic bread.

Who inspires you?

Anyone who’s passionate about something and follows their dreams and goals, no matter how hard it may be or what others might say. (Also Harry Styles, I really love his music)

What’s your all-time favourite theatre show?

I don’t know if this counts, but I saw the musical The Lion King in Hamburg once and it really stood out to me, absolutely stunning.

What village in Germany do you live in? Describe it for us!

It‘s a tiny village in northern Bavaria (Frankonia) near Bamberg. We have about 300 inhabitants (like I said – tiny) and the houses were built around a medieval castle ruin on a hill, which is why we actually have some tourists during the summertime and an amazing view over the landscape. We also have an open-air swimming pool and a football field for local clubs. We’re surrounded by forests and meadows, so it’s absolutely amazing for going on walks. I adored being able to spend my childhood there with most of my relatives next door since me and my cousins used to spend a lot of time outside.