Tariro Mavondo
About
Based in Melbourne, Tariro is a multi-disciplinary storyteller, theatre maker, curator, cultural diversity and performance consultant, performance facilitator across performing arts, education, government, mental health, law enforcement and social justice. She graduated in 2011 from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts, and received the Irene Mitchell Award for excellence in her final year.
In 2015, Tariro returned from northern California after nearly a year training with the 98-year-old pioneer of postmodern dance, Anna Halprin, at Tamalpa, an institute she co-founded with her daughter Daria Halprin. Tariro was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship from Tamalpa to complete a certificate in movement based expressive arts therapy. The training was an amalgamation of developing leadership, presentation, facilitation, coaching, performance, visual art, movement, dance, writing, theatre and non-violent communication skills.
During her time in the US, Tariro also trained in Motion Theatre. An original form of autobiographical improvisation, Motion Theatre is simultaneously performance art and a refreshingly authentic spiritual practice founded by award-winning performer Nina Wise.
In 2017 Tariro embarked on decolonial studies at UniSA, Pretoria South Africa as part of their summer school programme.
Tariro’s has worked as an actor on Australia’s main stage with companies such as MTC, STC, Bell Shakespeare, Belvoir, Black Swan Theatre, Red Stitch and more. Her screen work includes television shows such as Winners and Losers and Neighbours, and the internationally award-winning webseries, Shakespeare Republic.
Tariro was awarded Best Actress in Arrivals at 19th NYC PictureStart Film Festival (2015) and won Best Film for her spoken word video (Home) directed by Charles Williams at the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival (2015). In 2016, Tariro was the winner for Best Craft at Dungog Short Film Festival.
Tariro has co-directed theatre productions that have been seen at the Malthouse Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne. She was an Australian Poetry Slam National Finalist (2010) and State Finalist (2009), the founder and producer of Africa’s Got Talent (2013–2014) and a founding member of Still Waters African Women’s Storytelling Collective and Centre of Poetic Justice.
