A free showcase of Kāwai Raupapa (Māori Art) and Certificate of Māori Performing Arts (CMPA) programmes, is putting its current tauira centre stage in Māngere.
Toi Tū Festival 2018 is set to celebrate the talents of this year’s Māori Visual and Performing Arts tauira in a collaborative way over four days, starting next Tuesday, August 28, at the Māngere Arts Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku.
Now in its third year, each day of Toi Tū will feature the disciplines of whakairo, raranga, waiata, kapa haka and Māori theatre through workshops, demonstrations and facilitated korero.
The evening shows, however, will feature CMPA Māori Theatre tauira as well as the CMPA Kapa Haka tauira. Their performance pieces of Māori Theatre - taught by kaiako William Davis - and kapa haka - taught by kaiako Aaron Henare - will take place at 7pm each night.
William says utilising tikanga Māori with all its diversity, knowledge and practice and marrying it with the discipline of theatre performance is what makes these performing arts programmes so exciting and unique.
“It’s an indigenous, contemporary and dynamic storytelling practice. Telling our indigenous stories, our way for the healing and wellbeing of our people.”
William says the weaving and carving demonstrations also solidify the importance of the visual arts being the foundational programmes from which the Te Wānanga o Aotearoa grew, because of whakairo, tukutuku and raranga and the building of Ōtawhao Marae.
“This kaupapa acknowledges the rich heritage of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, which was originally founded in 1983 as the Waipā Kōkiri Arts Centre. The whakataukī; He rau ringa i oti ai, through many hands the goal was achieved, reflects the contributions and hard work of whānau, iwi, hapū, Māori,Pākehā, and the wider community,” William says.
Toi Tū will open its doors to the public daily from 10am on Tuesday (August 28) through to Friday (August 31).
For a full schedule of events, email teihurecruitment@twoa.ac.nz.
