Matariki hunga, Matariki ahunga nui – Matariki has many admirers, Matariki brings us together

Triple-bill showcase ‘Autaia’ – Haka Theatre will put the spotlight on future stars of Māori performing arts when kura Māori (Māori schools) in Tāmaki Mākaurau take to the stage of the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in the headline event of Auckland Live’s stunning celebration of the Matariki season.

A ground-breaking new platform, ‘Autaia’ – Haka Theatre sees taiura and kaiako (students and teachers) from three kura work alongside respected mātanga toi (leading industry professionals) to create a 30-minute haka theatre performance fusing kapa haka with contemporary theatre and Māori dance to tell authentic stories and showcase their talent.

All three schools have their own unique stories to tell, weaving elements of the identity and Māoritanga of their kura into the narratives of their performance.

Mentoring, guiding, and supporting them throughout the creative and performance process are seven mātanga toi including Te Kohe Tuhaka (collaborative director/actor/dramaturg),  Te Ora Pahewa (collaborative director/choreographer, member of Hawaiki TŪ and te rōpu kapa haka Ngā Tūmanako), Antonio Te Maioha (writer and actor), Tangi-Maria Tutengaehe (producer/choreographer,  member of Hawaiki TŪ and te rōpu kapa haka Ngā Tūmanako), Gibson Harris (music producer), Leisha Conrad and Elizabeth Whiting (costume design), and Jane Hakaraia (set designer).

‘Autaia’ has grown from a seed planted by Auckland Live Kaiarataki Toi Māori, Kura Te Ua, who says the unique and ground-breaking programme is a first-time experience that speaks directly to the succession and legacy of Māori performing arts within Aotearoa.

“It’s an opportunity for schools to expand on their already existing expertise and to broaden their vision to reach to communities, marae, and regions throughout Aotearoa,” says Kura Te Ua.

 It also supports the recent inclusion of te ao haka in the NCEA curriculum.

‘Autaia’ – Haka Theatre is a pilot programme created by Auckland Live. Auckland Live and Mātanga Toi acknowledge all the kura (kaiako, tauira, and whānau) in their openness and contribution to ‘Autaia’.

Matariki (16 June – 11 July) is a key cultural event in calendars throughout Aotearoa, and a season to celebrate and showcase the richness, diversity, and relevance of Toi Māori to audiences in Tāmaki Makaurau. 'Autaia' – Haka Theatre is the hero event of the Auckland Live 2021 Matariki season, alongside the powerful works Sorry For Your Loss and Barrier Ninja, both led by incredible wāhine and presented in a double-bill at the Herald Theatre; and the 2021 Auckland Live Cabaret Season headliners Hardcase Hori Housie, Thoroughly Modern Māui, and TUAWAHINE.

Auckland Live’s 2021 Matariki Season:

 

Sorry For Your Loss
19 – 21 June
Herald Theatre

Barrier Ninja
19 – 21 June
Herald Theatre

‘Autaia’ – Haka Theatre
22 June, 7pm
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre

Hardcase Hori Housie
26 Jun, 7 pm & 3 July, 4 pm
Wintergarden, The Civic
Also part of the 2021 Auckland Live Cabaret Season

Thoroughly Modern Māui
25 Jun, 6.30 pm & 1 Jul, 9 pm
Wintergarden, The Civic
Also part of the 2021 Auckland Live Cabaret Season

TUAWAHINE
2 Jul, 8 pm
The Civic
Also part of the 2021 Auckland Live Cabaret Season
aucklandlive.co.nz/show/tuawahine-cabaret21