Returning for a third year, Te Pou Theatre are preparing to throw open their doors for Kōanga Festival, running from Friday 1 – Sunday 17 September in a celebration of new stories and storytellers. Based in the home of Māori theatre in Auckland, this year’s programme will present a range of performances, showcases, workshops, readings, and social events, all held in Te Pou’s various spaces.  

In a very special event, Kōanga Festival will present three nights of story, song, and verse with Rawiri Paratene in his first solo show, performing on Thursday 7 – Saturday 9 September. One of Aotearoa’s most loved communicators who is referred to by many as a national treasure; Peter Paka Paratene will offer a glimpse into Paratene’s life as an actor, activist, koro, and naughty taurekareka! Produced by Te Rēhia Theatre Company, join Rawiri in the development season of his one-man show for a whimsical, insightful, and ever joyous evening of sharing.

At the heart of the festival programme is Whakarongo Mai, two evenings of live readings of new works on Wednesday 6 & 13 September. Working with local and international dramaturgs, directors and actors, four Māori playwrights (soon to be announced) have been selected to workshop their original scripts throughout the Kōanga Festival programme, which will be performed in two double bill performances. Two new works will be read on each night, with the second night focusing on Te Reo works as part of Māori Language Week. Full details of this special programme are to be announced at an event next week, stay tuned for more information.

In their Auckland debut, Tikapa Productions are proud to bring The Māori Sidesteps to perform at Te Pou as part of the Going West Festival, from Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 September. Following an outstanding Wellington Season, the highly contemporary and slightly naughty Māori Show Band will present music that is fun, witty, and satirical, with a sing-a-long flavour fused with character comedy and hilarious banter. Inspired by the humour and music of Prince Tui Teka, Billy T James and also their contemporaries The Modern Māori Quartet, The Māori Side steps push the boundaries of Contemporary Māori Theatre for a night of healthy hilarious humour.

After a resoundingly successful programme last year, the Tuhi Tika emerging playwrights workshop returns to Kōanga in 2017, with award winning playwright Albert Belz leading the master class sessions. Split across two days, Belz will introduce beginner or mid-career playwrights to the essential chemistry and formulae that make up the playwrights cookbook.  Bookings for the workshop are now open, and the sessions will also include Q&A forums with some of Auckland’s leading playwrights.

With a focus on community engagement and whānau, two free events will be held at Te Pou as part of the Kōanga programme. A staple of the festival is the Whānau Day, this year to be held on Sunday 10 September. A fun filled day, expect a carnival atmosphere with short shows for tamariki in Te Pou’s Tokomanawa Theatre, storytelling from around the globe in multiple language, face painting, market stalls, children’s games and competitions, and of course some delicious kai! The very first session of the programme will be Koroua and Kuia, a morning tea providing a chance for kaumatua from the community to celebrate the opening of the festival with entertainment and storytelling. Nominations for kaumatua to join this opening event are now open, offering a chance to acknowledge our elders and reflect on times past before the new stories of the festival are told.

The Kōanga Festival programme is rounded out with two theatre shows, each with only one performance at the festival. Opening Kōanga on Friday 1 September is the in-development showing of Noa Campbell’s new play Teka or Tika, which was first developed at the 2016 Kōanga Festival. Takirua will present their show Hinepau, adapting the classic children’s book by Gavin Bishop for a matinee youth theatre performance fully in Te Reo Māori on Saturday 2 September.

Named for the Te Reo word for Spring Time, Kōanga gathers together the community for a season of celebration, and a offers a chance to reinvigorate creativity after a detached winter. Heralded by the blossoming of the kōwhai and the call of the pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) as it returns to our shores, spring is traditionally a time of joining together and combining efforts to plant for the next harvest. Kōanga Festival will prepare the ground and develop a fertile Auckland Māori Theatre creative economy outside of the busy Matariki season.  

Embodying the literal meaning of their name ‘the support post’, Te Pou is the Auckland’s Māori Home of Theatre, providing space in New Lynn that fosters a safe and all-inclusive environment for development and performance of theatre works from their community. Built on Māori fundamentals including aroha, manaakitanga, whānau and respect, Te Pou – Auckland’s Māori Home of Theatre, has been created by the people for the people, and embraces all practitioners and audiences, to create a home base for Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Kōanga Festival 2017

Friday 1 – Sunday 17 September

Te Pou Theatre – Auckland’s Māori Home of Theatre

http://tepoutheatre.nz/

Te Tīmatanga / Opening day
Friday 1 September, 10am – 1pm

A warm and welcoming opening Morning Tea for kaumatua from the community with entertainment and storytelling. Contact us on info@tepoutheatre.nz if you’d like to nominate kaumatua join us.  - Free event

Teka or Tika Workshop Showing
Friday 1 September, 7.30pm - An industry invited event

Hinepau
Saturday 2 September, 2pm

Performance in Te Reo Māori by from Takirua and Capital E, adapted from the classic children’s book by Gavin Bishop and first published in 1993. - Koha entry

Tuhi Tika – Emerging Playwrights Workshop with Albert Belz 
Sunday 3 & 17 September, 10am – 3pm

A two-day Master class programme presented by award winning playwright Albert Belz. Sessions will also include Q&A forums. To book your place in this workshop, please contact info@tepoutheatre.nz.
$120 for the two-day workshop

Whakarongo Mai – Playwright Development Readings
Wednesday 6 & 13 September, 6.30pm

Readings of the works developed in the Kōanga Festival programme with local and international dramaturg work shopping. Double Bill performances with two new works on show each night. Join us for a kai and korero as we celebrate these new Māori playwrights $10, Tickets available from www.iticket.co.nz

Peter Paka Paratene – A night of story, song and verse with Rawiri Paratene
Thursday 7 – Saturday 9 September, 7.30pm

Ask me anything. Join Rawiri Paratene for the premiere of his first solo show as he shares yarns, poetry, and song (some of his own, others of his choosing) in a whimsical and insightful but ever joyous performance.
$20 – 25, Tickets available from www.iticket.co.nz 

Whānau Day
Sunday 10 September, 10am – 4pm

A fun filled day celebrating storytelling from around the globe with theatre performances, story readings, face painting, market stalls, children’s games and competitions. Nau mai haere mai! Check out www.tepoutheatre.nz for the full schedule. - Free event

The Maori Sidesteps – Auckland Debut as part of Going West Festival
Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 September, 7pm

Following an outstanding Wellington Season, Going West is proud to present, in partnership with Te Pou, the Auckland premier of the highly contemporary and slightly naughty Māori Show Band - The Māori Sidesteps! Inspired by the humour and music of Prince Tui Teka, Billy T James and also their contemporaries The Modern Māori Quartet, The Māori Side steps will present music that is fun, witty, satirical with a sing a long flavour fused with character comedy and hilarious banter
$15 – 25, Tickets available from https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2017/sep/the-maori-sidesteps