Rangatahi Māori Embrace Creative Arts at Rongo Mauri
- Phoenix Manley-Green
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Rangatahi Māori from across the Manawatū region are currently immersing themselves in a vibrant array of creative arts, thanks to a collaborative initiative between Rongo Mauri in Feilding and the Tuatara Collective.
The programme, which brings together youth from Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Raukawa, is focused on building confidence and exploring new pathways through Māori expressive arts.
Te Werawera Enoka, a kaimahi at Rongo Mauri, notes that the programme has expanded beyond traditional performing arts to include a variety of disciplines.
"Kua kite nei tātau o Rongo Mauri i ngā rangi kua taha ake nei, ehake i te mea ko ngā mahi toi whakaari noa iho te mahi, ēngari ko ngā mahi peita, mahi hāngai tukutuku, whakairo rānei te mahi, otirā ko ngā mahi kapa haka," Enoka explained.
His hope is that the tamariki see these programmes as a tangible path for their future: "Mō Rongo Mauri, ko tāku hiahia ka kite ā mātau tamariki he huarahi tēnei e taea e rātau te takahī."
The workshops have been particularly transformative for participants like Maarire Komene, who joined to challenge herself and grow. "I tae mai au ki te patu i te whakamā i te mea ēhara au i te tangata, like, tino māia," she shared.
The experience has also been a powerful outlet for her personal expression: "Me tukuna au i taku wairua ki te ao, nā reira he pai tēnei wānanga kia pērā, kia rere taku wairua, kia rere taku motuhaketanga."
For Poroaki Merritt-McDonald of the Tuatara Collective, returning home to teach has been a significant personal and professional milestone.
He believes there is a unique capability in the rangatahi who have grown up with a connection to the marae and kura kaupapa.
"There’s just something about Māori kids, especially those who grew up on the marae and kura kaupapa, stuff like that, that there’s this way of suave towards things, like they just get up and do it and it’s done," he observed.
For him, the initiative was driven by a desire to bridge opportunities: "We thought it would be a great idea to bring our kaupapa down here for our rangatahi to experience new opportunities that they might not often get."
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