Waitangi Day at Te Puia

Waitangi Day events

 

Kia ora,

We’d like to welcome you to join us for Waitangi Day at Te Puia! Come along for a whānau experience including Pā activities – tītī tōrea, poi and haka lessons, rides through the Valley to see Pōhutu Geyser, kiri tuhi face painting and a bouncy castle. We also know you’ll love checking out the taonga market featuring some of New Zealand’s top artists, NZ Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) demonstrations of weaving, wood carving, stone and bone carving, cultural performances, Te Tiriti o Waitangi seminars (how Te Puia and NZMACI maintains our relationship with some of the relevant principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our obligation to the protection of Taonga Māori) by Te Waata Cribb and delicious kai and inu at our street food market.

Those who sign up to the Whānau Card (click here to sign up) between now and 6 February will get 2 years for the price of 1 and will go in the draw to win a taonga made on Waitangi Day by an NZMACI stone and bone carver.

Bring your whānau and friends along for a day of celebration and discovery at Te Puia | NZMACI.

 

Waitangi Day concert

Te Puia is hosting a Waitangi Day Concert from 6 to 10 pm on February 6, featuring some of New Zealand’s foremost musicians and entertainers. The lineup features Toru Mio, with Te Puia guides Tamati Cassidy, Paretoroa Webster Tarei, and Hunter Geary, all trained in opera and performing arts. Individually, they have graced stages in various musical theatre productions and Opera in the Pā. Notably, Tamati will take on the lead role as Viscount Raoul de Chagny in Phantom of the Opera come March. Together as the trio Toru Mio, they will perform classic songs in Māori, Italian, Spanish, and English.

Headlining the event is Cairo, a legendary New Zealand band formed in 1979. The iconic group, featuring Richard Anaru on lead guitar, Mickey Ututaonga on drums, Ernie Semu on keyboards, and joined by Aucklander Richard Murray on bass, promises an unforgettable night. Rewa Ututaonga and Russell Harrison, the featured singers, will deliver a mix of old school, soul, R&B, and kiwi classics, ensuring a lively and enjoyable evening of dancing.

 

Whānau card – Waitangi deal 2 years price of 1.

Make the most of our Waitangi Day deal with 2 years for the price of 1 till 6 February. Sign up here and come on-site to Te Puia to get your card and activate it before Waitangi Day. Those who sign up to the Whānau Card between now and 6 February will also go in the draw to win a taonga made on Waitangi Day by a NZ Māori Arts & Crafts Institute stone and bone carver.

Rotorua residents – $39 per year
New Zealand residents – $89 per year

SIGN UP HERE

 

 

60 Years of the NZ Māori Arts & Crafts Institute Act

Sixty years ago, the 1963 NZ Māori Arts & Crafts Institute Act was passed by Parliament, making it an important time to reflect on its legacy and what lies ahead for the future.

The New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute (NZMACI) at Te Puia in Rotorua is home to the schools of Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau (National Wood Carving School), Te Takapū o Rotowhio (National Stone and Bone Carving School) and Te Rito o Rotowhio (the National Weaving School). New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute general manager Eraia Kiel says it is a huge achievement for te iwi Māori that NZMACI has delivered on the Act’s responsibilities to protect, preserve and promote Māori culture.

READ MORE HERE