Kiriana Sheree (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi) uses Maninirau to establish the theme for Te Tīmatanga 2023. Responding to the work of Te Kahureremoa Taumata (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), this performance explores Takatāpuitanga as something to make sense of through our corpreality. How do we, as Takatāpui, hold our creation stories within our bodies & express them through our own unique Tuakiritanga.

In partnership with Creative New Zealand, Te Tīmatanga presents the inaugral Takatāpui resident, Kiriana Sheree. Kiriana (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) is an emerging takatāpui artist. She has trained maninirau (circus) with the University Of Auckland, The Dust Palace, React Studio and has also done specialist workshops under tutors from Cirque Du Soleil. She works for, and with, taktatāpui, takiwā & whai-kaha communities through circus & theatre. Captured by Cuetone Media.

This year our Takatāpui Whakaata Takatāpui Performance Video series is brought to you in partnership with Viaduct Harbour. In a response to site, Kahu Kutia, Te Kahureremoa Taumata & Tangaroa Paul, consider Te Tīmatanga’s 2023 theme of Tangaroa Ā Kiokio above Graham Tipene’s Te Mata Topaki. Together our artists consider how they might honour the high tide in its capacity to bring us closer together as Māori, and “elevate” our collective practice & anamata. Captured by Supernormal.

Te pō, to me, seems to offer a safe dark space, a void of endless potential. There, amongst ourselves, and with all those who have come before us, we weave new understandings of how we as takatāpui might inhabit the world. te pō considers the creation of the world through 12 phases of te pō, and how we as takatāpui might create and recreate ourselves in a similar way. Captured by Supernormal.

This year, as part of our Huarahi Toi, our artists are responding to Tāngaroa Ā Kiokio by Te Kahureremoa Taumata. Here, in her first performance, she shows her relationship with her Whānau Pūoro as our Senior Artist, as part of our Whakaata Takatāpui for Te Tīmatanga 2023

Te Kahureremoa performs her second waiata as part of Te Tīmatanga 2023. Hoki Mai, honours rangatahi takatāpui. It is a call home and a reminder that takatāpuitanga doesn't sit outside te ao Māori.

Our theme for Te Tīmatanga 2023 is Tangaroa Ā Kiokio. In response to the seminal Takatāpui work of Te Kahureremoa Taumata, we have asked our artists to consider how the Moana influences their own identity. In her third performance for our Whakaata Takatāpui series, here Te Kahureremoa performs an unplugged version of Tangaroa Ā Kiokio. Tiakina te wai, he Taonga te wai, Ko wai Koe?

Tangaroa Paul is a poi expert. A PhD candidate & teacher at the Auckland University of Technology, Tangaroa is interested in Haka as a methodology of self actualisation. Here they perform Taku Mōwai Rokiroki, as an extension of who they are.

In their second performance for the 2023 Te Tīmatanga Whakaata Takatāpui, Tangaroa Paul uses Poi as Whakamiha. Performing to the waiata Takurua Tangaroa Paul responds in gratitude to Te Kahureremoa Taumata. Here we acknowledge Te Kahureremoa for the impact she has had for Ngāi Iwi Māori, in her work with Taonga Pūoro, as a Kaititowaiata (composer), and in her life essence. Kioanei hi mihi atu ki a Te Kahureremoa. Koinei te aroha, mai i Te Tīmatanga

Te Tīmatanga is here! We are thrilled to launch the virtual offering of our first Takatāpui Festival with you all. This digital delivery hopes to articulate the ngākau and intentions of Te Tīmatanga, while honouring the kaha and dedication of our artists, hapori and history. Our team invites you to join us in building and growing this kaupapa, now and into the future.

Te Kaahu O Rangi (affectionately shortened to TE KAAHU) is a Reo Māori project from singer and songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Also regarded as Theia, Te Tīmatanga is honoured to house Te Kaahu in our video series. The first waiata, shared with us is ‘E Taku Huia Kaimanawa.’ An ode to Em’s grandmother Rangirara. Te Kaahu honours the skill of traditional Māori songwriting and storytelling through music.

TE KAAHU is a Reo Māori project from singer/songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Also regarded as Theia, Te Tīmatanga is honoured to house TE KAAHU in our video series. This waiata “Rangirara” is dedicated to TE KAAHU’s late grandmother, sharing her name and also meaning beyond the heavens: “I [...] listened to my kui’s stories about growing up in Port Waikato and she’d tell me about going to dances. I wanted to make this a song that I knew she would’ve danced to”

TE KAAHU is a Reo Māori project from singer/songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Also regarded as Theia, Te Tīmatanga is honoured to house TE KAAHU in our video series. This waiata “E Hine Ē,” which was kindly gifted to us for our opening video - is a Takatāpui love song. Soft and soothing - almost lullabuy like, E Hine E reminds us of how organic and innate our Takatāpui love is through its lyricism connecting us to the natural environment.

Pēpi Hā is a multimedia collaboration between siblings Tīhema, Māhina and Matariki Bennett (Te Arawa, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ingarangi). As a whānau they have merged together their respective practices of music composition, interdisciplinary visual arts, and spoken word poetry. Matariki’s poem creates her own piece of art to keep our whanaunga’s memory alive for our whānau. Captured by Fish and Clips

Brady Peeti and Māia Huia perform Ka Pioioi E live in the Albert Park Caretaker's Cottage for Te Tīmatanga 2022. Captured by Fish and Clips Written by Kereopa Ratapu/Charles Tamai Nicholson

Brady Peeti and Māia Huia perform I Know Where I've Been live in the Albert Park Caretaker's Cottage for Te Tīmatanga 2022.Captured by Fish and Clips Songwriters: Marc Shaiman / Scott Michael Wittman