In late summer 2015, Hone Kouka accidentally founded an arts festival. One of our most lauded playwrights, he wanted to help raise the profile of other Māori writers and performers just as his The Beautiful Ones was due to open at Wellington's Circa Theatre. He visited other venues to ask if they could put on some shows at the same time.
When they all said yes, a festival flickered into life dubbed "Ahi Kaa" - "burning fires". It was an apt description of what Kouka wanted to achieve, but even he did not anticipate how bright that fire would blaze.
Eight years on, Ahi Kaa is now the Kia Mau Festival ("a call to stay, an invitation to join us"), produced by Kouka and theatre and film-maker partner Miria George. The biennial event gathers local, contemporary, indigenous performers as well as First Nations artists from around the world.
Now that Kia Mau is firmly established and has joined a network of contemporary indigenous arts events - such as Melbourne's Yirramboi, Hawai'i's Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture and Vancouver's Talking Stick Festival - the couple have set their sights on something bigger. They want to make Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui (the Wellington region) a global centre for contemporary indigenous arts - and they have financial backing from Creative New Zealand and the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency, WellingtonNZ.
"I want to make it Wellington because I love that city and it's been really good to me, so it's my way of giving back to a place where I've had such great creative experiences," says Kouka, who arrived in the capital from Dunedin to go to drama school 30-odd years ago.
"A lot of the time, Wellington is a young city, and our young ones are a big engine, so you keep feeding them by giving them platforms, giving them opportunities, and they will feed you back."
Denne historien er fra June 3-9 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra June 3-9 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
