November 16, 2015
Asian outreach wins Maori diversity funding
A new Maori theatre group has got a boost from a new fund for work that engages with Maori, Pacific and Asian audiences and artists in the Auckland region.
Ruia Taitea Creative picked up $50,000 from the Auckland Diversity Project Fund to support works at Te Pou Theatre in New Lynn by Renee Liang, Jun Bin Lee, Modern Maori Quartet, The Black Friars, Hawaiki Tu, Benjamin The and Agaram Productions, as well as a whanau day.
Ngati Whatua o Orakei’s Whai Maia social services arm, in partnership with Mahuika Theatre, got $76,000 to run workshops in kapa haka and raranga for young people in Orakei as well as public performances.
They promise a focus on developing new audiences in Asian and Pacific communities for the stories which are core to the cultural identity of Ngati Whatua Orakei.
Only six out of 36 applicants got grants from the fund, which is run by Creative New Zealand and Foundation North.
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