Bringing together Maori and Pasifik heritage through traditional and contemporary practice. Toi o Te Tau Hou is a Kaupapa Māori designed project that sits within the context of the national revitalization of Maramataka and the observance of Matariki as a national holiday. The maramataka is a sophisticated and comprehensive indigenous scientific knowledge system that utilizes the lunar calendar and
matauranga to guide the health and wellbeing of our people. Māori and Pasifika creative practitioners have engaged with Maramataka for generations. Toi o te tau hou is a world class arts and culture project that allows Māori and Pasifika art practitioners to create pieces that speak to the reverence of our relationship with ngā atua and te taiao. The Maramataka also marks a significant calendar event in Aotearoa and the Pacific, namely Matariki. This programme allows established and emerging indigenous artists to preserve Matariki heritage through traditional and contemporary practice. Toi o te tau hou provides opportunity for Māori and Pasifika people to connect through Whakapapa, Matauranga, and Matariki, allowing indigenous people to use innovative story telling techniques through arts and culture. We celebrate the connections between the Waikato and Moana-nui-a-kiwa. Annually 10 Tuakana (established) and 10 Teina (emerging) Artists will be selected by an independent panel to participate in this high-profile arts project.
