Māui Pūtahi - Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s Opening Night

Māui Pūtahi is Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s opening event, created by local powerhouse director and artist, Teina Moetara, and taking place on Friday 4 October at Marina Park.

Explore the edges of Tairāwhiti flair at our premiere opening night - Māui Pūtahi - kai, performance and stories of our place.

From the time Māui used the wisdoms of Murirangawhenua and founded this land-mass, lifted Hikurangi from the sea, and captured time and light, Te Tairāwhiti has been the home of challenge, synchronicity, and innovation. We are natural artists by absorption as a consequence of living this context.

Set at the confluence of the Taruheru, Waimata and Tūranganui rivers - this is an invitation to explore the edges of the Tairāwhiti flair at our premiere opening night event – Māui Pūtahi.

Produced by local creative powerhouse, director and artist, Teina Moetara, Māui Pūtahi celebrates diversity of language, form and culture. This event is part performance, part ceremony, part interactive experience, and is alchohol-free. So, bring a blanket, a picnic, and an appetite for local stories, exceptionally told.

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival
Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is the Gisborne region’s new flagship contemporary arts and cultural event, taking place, for the first time, from 4-20 October this year. Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will deliver performance events by hundreds of performers from across New Zealand and the Pacific.

The festival celebrates what it means to be of Tairāwhiti and of Aotearoa. It reflects and celebrates the people of the Gisborne region and the East Coast. It reinforces the importance of people and place, and further affirms the region’s strong position in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

For the full programme and ticketing information, please visit www.tetairawhitiartsfestival.nz.