Te Rākau Theatre
Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu is Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest-surviving independent Māori theatre company, guided by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Today, Te Rākau is led by director Jim Moriarty and writer Helen Pearse-Otene, who employ Theatre Marae processes to create productions, conduct workshops, and promote well-being within communities.
The Theatre Marae programme combines therapeutic models, ngā mahi a Rēhia (Māori games and pastimes), and Western political theatre, all delivered within a kaupapa Māori framework. Te Rākau collaborates with communities to develop and present high-quality, socially significant theatre works that resonate culturally, therapeutically, and artistically with both audiences and participants.
The company has worked in schools, prisons, Marae, urban and rural communities, and youth justice residencies across Aotearoa, utilizing Theatre Marae as a tool for positive change. Te Rākau is registered as a Charitable Trust.
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Featured Project
Taking place in the vibrant Hīnaki Hotel gaming lounge, Unreel explores the legacy of gambling harm and its impact on the wider community—from gaming venues and corporations to families affected by addiction. Commissioned by Ora Toa Health Services (Te Runanga o Ngāti Toa Rangatira), Unreel is the outcome of a collaborative project facilitated by Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu, with creative research focused on the negative effects of electronic gaming (pokies) on individuals.
Developed in partnership with community members, Unreel seeks to not only entertain with its vibrancy and musicality but also to provoke thought and stimulate kōrero about the social costs of gambling.
References
Pearse-Otene, H. (2021). Decolonising theatre and ensemble training in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu Theatre. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 12(1), 95-111.
Warrington, L. (1994). Theatre in 1990. Journal of New Zealand Literature (JNZL), (12), 5-44.
Battye, S. U. S. A. N. (2002). Bi-cultural theatre as an agent for healing;’Theatre marae’in New Zealand/Aotearoa. NJ (Drama Australia Journal), 26(1), 35-44.
More Information
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