Wha¯nau inspire musical by emerging Ma¯ori writer

It is a little bit Divergent, a little bit Avatar: The Last Airbender, but for Victoria University’s 2021 Emerging Ma¯ori Writer in Residence the biggest inspiration behind her new musical is family.

Ani-Piki Tuari (Nga¯ti Porou, Nga¯ti Kahungunu, Te Wha¯naua¯-Apanui, Nga¯iTu¯hoe), has been working on the story for Whakapaupa¯kihi for the past two years, but says the residency programme will give her the chance to sit down and ‘‘nut out’’ the script.

The musical is an adaptation of the story of her ancestors, three brothers who fought for autonomy over the main tribal area on the East Coast.

‘‘The youngest of the three brotherswon, and he pushed his older brothers further up the coast, therefore creating all the tribes that are considered part of Te Taira¯whiti.

‘‘It’s definitely inspired by Divergent and Avatar: The Last Airbender, that kind of feel, because the idea has come from the want and the need to create something of this kind, for my nieces and nephews.’’

Her family is heavily involved in kapa haka on the East Coast, and she wanted to take those preforming arts skills and utilise them in a theatre space.

‘‘I was targeting the likes of my nieces and nephews, who are fluent te reo Ma¯ori speakers – that’s their own language they understand, and a performance they understand through a musical, so I amcreating it for them so they can see themselves in a theatre space.’’

Her goal in the next three months was to write the script, including all 40 characters, and along with her brothers she has begun working on the music.

She says it is a privilege to be awarded the residency. ‘‘This opportunity is ... I don’t even have the words to describe how much this means to me and my family.’’

She believes the musical will challenge not just non-Ma¯ori but Ma¯ori as well.

‘‘I think it will challenge even some of my own relations simply because it may bring up some things that they don’t want to hear, or they don’t want to know, which is another reason why I am doing this.

‘‘In a positive way ... in a mana-enhancing way.’’

The first people to see the show will be at Te Taira¯whiti Arts Festival, but she was not entirely sure about the when.

‘‘We hope to stand aworking workshop, so I suppose like a rough cut of maybe half the musical at next year’s Te Taira¯whiti Arts Festival.

‘‘I think it’s going to be a piece that takes maybe a couple of years to see it in full.’’

Damien Wilkins, director of Victoria University’s International Institute of Modern Letters, said he was excited to host Tuari in 2021.

‘‘Her creative work places te reo Ma¯ori at its centre, and she brings awealth of experience as a performer and producer to this new phase of her development as awriter.’’

‘‘It will challenge even some of my own relations simply because it may bring up some things that they don’t want to hear.’’

Ani-Piki Tuari, above