Matariki celebrations in Porirua

Porirua is ready to celebrate the Ma¯ori New Year with a series of events for Matariki.

THE MIROMODA RUNWAY SHOW

It’s back in the city centre. The night of fashion and creativity will showcase collections from eight of New Zealand’smost talented Ma¯ori fashion designers, selected from the nationwide Miromoda competition. The winner will be announced after the show at Pa¯taka on June 30.

Miromoda also offers a pathway for young people to get experience in the fashion and modelling industry with a model call held earlier this month.

The city is excited to be hosting Miromoda for its third year at Pa¯taka Art + Museum, Mayor Mike Tana said.

‘‘It’s always amazing to see the creativity on display and to have our beautiful Pa¯taka space transformed into a fashion runway,’’ he said.

VIP tickets have already sold out but there are general admission tickets available for $15 (plus service fees).

’’There was a great turnout at the model call held in our city centre,’’ Tana said. ‘‘It’s going to be awesome to have local talent walking the runway and being empowered by gaining confidence and experience in the fashion world.’’

As well as being part of the city’s Matariki celebrations, the Miromoda show is a Women’s Suffrage 125 event, as part of the national campaign commemorating 125 years of women achieving the right to vote and inspiring future women of New Zealand.

Porirua residents have been asked to nominate 25 influential wa¯hine of Porirua to attend the show as VIPs.

TE KOREKORE - THE STORY OF TINIRAU AND KAE

Will be on at Pa¯taka from 2pm on June 24. Puoro Taiwhanga Aotearoa (CMNZ) present a Matariki-inspired tour that showcase elements of chamber music, Ma¯ori music and storytelling, performed in unique settings outside of the traditional music performance space. Te Korekore is a one-hour, multidisciplinary and multigenre performance work that weaves a narrative of the traditional story of Tinirau and Kae with video art, storytelling, contemporary NZ chamber music, jazz-based composition and nga¯ taonga puoro.

The story of Tinirau and Kae is found in many parts of Aotearoa and is associated with Te Whare Tapere, the place where traditional Ma¯ori entertainment would occur, especially during Matariki.

DRAGONS & TANIWHA - OWEN MAPP

A major retrospective exhibition by Owen Mapp, who has been carving bone in Aotearoa New Zealand for 50

years, at Pa¯taka.

MATARIKI NIGHT MARKET

Will be on at Cobham Court from 5 to 8.30pm on June 28. Porirua City’s Night Market is teaming up with Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira to bring the market that is usually held at the Marae into the CBD. There will be stalls - flax weaving, carving, and more - some with an interactive aspect to them, along with face painting and decorating stars. Ha¯ngı¯ will be sold alongside the usual food truck offering from the Wellington Food Truck Collective.

WHITI TE RA¯ – THE STORY OF NGA¯TI TOA RANGATIRA COMES HOME

Another exhibition at Pa¯taka. Featuring unique taonga, the exhibition explores the successes, dramatic setbacks, and extraordinary resurgence of Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira, starting from Te Heke Mai Raro - the Southern Migration - 200 years ago when Te Rauparaha led the iwi to the Wellington region.

PUIAKI - CARVED KNOWLEDGE

Exhibition open at Pa¯taka. Waka huia are carved wooden treasure boxes shaped like a waka. They were used to store huia feathers and other tapu adornments. During the late 19th and early 20th Centuries many waka huia were taken from New Zealand and traded or sold on the European market. This exhibition showcases waka huia purchased and traded in Britain and tell the story of their eventual return to New Zealand.

FIRE ANDWAKA EVENT

Porirua City is combining with Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira and ToaWaka Ama Club to bring Fire Pit Storytelling andWaka Tours to our harbour Te Awarua-o-Porirua and harbour’s edge. There’ll be three fire pits for people to gather around, a kapa haka performance, and story reading from Nga¯ti Toa, and the night will finish off with an outdoor movie, Moana. Be at the Wharewaka onWi Neera Drive from 4pm-9pm on June 29.