New arts complex wows
There was a slight nip in the air at the 5am dawn ceremony on Saturday. The tohunga from Parihaka, who had arrived to bless the new Ka¯ piti Performing Arts Centre, chanted their karakia as they led 300 people around the $12m complex.
The tohunga, supported by a Taranaki kapa haka group, had journeyed from Parihaka to gift a name to the complex.
“Te Whare Raukura” or the House of Raukura. The name carries the weight of the cultural and political history of Taranaki of the 1860s. Raukura is the symbolic white feather adopted by the prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi. They led a passive resistance movement against the rampant Crown theft of Ma¯ ori land. The three white feathers symbolise a higher spiritual power, the physical world of life on earth and compassion for all humans and the environment. Te Whiti, who was familiar with biblical teachings, designed the Raukura to reflect Luke 2:14. Te Whiti’s peaceful message of passive resistance paralleled the global impact of the satyagraha non-violent movement initiated by Gandhi against the British in South Africa and India. Through the name Raukura these values have been gifted to the college and the wider Ka¯ piti communities.
The building and its modern facilities are a blessing that will empower the creativity of the school children and the community groups that use them. It’s ability to stage regional and national performances will put Ka¯ piti ‘on the map’. This increased activity is likely to stimulate the local economy. The opening of Transmission Gully in December will make Te Whare Raukura easily accessible to the wider region. Getting the project completed has been a nine-year journey. Many shoulders were put to the wheel. The school board and Cass Carter’s fundraising team, with their relentless commitment, did a sterling job. Again we see Coastlands’ community participation proven by a significant sponsorship of this project. Council had put in $1.6m of ratepayer funding. Nine years ago when college principal Tony Kane approached council for support, the progressive among us argued that while council’s Long Term Plan included a performing arts project on council land it was not budgeted to happen for 20 years. It was better to partner with the college for an earlier outcome. We won that argument.
It’s interesting to note that one of the funding contributor is the Arise Church which has, for $1m, leased the theatre for its Sunday services for 10 years. I recall objections from some quarters about the ‘religious commercialisation’ of the community’s creative space. Saturday’s gifting of the name Raukura should remind the objectors that the building has a foundational message of a higher spiritual power and Te Whiti’s message encompasses Luke 2:14. Saturday’s dawn blessing and next Saturday’s formal public opening of the building by Minister Grant Robertson brings a very successful conclusion to the college’s nine-year journey. At the dawn ceremony, as Tony Kane addressed the tohunga and the visitors from Taranaki, he spoke of the risks that Prophet Te Whiti and his people took and their uncompromising commitment. In a small way, he added, the journey to complete the project had been fraught with challenges that were close to ending it. Tony Kane, the visionary of the project, was visibly moved by the blessing ceremony that celebrated the success of the project. This success is also due to the partnership between the college, the Ministry, the private sector and the community. In recent months when the regional mayors have met with government ministers, we have repeatedly heard Education Minister Chris Hipkins encourage such partnerships so that school assets are not left idle but better used by the wider communities. The visionary and outstanding leadership by Tony Kane has already created this template and, I’m aware, other schools around the country are seeking his advice for their own projects.