Toi Nga¯puhi welcomes Grassroots funding
Toi Nga¯puhi was delighted to receive $8500 from the Grassroots Fund in support of its Taioh¯ı Taioha¯ wa¯nanga toi series.
The series is aimed at enabling youth aged 16-24 to benefit from the skills and experience of leading Nga¯puhi creative practitioners from across Te Tai Tokerau.
The wa¯nanga, at marae from the Hokianga to Whanga¯rei, were for selected taioh¯ı who showed talent, passion and creative potential in a broad range of fields including visual arts, performing arts and the creative digital arts, and who were expected to have the knowledge and/or desire to learn more about their whakapapa and te reo.
The wa¯nanga, to be staged over a five-month period, would be intensive, led by an experienced group of Nga¯puhi creatives who between them have significant exhibition history and a huge array of skills in various art forms including sculpting, weaving, curating, painting, carving, jewellery-making and composing.
Tutors for the first wa¯nanga included Alex Nathan, Charles Royal, Makareta Jahnke, Ngariki Ngatae, Kawiti Waetford, Horomona Horo, Nikau Hindin and Noa Campbell, led by Bethany Matai Edmunds and
Dorothy Waetford, themselves award-winning and experienced exhibiting artists.
The Grassroots Fund grant would help enable participants to realise their potential and develop work that was exhibition- and/or performanceready, giving them time and space to create their art and to be mentored by an exceptional group of artists.
The money would also help fulfil the brief of Toi Nga¯puhi, established in 2019 as an advocacy and support agency working across Te Tai Tokerau to inspire excellence in
Nga¯puhi cultural and creative expression.
Toi Ngapuhi has a 25-year arts and cultural strategy, Piki Tu¯ Rangitia, with the aims of revitalising cultural identity, protecting Nga¯puhi culture, improving hapu wellbeing and cultural esteem through cultural expression, establishing benchmarks of cultural integrity and authenticity, and fostering talent and opportunity.
Dorothy Waetford, who is also a member of the Toi Nga¯puhi board, said those aims linked closely to what the Taioh¯ı Taioha¯ programme would achieve. She was delighted that the programme was up and running, and was being supported by the Grassroots Fund, and was looking forward to the opportunity to roll her sleeves up and directly explore the future of Toi Nga¯puhi.
The chance to “pass it on” was immensely exciting and inspiring, she said.
The Northland Grassroots Fund welcomes donations from the Northland community. Last year the foundation received applications for four times the money available, and called upon the community to increase the size of the fund. Donations can be accepted and distributed, or invested, with the interest granted annually.
Donations can be made via the website northlandcommunityfoundation.org.nz, or email info@northlandcommunityfoundation.org.nz for more information.
They will perform Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, with baritone Malcolm Leitch, and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, accompanied by the pianos and percussion instruments.
The Singers began rehearsing for the performance last year, but that soon came to a halt as a result of the national cornoavirus lockdown.
They picked up where they left off in February, and are now pitchperfect for a concert that will offer very little rest.
Leitch has some solo passages, but otherwise the choir will be in full voice from go to whoa.