As an advocate for the development of greater contemporary Māori tourism experiences in Auckland, ATEED was excited to support Māori production company, Hawaiki TŪ and the Auckland Waterfront Theatre to showcase a new version of the renowned show ‘Te Manawa' as a part of Matariki 2017.
Te Manawa (one heart, one soul) tells the love story of Koru and Te Mauri, young lovers from opposing iwi bound together by a negotiated truce. The story was told through the medium of haka theatre which combines elements of kapa haka: song, rakau, poi and haka. As well as dance, the conventions of theatre and humour come into play to produce a unique and authentic Māori performance.
Through the telling of this story, renowned haka theatre company, Hawaiki TŪ aims to inspire people to be proud of who they are and where they come from. Te Manawa is set during the season of Matariki and several symbolic themes are woven into the story - navigation, cultivation, celebration and life cycle.
ATEED invited 100 tourism industry experts to experience Te Manawa and afterwards facilitated a feedback session to contribute to Hawaiki TŪ's market research. Initial feedback received was positive and confirmed a desire from industry to develop a long-term Māori contemporary production in Auckland's city centre. This information will enable ATEED to generate a clearer understanding of the overall opportunity and identify potential economic, social and cultural benefits for Tāmaki Makaurau.