The symposium is a place where professional and emerging artists can come together, create, share their skills, learn, and connect through whakairo (carving) in kōhatu (stone) and rākau (wood) on the grounds of Te Kura o Te Kauaeranga – Thames South School. This is a community event open to all during the April school holidays, and this year, it offers a great range of free mahi toi māori workshops taught by tangata whenua experts and local artists in each art form.

The symposium culminates in an art auction on Saturday the 27th, where the artworks created by the artists during the two weeks are auctioned off with proceeds going towards the kura.

The Ngākau committee are also calling for sponsors of the artists in the symposium, for $1,500 and in exchange, the sponsor will receive one carved sculpture made by the artist.  You can also commission the artists to create a work.

They want business, organisations, and individuals who wish to become a sponsor, to contact them via their email: ngakaucommittee@gmail.com or contact Andre Barlow: 021 217 6876.

Below is a list of the workshops, all are FREE, other than the Tukutuku Wānanga run by TuiTui Designs.

Tukutuku Wānanga

13 April | Moana Williams | free

Tāne Wānanga

13 April  | Jamie Watson | free

Tukutuku Wānanga

13 April | TuiTui Designs | $120 per person

Kowhaiwhai Wānanga

14- 20  April |  Walter Baker | free

Māori Musical Instruments & Stone Cutting Wānanga

16-18 April  | Jamie Watson | free

Raranga Wānanga | Collen Renata & Louise Humphry | free

date to be confirmed

lo Mata Hauora | Amber Andrew & Jo Shelford | free

date to be confirmed

Wood Carving Wānanga | Trif Sitnikoff | free

date to be confirmed

Screen Printing Wānanga | Tes | free

date to be confirmed

This year Ngākau is excited to have Joe Dutaona from Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, join the symposium and plans to reserve a space every year for an artist from the Pacific. You can read more about Joe and his carving career below.


Bougainville Carver Sees Living Of The Land As Key To Independence article in RNZ NEWS


For more information and to stay current about this upcoming event, follow Ngākau’s Facebook page

Instagram
Twitter
Contact us