Tawata Productions is contemporary Māori and Pasifika performing arts company established in 2004 based in

Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Harbour ( ), officially called Wellington Harbour / Port Nicholson, is a large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. The harbour entrance is from Cook Strait. Central Wellington is located on parts of th ...

(

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

), New Zealand. They produce theatre, screen and digital work as well as the festivals: Kia Mau, Breaking Ground and the Pūtahi Festival. Tawata showcases work by Māori, Pasifika and Indigenous writers and makers and is led by

Hone Kouka Hone Vivian Kouka (born 1968) is a New Zealand playwright. He has written 13 plays, which have been staged in New Zealand and worldwide including Canada, South Africa, New Caledonia and Britain. Kouka's plays have won multiple awards at the Chap ...

and Mīria George.

About

Tawata Productions was founded by playwrights and directors Mīria George and Hone Kouka in 2004 and their home base is

. Tawata Productions produce and tour theatre productions. Productions include ''I,George Nepia'' (2011, by Hone Kouka), about rugby legend

George Nēpia George Nēpia (; 25 April 1905 – 27 August 1986) was a New Zealand Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand ...

, ''He Reo Aroha,'' by Mīria George and

Jamie McCaskill Jamie is a unisex name. Traditionally a masculine name, it can be diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names and is of Scottish English origin. It is also given as a name in its own right. Since the mid-20th century it has been used a ...

, ''The Prospect'' by Maraea Rakuraku, and ''Hui'' by Mitch Tawhi-Thomas. Tawata are invested in promoting, producing and developing work, to this end they have started several events. In 2010 they created an annual festival called the Matariki Festival, first held at

Circa Theatre Circa Theatre is a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that was established in 1976. They present a number of plays each year in their two auditoriums, and have a unique partnership and funding model with incoming shows unde ...

Matariki In Māori culture, Matariki is the Pleiades star cluster and a celebration of its first rising in late June or early July. The rising marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. Historically, Matariki was usually celebr ...

is the Māori New Year in midwinter. The Matariki Festival had a development programme that since has been renamed as Breaking Ground. Breaking Ground is a festival of new writing and ideas curated and produced by Tawata Productions. Kouka and George were inspired by a development dance festival hosted by

Native Earth Performing Arts Native Earth Performing Arts is a Canadian theatre company located in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1982, Native Earth is Canada's oldest professional Indigenous theatre company. Native Earth is dedicated to developing, producing and presenting pro ...

in Canada. The first plays workshopped at Breaking Ground in 2010 were ''Hui'' by

Mitch Tawhi Thomas Mitch Tawhi Thomas (born 8 September 1972) is a New Zealand playwright, actor and drama teacher. Education Thomas affiliates to Ngāti Maniapoto. Thomas graduated from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School in 1997 with a diploma in acting. Career ...

, ''The Prospect'' by Maraea Rakuraku and ''Taikaha'' by Hinekaa Mako. The Matariki Festival won Tawata Productions the Critics’ Wildcard award in 2015 at the

Wellington Theatre Awards The Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai / Wellington Theatre Awards are the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington established in 2015 after the previous awards sponsor ended their support. They are awarded annually. The previ ...

. In 2011 Breaking Ground expanded with First Nation Canadian playwrights

Yvette Nolan Yvette Nolan (born 1961) is a Canadian playwright, director, actor, and educator based out of Saskatchewan, Canada. She was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She has contributed significantly to the creation and performance of Indigenous thea ...

and Tara Beagan attended. Other artists who have had their writing workshopped and presented at Breaking Ground include Nancy Brunning in 2018 with ''Kingdom of Women,'' Sherilee Kahui, Victor Rodger, Barbara Hostelek, and Jordy Gregg (

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

). The workshops involve directors and dramaturgs such as

Briar Grace-Smith Briar Grace-Smith is a screenwriter, director, actor, and short story writer from New Zealand. She has worked as an actor and writer with the Māori theatre cooperative Te Ohu Whakaari and Māori theatre company He Ara Hou. Early plays ''Don't ...

, Rīwia Brown and

Nathaniel Lees Maiava Nathaniel Lees (born 20 July 1952) is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'' and '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Tower ...

. The

Kia Mau Festival The Kia Mau Festival, previously called Ahi Kaa Festival, is a biennial performing arts festival in Wellington, New Zealand. In te reo Māori, kia mau is "a call to stay - an invitation to join us". The festival covers Māori, Pasifika and In ...

, formally the Ahi Kaa Festival, is a contemporary Indigenous theatre and dance festival held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. It was initiated in 2015 by Tawata to platform Māori, Pasifika theatre and dance companies and to address the lack of programming for these companies in established theatres and festivals. Some companies that have presented work at the Kia Mau Festival include Hāpai Productions, Modern Māori Quartet, Taki Rua Productions, Agaram Productions, The Māori Sidesteps, Atamira Dance Company, Okareka Dance Company and Te Rēhia Theatre. The Pūtahi Festival is for emerging practitioners to test and show works to an audience. It started in 2013 and for the first few years was held at Studio 77, the Theatre Department of

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

. In 2021 it ran over nine days.

Selected productions

References

External links

* https://tawataproductions.com/ {{authority control Theatre in New Zealand Theatre companies in New Zealand