Two well-known organisations are turning the usual touring script on its head.

Most shows - and certainly those centred around te ao Māori - start their runs locally before heading overseas. but renowned Māori theatre cornerstone Te Rēhia Theatre Company and contemporary circus performance powerhouse The Dust Palace are thinking differently for their collaboration. 

Te Tangi a te Tūī – a show written by indigenous theatre makers Tainui Tukiwaho and Amber Curreen that infuses Māori theatre, te reo Māori, and circus performance, will have its World Premiere in Canada next month, as part of Vancouver venue The Cultch's 50th anniversary season.

The cast and crew of 17 will then perform the show for New Zealand audiences at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland in March 2024. 

Tukiawaho - who also directs - states “Touring internationally is always fun but where we are going and who we are performing to is what really matters.

“When we tour to Canada our primary desire is to engage with and work with tangata whenua. That is the exchange that makes the travel worth it.” 

Producer Rachael Dubois says premiering this unique work from Aotearoa at the birthplace of Cirque Du Soleil has been a thrill for the entire cast and crew.

“Canada is a country that leads globally in contemporary circus. We are looking forward to meeting First Nations audiences and artists in Vancouver and exchanging stories and culture.

“The fact that an audience can immerse in both te reo Māori and the gravity-defying cirque performances means the show is a feast for eyes, ears, and soul.” 

Through traditional Māori performance and circus acrobatics, Te Tangi a te Tūī (The Song of the Tūī) tells an original story inspired by the native bird’s song and explores themes of change, loss and renewal in the face of colonial impact. 

“I was told (as a teenager) that no one alive had heard the true song of the Tūī and that concept remained with me all these years,” he explains. 

“The fading of the Tūī’s song parallels the forces of loss and regeneration of te reo Māori. This show combines kaupapa Māori and cirque theatre to create an evocative narrative of love and loss between Māori, Patupairehe, and the natural world facing colonial impact.” 

Tukiwaho and Curreen's Te Pou Theatre is already in the midst of a busy time, having just finished yet another successful Kōanga Festival 

This weekend Te Pou's hosting a Billy T Applicant Showcase on Saturday and Te Pou Awe - a free one-day intensive actors workshop for Māori performers with the amazing Miriama McDowell on Sunday, exploring devising techniques for the stage.  

“Bring along a story, a joke or a whakatauki, and we will throw it at the wall and see what sticks!”

 Last chance to present at PANNZ

For those ready to take their performance piece to the next level - whatever level that may be - the weekend could be spent finalising your chance to get it in front of some of Aotearoa's industry leaders, as well as those from overseas.

Applications to pitch at the PANNZ (Performing Arts Network of New Zealand) Arts Market 2024 close at midnight, Sunday (1 October) - the sole marketplace for performing arts in Aotearoa which has grown from a one-day market to a multi-day event. 

PANNZ Arts Market's Executive Producer Amie Moffat told The Lowdown “I am stoked that the event will see a return to all pitches and showcases happening live on stage. We’ll still have the benefits of the Market’s digital platform but nothing can truly replace that human-to-human connection and the feeling of experiencing live performance first-hand. 

"In addition to our standard One and Five Minutes Pitches, our new Development Showcases open the floor to artists and producers to present in ways that inspire - providing insight and intrigue into their work - and the Full-Length Showcase opportunity will give a small number of tour-ready productions the chance to present works in their entirety – a fully immersive experience for all delegates."

In all, around 40 artists/producers will get to pitch their work live at the 4-6 March Auckland performing arts highlight. 

20 spots are available for the Five-Minute Pitches where work ranging from 'in-development' to 'tour ready' will take centre stage during the market. If you're more at the 'idea' stage, the 15 One-Minute Pitches gives the chance for a pre-recorded one-minute video played in person.

The new Development Showing will have up to 3 spots available - and could be anything from a reading to an open rehearsal or a workshop, while up to 3 artists/producers with tour-ready, full-length works will have the huge opportunity to be showcased as a complete production alongside the Market. 

"I hope that this Market is the beginning of many fruitful relationships for the creatives in our industry and that these four presenting options give artists and producers the next important springboard for their work,” Moffat enthuses.

Full guidelines with information on the application process and requirements can be downloaded here.

Passing judgement

You can call 'em the distinguished dozen.

The judging panel for the 2024 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards has been revealed - and there are some highly respected members of the creative community lending their skills and reputation to the event.

The award that always draws the most attention - the richest in Aotearoa literature - the $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will be convened by reading advocate and former bookseller Juliet Blyth alongside WORD Christchurch curator Kiran Dass and fiction writer Anthony Lapwood (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Pākehā) - with an international judge joining at the top 4 stage.

Poets Erik Kennedy and Tru Paraha (Ngāti Hineāmaru, Te Kahu o Torongare ki Waiomio, Ngāti Te Tarawa), as well as author and University lecturer Dougal McNeill will decide the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry while fellow academics and authors Jim Tully, Kerry Sunderland and Rebecca Kiddle (Ngāti Porou, Ngā Puhi) will cover the General Non-Fiction Award.

Long-standing host of RNZ's now retired Standing Room Only Lynn Freeman combined with arts advocate and experienced festival director Marianne Hargreaves; and artist, curator and writer Ane Tonga to adjudicate on the Illustrated Non-Fiction gong.

Entries for next year's Ockhams are open for titles published between 1 September 2023 and 31 December 2023 (closing on 25 October) before the long list for each category comes out in February 2024, followed by the shortlist in March and the Awards themselves in May.

The NZ Book Awards Trust that oversees the Ockhams is also calling for expressions of interest for judges of next year's NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults (closing 25 October). 

Awards are given in six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and te Reo Māori. A total of five judges will be appointed for the English and bilingual categories and a further three judges will deliberate Te Kura Pounamu Award, given for books written entirely in (or translated entirely into) te reo Māori.

Past judges have included booksellers, publishers, authors, librarians, kaiako, academics, reviewers and bloggers - with the English language judges to deliberate over what is expected to be at least 150 entries in five categories and Te reo Māori panel to select up to five finalists from approximately 15 entries and both panels to decide on the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year. 

book design awards

The creative and cultural monolith that is Toi Tū Toi Ora has extended its dominance of the artistic landscape into a fourth year. 

The groundbreaking, record-breaking exhibition changed the landscape for Toi Māori from the moment it was first unveiled by its hugely admired curator Nigel Borrell at the end of 2020 at Auckland Art Gallery - changing the narrative on how Aotearoa's indigenous art can be viewed and admired on an epic stage. 

Fast forward to September 2023, and the story of contemporary Māori art from the 1950s to the present day, with more than 200 artworks by 110 Māori artists, continues to garner accolades after dominating the 2023 PANZ (Publisher's Association of New Zealand) Book Design Awards.

Toi Tu Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art edited by Borrell, designed by Tyrone Ohia with layout by Katrina Duncan, was awarded the supreme Best Book Award, Best Illustrated Book and Best Typography - as well as sharing the People’s Choice Award Cape to Bluff (designed by Luke & Milly Scott).

The judges described Toi Tui Toi Ora as an excellent piece of work, that is “strong, clear, and contemporary, but in a way that eschews trends to produce a piece of work that will endure as a good piece of design across time”.

It was a night out for books grounded in te ao Māori; both the English and Māori versions of the same book -  A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru: A Collection of Narratives about Te Tai Tokerau Tūpuna/Ka Ngangana Tonu a Hineāmaru: He Kōrero Tuku Iho nō Te Tai Tokerau by Melinda Webber and Te Kapua O’Connor, Nā Quinton Hita i whakamāori, designed by Duncan Munro, cover art by Shane Cotton - won the Best Non-Illustrated Book prize.

Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku by Mat Tait, who also designed it with Megan van Staden, was awarded Best Children’s Book at the PANZ event to accompany last month's Margaret Mahy Book of the Year prize and Dr Hinemoa Elder's Wawata - Moon Dreaming - designed by Cat Taylor - claimed Best Commercial Book for Adults.

Coco Solid's daring across disciplines was also rewarded - the singer-turned-writer's own artwork for her book How to Loiter in a Turf War: A Novel (designed by Carla Sy)saw her named Best Cover winner. 

Brittany Irvine's skill level for someone so early in their career saw her crowned the 2023 Emerging Designer - with her contributions to Medium: A technical guide for creating better medium density housing in Aotearoa New Zealand taking out Best Educational Book or Series — Secondary/Tertiary.

 Hope leaves them WOWed

The crowds have been flocking to Wellington to get a taste of Aotearoa's premier performance and art event - World of WearableArt (WOW) after a week of colour and creativity that spawns many a dropped jaw.

Those who attend find much of the creative handiwork truly inspirational - and in one case, it is already inspiring change.

Auckland designer Oliver Cain's bright and vibrant entry - Hope - is proving a crowd pleaser, made from 16,000 Cancer Society daffodils that couldn’t be used following two years of COVID-cancelled street appeals. Its bounce and unmissable pop of yellow has helped it stand out, even in a field of eye-catching garments.

Cain says, “As an artist, I am passionate about creating works that are not only visually striking but also meaningful and impactful. Hope is testament to the power of art to spark conversations and inspire change. Daffodils have become an iconic symbol of hope and solidarity in the fight against cancer. By repurposing these pins into a wearable artwork, I aimed to highlight the profound impact of cancer on our lives and communities, celebrating the hope, resilience, and strength of those who have been affected by the disease.” 

It's sparked WOW to create a chance to walk the walk behind Cain's theme - offering a promo voucher code of ‘DAFFODIL’ when booking for the Tuesday 3 October performance of the 2023 WOW Show: BEYOND - with 50% of net proceeds of the coded purchases going to the Cancer Society. 

WOW CEO Meg Williams says, “When we saw Hope take the stage, we were inspired by its celebration of the power of art to transform and uplift and saw a great opportunity for us to work with our audience to support a cause we know means a lot to New Zealanders.”  

WOW Head of Competition Sarah Nathan adds “Hope is an extraordinary garment with beautiful craftspersonship, storytelling and stage presence. Hope’s involvement in the WOW Competition isn’t influenced in any way by the materials used, but, once we saw it brought to life onstage, it got us thinking about how we could amplify and do good with that delight and inspiration.”

Coming soon from their living room

The next chapter of Tautai Contemporary Gallery's digital Fale-ship recipients has one stand-out name.

Well-regarded arts advocate, Pacific artist and curator Ema Tavola - the beating heart of South Auckland independent gallery and consultancy Vunilagi Vou - is included in a diverse group selected for the Fale-ships. Tavola's always looking for ways to be part of the community, with curatorial experience from around the world under her belt.

She's joined by Robert Lord Writers Cottage Young Writer in Residence, Ruby Macomber and other Aoteroa-based Pacific artists Petone Groom, Erich Roebeck, Axel Iva, Monica Paterson and Isitolo Alesana, while Dorell Ben and Talia Smith will complete their residencies from Australia and Leitu Bonnici from the Netherlands.

Over the course of the rest of 2023 - each will get their turn to be showcased on Tautai’s platforms.

Youth raise the roof

Before breaking for school holidays, some creatively minded teenage talent were given their turn in the spotlight.

The winners of this year's Secondary School Art Awards from The Arts House Trust have been recognised - with the finalists' exhibition on at Auckland's Pah Homestead until 15 October.

Epsom Girls Grammar's Audrey Goggin was awarded the $750 top prize for her inter-generational work, Stitching Together Memories (above). Created by painting acrylic on calico and quilting thread, it explores her memories of making with her grandmother and mother.

"I stitch together past memories to create new ones — using the patterns from favourite clothing I’ve grown out of. The artwork on the wall recreates some of my first drawings."

Goggin told The Lowdown "Winning this competition means so much to me because of the opportunities and recognition that come along with it. 

"Aspiring artists my age are often put off pursuing a career in art because of how difficult it can be to find a place in the ‘art world’. However, competitions like this give students the opportunity to be seen, rewarded, and encouraged to continue making. 

"The recognition I’ve received from this win has been so encouraging and makes me look forward to my future as an artist and what I’m going to create next. This prize will help me pay for art supplies next year at Elam. I’m very grateful.

This year was my second time entering these awards. I was lucky enough to be a finalist last year, it was my first real group exhibition experience, which made it very exciting. After finding out I was a finalist again this year, I was looking forward to being part of the group exhibition again and seeing all the other amazing work by other students across the country. I wasn’t expecting to win first place, so I was overwhelmed with emotion. It felt like all my hard work towards past competitions and this one had finally paid off — it was a great lesson about what perseverance and dedication can bring you."

Fellow Year 13s Chang Liu from Pinehurst School claimed second place for her painting Lotus Incarnate, while Liston College's Braiden Leituala's photograph The Evolution Of Siva Afi: 'A Warriors Dance' shared third place with Avondale College's Year 11 student Maisy Wilson for her sculpture Fake fish. 

Jan Gardner, Education Manager at The Arts House Trust praised the standard of the 2023 finalists as extremely high, Artworks in the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture make up the works on show. 

"It's always wonderful to see what this year's crop will bring. The awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight our flourishing talent in Aotearoa - and judging is always a challenge with hundreds of entries."

Those more musically minded also got the chance to express themselves, with 1200 students representing 25 secondary schools at Auckland Council’s Stand Up Stand Out (SUSO) competition - created to promote songwriting, dance performance excellence and a culture of music within Auckland schools.

Last weekend's Finals Showcase saw 26 diverse acts leaving. all on the stage in front of a sold-out Auckland Town Hall across five categories - dance, solo instrumental, group vocal, solo vocal and bands - competing for a prize pool of Rockshop gear and vouchers, mentoring from industry professionals, studio hire, and time with music producers to record a track. 

De La Salle College took home two major awards with Psalms Vaotuua taking out the solo instrumental category, while soul/R&B band Encore (above) proved to be the best of the bands.

De La Salle teacher Siosaia Williams-Folau told The Lowdown "What an amazing opportunity for our students to put their best foot forward on stage over the weekend. I know that they've worked hard on the lead up and I'm glad it's paid off. 

"My hope is that with the success of both Psalms and Encore, this opens a lot more doors and opportunities for aspiring music students at De La Salle to follow their dreams." 

Best Original Composition went to Rumpus Machine of Long Bay College for their song Summer Daze. Best Artist was awarded to Charles Lia of Manurewa High School - a composer, producer, singer and songwriter whose talent was described as “from another planet” by SUSO’s vocal judges.

Councillor Richard Hills states “It’s fantastic Tāmaki Makaurau has so many exceptional young artists, many who graced the stage during this year’s SUSO competition, and we eagerly anticipate their continued growth and success,” he says.

In words that aren't heard enough from the halls of power at Auckland Council - Hills praised those helping uplift the next generation of Auckland artistry. 

"Arts, culture and performance add to our city’s vibrancy.”

Icon-Bic 

At the other end of the experience spectrum - some of the country's finest were honoured at the 2023 Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards - with Bic Runga leaving a lasting impression.

As well as an exceptional live performance, the veteran singer/songwriter was also celebrated with the prestigious Rolling Stone Icon Award - the first time handed out in NZ - which she labelled "unreal". 

In her speech, Runga noted "I’m stoked to be amongst it and still here! I was signed in 1995 so I’ve loved my whole journey. I want to thank everyone I’ve ever worked with and I want to thank my fans who are so loyal - and everyone who has adopted these songs into their lives. It’s never lost on me that people are getting married and having children to these songs, and I’m so humbled by this.”

Some of the country's current biggest success stories also shared in the spotlight - Six60's Castle Street won Best Record while Reggae act L.A.B. was awarded the Best Single gong for Take It Away.

COTERIE secured Best New Artist and Indie rockers The Beths claimed The Rolling Stone Global Award category - with the famed magazine's global editors taking part in the judging process.

We're in for a big run of accolades in the music industry - with the Silver Scrolls being dished out next week and other gongs spread throughout the country.

The winner of the 2023 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award will be revealed ahead of next month's Wellington Jazz Festival.

Louisa Williamson, a gifted saxophonist who has performed with a long line of fellow Aotearoa talent like L.A.B, Trinity Roots and Rob Ruha, is nominated for Dream Within A Dream from her debut album, described as a crossover between ambient and big band jazz.

Understated supergroup The Circling Sun - featuring some extensive CVs like percussionist Julien Dyne (Ladi6, Avantdale Bowling Club), Saxophone and keyboard player Cameron Allen (Opensouls/Relaxomatic Project), bassist Ben Turua (ABC, Nathan Haines), saxophone/flute/bass clarinet player J.Y. Lee (Yoko Zuna, Chaii, ABC, Dave Dobbyn), Guy Harrison on keyboards and trumpet (Troy Kingi, ABC, Bailey Wiley) and trumpet and vibraphone performer Finn Scholes (Carnivorous Plant Society, Dave Dobbyn) - are also up for a track from their inaugural album, Bones. 

Jake Baxendale - who is also a commissioned artist for the Wellington Jazz Fest - rounds out the finalists' announcement with The Big Question, performed by Sanctuary, which originated as a commissioned piece for a wedding proposal that played out (successfully) at one of Baxendale's regular Monday improve gigs, with fellow finalist Williamson performing alongside him.

It remains to be seen whether the judges say 'I do' to his song for the $1000 prize.

APRA AMCOS has secured some big names to helm a Trans-Tasman initiative dedicated to honouring language for indigenous participants from both Aotearoa and Australia to collaborate in the creation of new waiata.  

IPUKAREA is an intensive songwriting residency, providing unique collaborative opportunities for both published and unpublished songwriters and composers, irrespective of genre that will take place at Auckland's BIG FAN early next month, in partnership with National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO).

Multi-award-winning, genre-bending creative juggernaut Troy Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Āpanui) is joined by producers choicevaughan (Ngāti Porou) and Noema Te Hau III – Producer (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Porou) as well as singer/songwriters Majic Pāora (Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei, Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri) and Tawaz (Ngāti Rangitāne) representing Aotearoa.

Coming from across the ditch are First Nations Australian singer/songwriters Chris Tamwoy, Emily Wurramara, Fred Leone and producer Blake Rhodes.