Maspac grants for arts projects

Tu Tangata, Issue 15, 1 December 1983, Page 18

Maspac grants for arts projects

The Council for Maori and South Pacific Arts has made a series of grants for projects coming under its umbrella. They include SIOOOO to the Aotea Marae at Dannevirke.

The grant was made under the Council’s Marae Decoration Projects Scheme and is to assist with the costs of approved materials for interior carvings of the Aotea Meeting House as well as tutors fees for carving tutor, Mr Calvin Kereama. Restoration work on the exterior carvings has recently been completed and

the people are looking forward to finishing the interior carvings in three months. When completed the house will have 27 carved poupou representing ancestors of the local people. The Pahiatua Maori Committee have received a grant of S6OO. The grant is made under the Coun-

cil’s Traditional Maori Art Programme Special Art Projects Scheme and will assist with the costs of a wananga on Maoritanga.

Tutors at the wananga will include Mr Sonny Waru, Nuku Leatherby and Hanatia Palmer. Topics to be covered at the wananga will include marae kawa, whaikorero, history, whakapapa and legends.

The aim of the wananga is to bring together those people with knowledge of the history and whakapapa of the area to share that knowledge and provide a spiritual basis for the building of the marae.

The Council has approved a grant of S6OO for two projects being organised by the Morehu Social Services of Wellington.

Carvers are being trained at the Morehu Centre by Clarence Takirirangi Smith. In order to extend their knowledge of carving styles the group plan to travel through the East Coast area to learn Tairawhiti and Whanau-a-Apanui carving styles. The group have been involved in a number of carving projects including the gateway for the proposed marae for the Whanganui a Tara Trust.

Another group at the Morehu Centre is planning to learn the art of piupiu making. The Council’s grant will enable two tutors, Mrs E Rogers and Mr M Kemara to travel from Whakatane to Wellington to teach piupiu making to the group.

The Council has approved a grant of S6OO towards a project involving the teaching of art to adolescents in remand homes.

The project has been set up by artist, Tui Hamon Zanetich. Zanetich was one of the founder members of the NZ Maori Artists and Writers Society and her work has been exhibited on a number of occasions. Zanetich hopes to teach art based on indigenous Maori art forms expressed in a contemporary manner. The MASPAC grant will go towards the costs of materials for her students.

The Council has approved a grant of SI2OO to the Pacific Island Guides of Tokoroa. The grant is made under the Council’s Cook Islands culture scheme and will assist with the costs of traditional costumes and traditional musical instruments for the group.

The Guides meet regularly to learn their own culture from tutors representing the various Pacific Island groups. The group has been honoured with selection by the Girl Guides National and International advisors to represent New Zealand at an International Music Festival in Tasmania.

The Council has announced a grant of $2,000 to the Maniaroa Marae at Mokau. The grant was made under the Council’s Marae Decoration Projects Scheme and will assist with the costs of tutors fees and carving tools. Leading the project will be carving tutor, Mr Paki Harrison, and whariki tutor, Mrs Ada Harris.

The original marae, established in the 1890 s, was destoyed by fire in 1929. Recently work has begun on re-estab-lishing the marae. The dining area and ablution block are completed and work is continuing on the kitchen and meeting house. This should be completed by 1984.

The marae is said by the local people to represent the site and resting place of the stone anchor from the Tainui canoe.

The Waimarama Marae has received a grant of S6OO from the Council.

The grant is made under the Council Traditional Maori Art Programme under the Special /Wt Project Scheme. The grant will assist with the costs of completing the interior decoration of the new hall at Taupunga. The project will include tukutuku panels, kowhaiwhai work and a mural depicting the anchoring of the Takitimu canoe on the Waimarama foreshore. The Takitimu canoe is the ancestral canoe of the Maori people of the Waimarama area.

The Castlecliff Community Centre Society of Wanganui has recieved a grant of S6OO from the Council. The grant is made from the Council Traditional Maori Art Special Art Projects scheme towards the costs of running a Maori and Pacific Island art and craft programme.

The Society intends to work towards the establishment of an urban marae which will include representatives of all cultures. Projects to be undertaken include tukutuku, carving and flaxwork as well as sessions in Tongan crafts. The tutors involved are Mrs Huia Reweti and Mrs Lolohea Nuiato.

The Motuti Community Trust of Panguru have received a grant of SSOO from the Council. The grant is made under the Council’s Traditional Maori Art Marae Decoration Projects Scheme towards the costs of carving tools.

In 1980 the Trust received a grant of slll3 from the Council to support their work in the area of Maori art and craft. This further grant recognises the work the group have done for many marae in their area. The Trust now wishes to concentrate their efforts on completing their own Motuti Marae which they hope to complete in 1984. The carving tutor is Ken Dixon.