Toi o Manukau, formed in 1993, is a collective of Manukau-based community advocates committed to the development and the well-being of Māori arts and artists in Manukau and the wider south Auckland region.
The Waitangi Day Family Celebrations has been their major annual event, offering the organisation a high profile and community based event.
Toi o Manukau is also active in curating exhibitions and profiling Māori arts. This has included hosting international indigenous artists and performers alongside publishing about Māori and Pacific artists from South Auckland.
In recent years they have focused on fostering and mentoring the next generation of creative talent, focusing on secondary schools students in art and culture vocations. They also initiate and support many of the Matariki events that celebrate the Māori New Year in Manukau.
Nigel Borell the co-chair of Toi o Manukau says “we are really proud of the Waitangi Day event, we have worked collaboratively with successive councils over 20 years and the event has gone from strength to strength”.
It has been so successful that many of the original performers return year after year to be a part of it. This year’s 20 year anniversary attracted Ardijah, Rob Ruha, Troy Kingi and other well-loved performers. Ardijah have a long history with the event, having supported Toi o Manukau in the early days. With the combined intention of making Waitangi a proud national event, these celebrated Māori musicians perform alongside emerging artists. The event is free to all and is family-friendly; zero waste, smoke-and alcohol-free.
More than just a music festival, the event also hosts a ‘Waitangi Village’ where various arts and craft vendors including flax weavers (tohunga raranga), Māori tattoo artists and food vendors, can introduce all things Māori to Aucklanders.
It is also an opportunity to learn more about the Treaty of Waitangi. Staff from the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Libraries and some tertiary organisations attend to share their knowledge about the Treaty. The event has also hosted many of New Zealand’s prime ministers of the past 20 years.
The first south Auckland Waitangi Family Celebrations event in 1997was held in Manukau square, just behind the Manukau city shopping centre. Over the years it has moved several times, but is now back in Hayman Park for this year’s 20th year event. Numbers have varied over the years, from it’s heyday of 60,000 in 2012 to more manageable numbers these days of 10,000 to 15,000 depending on weather and what other Waitangi Day celebrations are being held in Auckland.
Nigel says after 20 years of partnering to run this event it is now time for Toi o Manukau to celebrate its successes with Auckland Council and to take the opportunity to look at where it is heading in the future. It also opens the opportunity for new partners to come on board.
