As part of our He Toi Hou programme, Kia Mau Festival presents the new work Waenga from emerging mana whenua artists Hariata and Tamati Moriarty (Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, Ngā Puhi Hokianga ki te Raki).

The first work from new Māori theatre company, Waenga follows Connie, a fiery political music student and Grayson, a junior lawyer and their exemplification of Tino Rangatiratanga. Written by next generation artists Hariata and Tamati Moriarty (Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, Ngā Puhi Hokianga ki te Raki) with mentorship and dramaturgy by Helen Pearse Otene (Ngā Puhi Hokianga ki te Raki), directed by Jim Moriarty (Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Koata).

Waenga features a production team including mentorship by Regan Taylor (Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa), lighting design and operation by Janis Cheng, sound design by Hāmi Hawkins. 

Content warnings include coarse language, strobe lighting.

For mature audiences, 16 years plus.

Story sovereignty is the vessel for our cultural renaissance and this is the tuapapa of any creative works produced by Hurō.

Hurō Productions is Hariata and Tamati Moriarty with production co-ordination by Kauia Moriarty and communications by Kamaia Bambridge.

He Toi Hou brings together the most innovative and thought-provoking contemporary Indigenous arts. This pou is a testament to the spirit of creation and offers a space for fresh, dynamic works to make their debut, allowing audiences to experience the raw power and authenticity of new voices or old voices in new ways.

Kia Mau Festival is at the forefront of contemporary Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous arts in Aotearoa and beyond. We are innovators—pushing boundaries, redefining forms, and forging new paths with creative risk-taking at every step.Right here, right now, we bring together local, national, and international artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. We find the intersection where our stories intertwine, creating an experience that is uniquely 'local' yet unparalleled in Pōneke throughout the year.

Kia Mau Festival offers a truly unique experience, led by Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous voices at every level—from our leadership to our artists and audiences. Unlike any other festival, we are not just a platform for presentations; we are a hub for kōrero and whanaungatanga.