Bring your tamariki and join us these school holidays for a hands-on, immersive Uku Workshop celebrating creativity and connection to te ao Māori.

This unique experience invites participants to create their own ukutangi — a traditional Māori clay wind instrument — while exploring the rich whakapapa behind taonga pūoro. Guided by pūrākau and mātauranga Māori, you’ll discover the relationship between Papatūānuku (earth), Te Hā o Te Ora (breath of life), and sound, and how these elements come together through uku (clay).

The session is led by Bella Rose Waetford (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine), a multidisciplinary Māori artist who works with uku (clay), silversmithing, pounamu, and woodworking. Following in the footsteps of her mother, prominent uku artist Dorothy Waetford, Bella is inspired by the forms and rhythms of te taiao. Her practice weaves together whenua (land), hā (breath), and vibration.

The workshop will be supported by emerging Ngāpuhi artist Te Awa Neumann, a graduate of Toi Ngāpuhi, alongside Dharian Watene, a self-proclaimed “haututu” within the disciplines of uku and raranga (weaving).

Participants will take part in an introduction to taonga pūoro, the sharing of pūrākau, and hands-on clay sculpting to create their own ukutangi. Designed to be accessible and welcoming, the session supports creativity, mindfulness, wellbeing, intergenerational learning, and the preservation of mātauranga Māori. No prior experience is needed, and all materials are provided.

This workshop is for all ages. Children under 12 must be supervised.

 

Please note: The session involves hands-on clay use and clothing may get dirty. Wear appropriate attire. 

 

 

Doors Open: 9.30am

Workshop: 10.00am – 12.00pm

Venue: Theatre Bar

 

This workshop is supported by Far North Creative Communities