He Huia Kaimanawa

Led by choreographer Bianca Hyslop and designer Rowan Pierce, He Huia Kaimanawa is an extraordinary performance experience that responds to the resurfacing, reclaiming and honouring of te reo Māori/the Māori language.

Through the gathering of real-life stories, the work confronts accounts of loss and reclamation that are shared by so many across Aotearoa/New Zealand. These accounts are deeply resonant for all who call Aotearoa home.

Looking to the past as we move into the future, the work brings to light these stories while celebrating the work of the many who have carved the path for the ongoing revitalisation of Māori language.

Presented as a series of imagined realities, He Huia Kaimanawa brings into focus the importance and challenges this revitalisation process is facing in an increasingly virtual world.

Visually potent and experientially impactful, it is a visceral exploration of learning te reo Māori as second language learners.

He whakaaroha, ā, he kōtuinga tairongo o te nukuhanga, o te reo, o te whaitua me ngā hangarau mariko.

He mea huataki e Bianca Hyslop, kaitito nekehanga, rāua ko Rowan Pierce, kaihoahoa, a He Huia Kaimanawa. He whakaari mataora e urupare ana i te maieatanga, te tūhuratanga me te whakamānawatanga o te reo Māori.

Ka titiro whakamuri ki ō mua rā me te kauneke whakamua ki te āpōpō, ā, ka puea ake i te whakaari ēnei mea te rirohanga me te whakahokinga, waihoki, he whakanui i te mahi a te tini nāna i para te huarahi e ora tonu ai te reo Rangatira.

He whakamātakitaki tū ana te ihi, hītaratara ana te kiri a He Huia Kaimanawa, ka mutu, he toronga nō te whatumanawa rawa ki te whakaūkaipō anō i te reo i riro.

“It grabs you from all directions… it doesn’t let you go.” — Theatreview

“Hauntingly emotive… a bright beacon of hope through a dark history.” — Tempo Festival

Kindred People is an Indigenous‑led gathering held on Boonwurrung Country, guided by Elders and an Indigenous Steering Committee. Each event sits within a broader program of ceremony, performance and knowledge exchange, grounded in respect for Country and the sharing of living Indigenous knowledges. These works invite audiences to listen deeply, learn together and come to the gathering with care.