Mauri ora ki te rangi, mauri ora ki te whenua
Mā te tini mā te mano, ka rangatira a kapa haka
E aku nui, e aku rahi, nei nga mihi
Te Matatini 2015 is fast approaching. From 4 – 8 March 2015, 45 teams will compete for the honour of being recognized as the very best of the very best in Aotearoa. This is an occasion not to be missed. The last time Te Matatini was in Christchurch was 1986. The next time will be 2039. This is a once in a generation chance for us to experience this festival on our doorstep. The festival is whānau-friendly and smoke, alcohol and drug-free.
There will be a whānau area, hauora village, retail and kai stalls, an art and crafts space and corporate representation in the market place. In the performance arena there will be a VIP area, a dedicated disabled area, a kaumātua marquee, a fan zone and general admission.
Supported by:
Tickets
Tickets for the event are now available online through iTicket. Save money and pre-purchase early bird tickets. Ticket prices increase as the event gets closer.
Please note – the 4-day fan zone pass is one price for all ticket holders, irrelevant of age. Children, youth and adults all pay $150.00 for access to the fan zone.
Stalls
Standard stall spaces will be 3m x 3m. A marquee and power connection will be provided. Stall holders will be responsible for supplying any tables, flooring and/or equipment for their space. The terms and conditions and stall fees will be released by the end of August. Stalls can be registered by contacting Dina Hawea, Festival Administrator, on [email protected] or by phone on 04 385 2306.
There will be 8,000 -10,000 people on site per day. They will get hungry. We are in desperate need of kai stalls, particularly our kai, Māori kai. This is a fabulous opportunity to show them our southern hospitality and to showcase our kai. The basic rules for our kai stalls are that you cannot sell customary take, any kaimoana sold must have been landed on quota or purchased. The event is also fizzy drink, deep fried hotdogs and chips free. We are looking for good healthy kai and drinks.
Programme
The basic timings for the five days are as follows:
From Thursday through to Saturday, the 45 teams compete in pools, called Te Ihu, Te Haumi and Te Kei. At the end of Saturday, the top 3 teams from each pool are announced. On Sunday, those top 9 teams perform again in the finals pool called Te Whakarae. A copy of the pools and order of performance can be found on www.tematatini.co.nz
What do you need to bring to Te Matatini 2015?
- Sand chairs, picnic blankets, tarpaulins and your picnic
- Cash to support the kai and retail stalls
- Your friends and whānau.
I look forward to seeing you all at Te Matatini 2015. Ngā mihi, Puamiria.
Introducing Kim Wetini
Kim Wetini is a self-confessed ‘kapa haka freak’ from way back and she is looking forward to the amazing performances and fierce competition that will be on show at Te Matatini next year.
Kim (Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tamanuhiri, Rongomaiwahine) is the Kaiwhakarite at Te Puni Kōkiri in Ōtautahi. She also juggles a second role – working as the volunteer coordinator for Te Matatini 2015.
Kim is well placed to act as the volunteer coordinator, as kapa haka has been a long-standing tradition in her whānau. Her family created the kapa haka group Mātauranga Māori Club, and they had the honor of performing at the 1974 Commonwealth Games opening. She has judged at regional kapa haka events and is still an active member of two kapa haka groups –Te Ahikaaroa and Te Ahikōmau.
Her role as volunteer coordinator involves a lot of mahi and dedication. Her daily tasks are quite varied but she says that communicating with potential stakeholders is essential to ensuring the event is a success.
So far, 250 whānau have registered as volunteers. About 5 per cent of these are from areas outside Ōtautahi and the youngest helper is just 14-years-old. Ideally Te Matatini will need around 400 volunteers to tautoko the busy, five-day event.
There are a number of roles open to whānau who are interested in volunteering. These include assisting at the pōwhiri or the hākari, administrative support, hosting whānau and catering – the list is very broad.
Kim says all of the volunteers will receive the necessary training ahead of Te Matatini, before the decision is made as to whether or not a person can lead a team or be a part of a team.
She believes it is important that volunteers also know the history of Te Matatini, Ngāi Tahu as an iwi and the history of Christchurch as a rohe, before going into their specific roles.
Ngāi Tahu whānau who are registered volunteers can apply to the Ngāi Tahu Fund Committee for financial assistance. See Page 42.
The theme for Te Matatini 2015 is He Ngākau Aroha – it’s our turn whānau to manaakitanga the more than 30,000 manuhiri who are expected to attend. She says that Te Matatini is about creating positive and everlasting memories for our rangatahi.
Kim is married to Irirangi and has four children: Horowai, Mason, Mātāmua, Te Atamarie, and two mokopuna.
Q&A for Te Matatini volunteers
