Children will explore traditional Māori kite (manu tukutuku) making practices and construct their own kite designs inspired by Nikau Hindin (Te Rarawa/Ngāpuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand), whose Māori manu aute (bark-cloth kites) feature in System Release.

Māori manu aute is an Indigenous technology used for navigation, communication and divination. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the cultural and creative contexts of kite-making before working through a hands-on process of drawing, designing and constructing their own kite forms.

The workshop focuses on:

Cultural storytelling and symbolism
Construction and basic design principles
Visual language drawn from the natural environment
Use of symbols, rectilinear shapes, geometry, pattern and colour

Participants will be encouraged to think about their own relationships to nature and place, translating these ideas into visual form through their designs. Each child will create a kite to take home and enjoy.

The program supports creative confidence, cultural learning, visual literacy and hands-on making, and is designed to be engaging and accessible for a wide range of learning styles and abilities.

All materials are supplied.

🎟 Great Value School Holiday Fun!

$10 General Child

$8 Member or Concession

Booking more than one child?

Enjoy 10% off automatically when purchasing two or more child tickets.

Please note: Workshop tickets do not include exhibition admission. Members and children under 12 enter free.

Contact the host of School Holiday Workshops: Draw, Design, Fly