Nau mai, haere mai e ngā wāhine toa!

After sold out women's events in 2019 and 2020, NUKU Live is back at Elemental AKL with a brand new format, bringing you the ‘Atua Series’ for 2021. Celebrating our Atua Wāhine (female Māori gods), we have three events over three days to share Indigenous knowledge and practice, specifically for wāhine.

Papatūānuku is the atua where all living things originate, she is our earth mother and the inspiration behind event one.

Join us for a hands-on evening learning how to make paints from the fruits of Papatūānuku, Hinetuparimaunga, Parawhenuamea and Hineukurangi (soil, silt and clay).

This workshop harnesses the mātauranga (knowledge) of our tūpuna (ancestors) and introduces natural clays and earth pigments that have been used for generations as an expressive art medium, in ceremony and as rongoā (medicine).

Facilitated by Kauae Raro Research Collective, the NUKU Live Papatūānuku workshop reconnects us to our taiao, our environment, igniting ancient learnings to explore our creativity and pass on techniques to our whānau.

Attendees will learn about earth pigments, where to find them and how to harvest them. You will partake in a practical workshop to make paint and dye using natural resources, and work with paper and fabric to create something to take home.

In acknowledgement of the importance of holding space we ask that the first day of tickets sales (Monday 14th June) be left for Indigenous women and available to everyone from Tuesday 15th June.

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If you love the sound of this event, you should join us for the NUKU Live Atua Series Hine-Te-Iwaiwa speaker event and Mākete at Māngere Art Centre - Ngā Tohu o Uenuku on Saturday 24 July, and Hinemoana Nesian dance workshop at Campbells Bay Beach on Sunday 25 July.

NUKU events are open to all women, including those who identify as wahine, trans or non-binary. Please note, due to the non-profit kaupapa that underpins all of our events, there are no refunds.

NUKU Live Atua Series is part of the Auckland Elemental Festival and has been made possible by their amazing support. For more about the festival and other events visit:https://www.aucklandnz.com/elementalfestival

*About Kauae Raro Research Collective

Lanae Cable (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maru ki Hauraki, Ngāti Pūkeko) and Sarah Hudson (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pūkeko) will facilitate the Papatūānuku workshop.

In December 2019, a group of mates went on a road trip to visit ngā toi ana, rock art sites around Te Waiariki. Viewing these sites of rock art and ceremony was inspiring, and solidified to them that we come from a rich lineage of artists; that art is an important part of being Māori. Since this road trip, the group have devoted their art practices to ngā tae oneone, the colours present in the earth, committing to spend time with the whenua every week.Over the last 18 months, they have been publicly documenting their research into ngā tae oneone via the @kauae_raro Instagram, running earth pigment wānanga and reconnecting with the whenua, tīpuna and ngā atua through being with the land.

Contact the host of NUKU Live Atua Series // Papatūānuku