Step into Matariki with four days of music, learning, and deep connection - with each other and the whenua.

The Transglobal Matariki Residency is a 4-day educational workshop residency hosted by Arts Connections Oceania (ACO) at Āio Wīra Retreat Centre, Te Henga.

This residency is both a music gathering and an educational space - a place to grow skills in intercultural music-sharing, facilitation and inclusive practice.

Limited space - sign up today!

If you are in need of a payment plan, please don't hesitate to reach out to us: ethnonewzealand@gmail.com

Drawing on Ethno-inspired pedagogy, developed over the past 35 years, and ACO’s experience in intercultural arts-making, the residency combines:

Workshops led by facilitators in expertise across intercultural music making and facilitation, education, global arts management and human rights-based community practice
Collaborative music-making
Practical tools for working with diverse groups
Peer learning and reflection
Shared meals, jamming, community and land connection - full access to the retreat centre's facilities (spa & sauna)

This is a space for learning with each other through music, participation and relationship as we gather in the season of Matariki.

Who is it for?

This residency is open to musicians from all backgrounds, and is especially great for:

Music educators
Community musicians and ensemble leaders
Facilitators working in group settings
Professional and emerging musicians wanting new tools and inspiration
People wanting to grow confidence in inclusive, welcoming music spaces
Musicians from diverse communities in the Aotearoa music scene

Learning outcomes

By the end of the residency, participants will have had opportunities to:

Deepen their skills in intercultural music-sharing and collaborative music-making
Explore peer to peer based learning and Ethno-inspired approaches to sharing and learning music in group setting
Strengthen skills and build confidence to support inclusive participation and welcoming diverse musical backgrounds in creative learning spaces
Experience practical tools for facilitating music with others (in classrooms, community groups, ensembles, and informal settings)
Reflect on their own practice, positionality, and ways of working in intercultural contexts
Connect with other musicians, educators, and facilitators in a supportive learning community

We know everyone comes with different goals - this residency is designed to support both personal growth and professional learning.

Guest presenters

Manjit Singh is a distinguished tabla performer, Hindustani classical vocalist and dedicated educator. As the founder of Rhythm School of Indian Music, he is widely recognised as an ambassador for Indian creative arts, fostering cross-cultural musical dialogue and expanding pathways for Indian music in tertiary education.

Currently a Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland, he brings extensive experience in curriculum development and engaging, project-based learning.

Jeremy Hantler is an educator, facilitator and musician, best known for his work with The Harmonic Resonators.

Jeremy has presented at international intercultural music conferences across Europe through Orff and Ethno networks, and is well regarded in Tauranga for integrating waiata Māori and te ao Māori into education and performance. He facilitates Waiata Wēnerei for Tauranga City Council, supports school kapa haka and directs major choir and marimba festivals. Jeremy is passionate about music’s ability to connect people, place, and culture.

ACO team & facilitators

Hanna Wiskari is a Swedish musician, educator, facilitator and project manager who has called Aotearoa home since 2016. She has served as an Artistic Mentor at more than 15 Ethno camps worldwide, supporting young musicians in cross-cultural collaboration and creative exchange. Rooted in Nordic traditional music and inspired by global sounds, Hanna’s work is driven by a belief in the power of creativity to build meaningful connections and inspire positive change.

Sarah Macdonald is a facilitator and advocate with extensive experience in adult learning and community development. Her work focuses on helping people navigate culture, power, and difference with empathy and understanding. Grounded in human rights frameworks, conflict resolution, and trauma-informed practice, she brings a practical, relationship-centred approach to inclusion, supporting individuals and communities to build trust and engage in honest, constructive conversations.

Vanya Howell-Kress is an educator, choir leader and weaver based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, she grew up surrounded by music and creativity, which continue to shape her work today. She teaches at Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School in Wellington and is passionate about bringing people together through multi-part harmony singing. Vanya has led community choirs and creative projects for children of all ages, including directing the Voices of Harmony Community Choir on the Kāpiti Coast for the past decade. She also holds a Bachelor of Indigenous Art specialising in raranga and whatu through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Will Tekatoha is a singer-songwriter from Mungiki (Bellona), Solomon Islands. He writes and performs in English, Pijin, and his mother tongue, sharing cultural and folk music from his homeland while collaborating with artists across the Moana region and beyond. Will is an organiser of Ethno Solomon Islands and a founding member of Kaumaakonga, a group that reimagines traditional Avaiki chants through a fusion of traditional rhythms, percussion, panpipes, guitar and rich vocal harmonies.

Tristan Hancock is a creator, performer, educator and community organiser with a strong focus on music performance and intercultural exchange. With training in jazz performance, ethnomusicology, audio post-production, and project management, he has built an extensive career connecting communities through music and the arts. He is the director of Global Soul Ltd, managing music performance and education projects, and has contributed to numerous intercultural initiatives including Transglobal Sessions, Race Unity Speech Awards, and community dialogue projects across Aotearoa.

Contact the host of Transglobal Matariki Residency

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