FRESH Tour 2009
FRESH Māori talent to tour Wellington secondary schools
| Date | Venue | City | Country | Duration |
| 9:00am, Mon 21 Sep 2009 | Secondary Schools | Wellington | NZ | 3 days |
Three vocally energised Māori performers will take to the stage at secondary schools in the Poneke (Wellington) region in an effort to promote, inspire and encourage creativity in students, particularly those of Māori and Pacific descent.
Featuring performers Tarah Rudolph-Ahkiau, Matiu Te Huki and Karl Teariki the touring programme has been aptly named FRESH Tour 2009 and will take place during 21–23 September visiting schools in the Kapiti Coast, Wellington City and the Hutt Valley.
Performance poet Tarah Rudolph-Ahkiau, a member of the South Auckland Poets Collective, will be saying it “loud and definitely proud” as her rhythmic prose beats out an expression of what it is like to be young and brown in Aotearoa.
“When I am on stage I am not afraid to speak about things that interest me. Performance poetry is liberating. I want our young poets to feel the same way about their poetry, to be confident, original and FRESH.” says Rudolph-Ahkiau.
Also on tour, singer, songwriter and playwright, Matiu Te Huki, is also no stranger to the stage. Te Huki has performed with such bands as Fat Freddy’s Drop, Anika Moa, DLT, Tiki Taane, Homefire Burning, and Basscamp not to mention having recently written this year’s te reo Maori play for Taki Rua Productions. Te Huki is currently a member of the band My Golden Soul.
The third performer Karl Teariki, a musician and storyteller, has been dubbed the ‘Polynesian Polymath’ of the group. From a long line of orators, Teariki will take his listeners on a journey of the great waka, Takitimu.
FRESH Tour 2009 is an initiative produced by Toi Maori Aotearoa’s literary committees Te Ha and Nga Pou Kaituhi Māori to support and expose young Māori artists and Māori literature to a wider audience.
An additional tour will follow in October to secondary schools in the Wairarapa region.
For media enquiries, please contact Charlie Holland, Toi Māori Aotearoa.
Phone (04) 801-7914
Email: charlie@maoriart.org.nz