Ko Tawhiti-nui-a-Paoa te maunga

Ko Waikawa te awa
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi
Ko Te Whanau-a-Iritekura te hapu
Ko Iritekura toku marae
Ko George ahau

Intern at:

I have been drawn to creative practices from a young age, mainly performing arts and incorporating Te Ao Māori. As Māori, we are storytellers by nature. The very essence of our existence is shared through reo and storytelling. These last few years have been significant to me, engaging more with my Māori affiliation and fuelling my passion for contributing to Māori arts.

I studied for a Bachelor of Communications in Expressive Arts at Massey University Wellington. While at university, I enjoyed performing arts and exploring the transformative power of creative processes. In my final year, I was fortunate enough to travel to Bogota, Colombia, with seven other students and participate in a performing arts and language program. I also recently interned at BATS Theatre for three months through a university internship program. I thoroughly enjoyed working in collaborative and creative workplace.

I feel very honoured to have been offered this opportunity with the MAI programme. I look forward to seeing the behind-the-scenes process for the New Zealand International Film Festival and getting more insight into the film industry in Aotearoa. Te Whanganui-A-Tara offers a diverse range of creative paths and a creative pool for the film industry – looking forward to the mahi in the capital.