Archive for the ‘National identity’ Category

Once a year, twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Māori New Year. This year, June 5 saw the rise of Pleiades and Matariki celebrations begin around the country.

Matariki is a time of celebration and reflection that everyone can take part in. Let NZLive.com introduce you to heaps of Matariki events where you can join in the spirit of the season.

There many ways to celebrate - from dawn services, drama and cook-offs to kapa haka, tours and tattooing. Matariki festivals, exhibitions and concerts abound.

Check out Te Ara - The encyclopedia of New Zealand to find out about the legends, significance to traditional harvests and the modern revival of Matariki. And if you want to know how to find Matariki, take a look at this great Beginners’ Guide to Matariki on the Signposts blog.

If you want to know more about the astronomy of Matariki, Te Papa, Waitangi Treaty Grounds and the Stardome Observatory are all running informative sessions. You’ll find some great things to do in the classroom on www.NZHistory.net.nz.

New Zealand Music Month is about showcasing Kiwi tunes and celebrating home-grown talent on our airwaves and stages. Each May, Music Month highlights and promotes local music and since it began in 2001, sales of New Zealand music have more than doubled and airtime for New Zealand music on commercial radio stations has also doubled.

This month www.nzhistory.net.nz harks back to Aotearoa’s musical roots with 31 reasons to love New Zealand music.

Whether we’re punching above our weight, cutting down tall poppies or mumbling the words to ‘God Defend New Zealand’, stories such as those of Kiwi Rock Royalty Split Enz or our 61-year-old New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are a musical history to be proud of.

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Play nicely with others! It seems that everywhere I go experts are talking about the benefits of collaboration, sharing and smart partnerships. I’ve recently attended two excellent and very different events: Webstock and an arts marketing workshop with international cultural facilitator Jerry Yoshitomi. However, a key message from both events was the value and importance of collaboration to help build your business or your audience.

One of the most recent examples of a successful collaboration in the cultural and tourism communities is the development of the Manaaki Card. The card is a discount card for tourists that includes a variety of Māori cultural activities, accommodation, arts and other wonderful tourism experiences.

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From The Arts Foundation

Barry Barclay, one of New Zealand’s pioneer film-makers died at his home in Northland in the early hours of this morning. He was 63.

Barry produced some of New Zealand’s most important films. His documentary and dramatic films are national treasures as artistic works and his work often explored Māoridom in an intelligent, respectful and genuine manner.

In recognition of his prolific contribution to our national cinema, Barry was honoured as an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2004.

Ros Burdon, Arts Foundation of New Zealand Chairman said that “the Arts Foundation is proud that it was able to honour Barry in 2004. Barry was a highly loved and respected friend of the Foundation. He generously shared his knowledge of film and issues relating to aspects of documentary-making and the involvement of Māori in the film industry with management and with audiences at several Forsyth Barr Laureates On-Stage events”.

Fellow filmmaker, friend and 2001 Laureate Gaylene Preston said “Barry Barclay was a true pioneer film-maker. He established many important networks for encouraging Māori film-making. Māori stories by Māori, for Māori. He was a true visionary. He made films about his community and their concerns and he encouraged his community to make their own films. Apart from groundbreaking work, such as Tangata Whenua, and The Kaipara Affair, his classic film Ngati is one of the greatly loved films of New Zealand cinema. He will be greatly missed”.

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Māori Television has launched a short film competition to encourage all New Zealanders to re-tell their own ANZAC stories on film and have them screened as part of the channel’s all-day broadcast on ANZAC Day - Friday April 25, 2008.

The ANZAC Short Film Competition is a chance to tell an ANZAC story. The competition is open to people of all ages, backgrounds and points of view.

Filmmaker Ainsley Gardiner – host of the short film competition along with Tearepa Kahi – says the first-hand recollections and stories of those who have experienced the events commemorated on ANZAC Day are a taonga that will eventually be lost if they are not recorded in some way.

The competition has been established to ensure that the experiences and memories of those veterans and whānau are preserved for future generations and also aims to foster creativity, collaboration and excellence in visual storytelling through short film.

“Kiwis, young and old, are encouraged to find the unique personal war stories of their family members or communities – from the trenches, in the air, at sea, at home, after the war or beyond – and use today’s technology to bring them to light,” explains Tearepa.

“The emphasis is on giving it a go, grabbing some mates or whānau, picking up a camera and putting your take on ANZAC Day into a short film of five minutes or less.”

Entry forms and full details are available from Māori Television’s website or email anzacday@maoritelevision.com for further information.