Nau mai, haere mai, ki te Whare Tapere

A House of Indigenous Storytelling

Whare Tapere were spaces on Pā sites, where Māori would come together to celebrate and use a range of artforms to share their stories. Artist-scholars such as Charles Royal and Nicola Hyland are bringing to light this history through their research and writing. Māori artists are embracing and enlivening the storied tradition of these houses in their practice.

A Space for Ngā Toi Māori

Te Whare Tapere is an arts house promoting and supporting Ngā Toi Māori and ringatoi Māori in Ōtautahi. The space supports a range of creative practices, including exhibitions, performance, movement, wānanga and kōrero. It exists as a living whare for Māori creative expression — a place where toi is practiced, stories are shared, and mātauranga is woven through relationships.

“Te Whare Tapere is a multidisciplinary, Indigenous house of storytelling. It should be a warm, safe space to practice kā toi Māori, facilitating the intergenerational transfer of mātauraka.” – Juanita Hepi

For Māori, by Māori

Jemma Mitchell (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Uenuku) – Kaiwhakahaere o Te Whare Tapere. Jemma is a multidisciplinary storyteller and ringatoi supporting Ngā Toi Māori through her role at Te Whare Tapere, contributing to a space in Ōtautahi where kōrero is shared and creative practice can flourish.

Honey Brown (Taranaki Iwi, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) – Kaimahi o Te Whare Tapere. Honey has called Ōtautahi home for almost a decade, after moving from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. They are a creative committed to building community and using manaakitanga to uplift and connect people.

Forthcoming events

Te Whare Tapere hosts a range of exhibitions, wānanga, performances and gatherings throughout the year.

Visit our Facebook Event Page for details of current and upcoming kaupapa.

Enquiries

Want to find out more? Have a kaupapa, project or idea you’d like to kōrero about?

We welcome conversations with artists, collectives and communities.

Email us at tewharetapere@artscentre.org.nz

Ngā mihi

With thanks to Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, Rātā Foundation, the NZ Lottery Grants Board, Christchurch City Council Discretionary Response Fund and everyone who contributed to our Arts Foundation BOOSTED crowdfunding campaign in 2021.

Image credit: Gallery images by Jemma Mitchell Photography, 2023.