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Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Film offers look ‘behind the scenes'
This year's International Film Festival gives New Zealanders the rare opportunity to see behind the scenes at a gallery as it curates a ground-breaking exhibition, in this case Auckland Art Gallery's "Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art". Rebecca Fox talks to TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty 's director, Oscar nominated producer, award-winning film-maker and art lover Chelsea Winstanley. More than 100 artists, 300 art works, 10 installations — it sounds huge. For art lover and movie producer Chelsea Wistanley, the concept of Auckland Art Gallery's "Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art", to create the largest Māori art exhibition in New Zealand's history, authored by Māori voices, sounded fascinating. "I like to find stories about people that are doing all the good things behind the scenes." Living in Los Angeles at the time the exhibition was being developed by gallery's curator, Māori Art, Nigel Borell (Pirirākau, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea), Wistanley's marriage to Taika Waititi had broken down, Covid had hit America, Black Lives Matter was going on. "LA was kind of crazy. And it was almost like a great catalyst, actually. So I was like, I'm coming home. I'm going to sink my teeth into this." Personally she needed to come back to New Zealand, but it also seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to go back to her love for writing and directing. While she is known for producing — as a producer on Waititi's Academy nominated feature Jojo Rabbit , Wistanley became the first indigenous female Oscar nominee for Best Picture and her critically-acclaimed documentary feature, Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen played at the 2019 Sundance and Berlin film festivals — it is not something she ever wanted to do. "I just fell into that role and you just keep doing one thing after another and someone tells you, you're pretty good at it or they keep offering you work in that space." Along the way Wistanley (Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi Te Rangi, Pākehā) forgot about her youthful self's wish to be a director. She had started out directing a television art show where she met artists such as Fred Graham, Tama Iti and met Waititi for the first time. "I really believe in timing. And it was the perfect time for me to come home, sink myself into something that was really right. You know, on the kaupapa that I love, art." Working alongside Borell and the gallery's team, Wistanley threw herself into the project deciding to self-fund the documentary to avoid any unnecessary restrictions. "So what little resource I had, me and my producer, we were just like, right, we're going to do this. We'll scrimp and scrape. We'll pull favours. And, you know, half the time I'm getting the camera out myself and I'm not a camera operator. But there's just times you're like, oh, my God, I've got to capture that." She had been told the exhibition was going to be the equivalent to the landmark 1980s "Te Māori" exhibition that toured the United States and then New Zealand's main centres, including Dunedin. "It's got this really neat synergy, I suppose, because "Te Māori" really awakened Māori people to what their culture and a traditional culture that they had. And then when it finished its amazing world conclusion, it actually finished at the Auckland Art Gallery. "And that was another thing that I thought, from an international perspective, was really interesting, too. Like it had all these parallels. So I was like, that's going to be fantastic." But things took a different direction as tensions emerged between Borell and the gallery's director about the imbalance of power in curating. Borrell's vision was that Māori artists should be seen on their own terms, free from colonial frameworks and he pushed to centre Māori voices and stories. He eventually decided to resign just before the show opened. "Alliedship, support and advocacy for indigenous and for Māori in this space is awesome but at the same time it often gets mixed up in authoring the ideas and wanting to have space in that and it is not up for grabs, it is ours to lead and to own. If it is not I don't want to be part of that conversation," Borrell says in the film. "If we can't shape it with this exhibition project which we have waited 20 years to do, when can we?" Like any film-maker, Wistanley had to adapt and follow the story although this was not easy at times. "I'm merely just to be there to capture and respond as an artist myself, as a storyteller. Because people talk about a story being made three times, from the paper, then while you're shooting, and then again in the edit suite. When you get to that third part, you've got to now pull all the pieces together. And whatever you thought might have been the actual story is not any more." She did not want that dispute to overshadow the film though. "I think the overall outcome of the film is, what I really want anyway is, there's nothing to be afraid of, of sharing power. Even if power is the right word. It's just living in harmony together and in true partnership. "Everyone in the gallery, Māori, Pākehā, it doesn't matter who they were, everyone was so invested in the success of that show. Because they're all working there because they love art. So they just want the best thing for the show and for the public to experience." So she also concentrated on was showing the work that went on behind the scenes. Wistanley, whose home's walls are covered in art, got to meet and watch work some of the country's top contemporary Māori artists. "I've always loved art and photography. And it's always kind of been my, I suppose, passion. But this time around, being able to spend time with and see the likes of Shane Cotton or Emily Karaka and their spaces of work. That was the great thing I wanted to show." Selecting those to follow on their journey for the documentary was difficult but working closely with Borrell and the team, she selected a variety of artists doing different projects who also had strong stories. "The artists were so generous." Getting to see the work of the Mataaho Collective (Erena Baker, Sarah Hudson, Bridget Reweti and Terri Te Tau) as it was being made in collaboration with Maureen Lander was special, especially as afterwards the collective went on to win the Golden Lion Award at the Vience Biennale, one of art's highest accolades . The documentary follows their journey at Venice. "My gosh, that was just, like, ultimate, you know. But they're amazing. They're just wonderful." These experiences gave her a new appreciation for artists. "Artists are just the most incredible people. They truly are." Being able to watch and film Ngahina Hohia installing her Paopao Ki tua o Rangi (2009) mixed-media installation using poi, light and sound, drawing on her own whakapapa and the story of Parihaka, over a few days was "mind blowing". It is a piece that has been shown around the world. "It's so beautiful. Again as a viewer you go in and you don't know how many days she spent putting it all together." Then she got to be in Australia when Reuben Paterson saw the glass waka he had designed in real life for the first time. Due to Covid he had supervised its construction via the internet. "It was great to capture him there. I would have been freaking out if that was my piece and it's so incredible when you see it going." But it also gave her a new appreciation for what galleries and their staff do to make exhibitions come to life for the public from driving across the country to pick up valuable and fragile works to conserving pieces so they can can continue to be seen for years to come. "I didn't realise how many people even worked at the gallery, or what all their roles were. Everyone from the registration team, were just such lovely people who take such incredible care, meticulous care. There is just so much that goes on behind the scenes." Sad that the show came down in 2021 six months after opening and that it did not go on to travel internationally, Wistanley took time to decide whether or not to finish the documentary. "I really just didn't want to put out a piece that, oh, the show opened. And yet again, it smashed all the records for visitors and things like that. It did all those things. But it didn't do some other really fundamental things, which sat with me for some time." Two years ago she began working on the piece again, trawling through the hundreds of hours of material to piece together the final story. "I think for them, it's a great archive. I just really wanted to kind of celebrate really what goes on. And it probably turned into something slightly different in the end." TO SEE TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty , Rialto Cinema, Dunedin, August 24, 3.45pm. Q and A by director Chelsea Winstanley.
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Award-Winning Musician MOHI Shares Raw New Single I Need U, Out Today
Press Release – The Public Good Through his signature blend of R&B, soul, and lyrical honesty, MOHI creates a space where pain is met with compassion. I NEED U is a sonic confession – both a reckoning and a release – delivered with rawness, groove, and melodic grace. Following the success of his breakout EP The Flowers That Grow, award-winning genre-bending artist MOHI (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) returns with his most vulnerable work yet – I NEED U, a soulful and haunting reflection on addiction, grief, and healing. The track and music video are out today on all major streaming platforms. Marking a shift in tone and subject matter, I NEED U explores MOHI's personal relationship with alcohol and drugs during one of the most difficult times in his life. Drawn from the depths of pain, the song captures the emotional weight of unresolved trauma and the search for escape when the world becomes too hard to face. Through his signature blend of R&B, soul, and lyrical honesty, MOHI creates a space where pain is met with compassion. I NEED U is a sonic confession – both a reckoning and a release – delivered with rawness, groove, and melodic grace. The track continues MOHI's year-long musical journey, The Flowers That Grow From Concrete Pavements, which began with the heartfelt Flowers in Hendo and nostalgic Just Kids. While those tracks celebrated whānau, community, and childhood, I NEED U delves inward, offering listeners an unfiltered glimpse into the artist's darker moments – and the growth that follows. I NEED U is part of the forthcoming Side B of MOHI's ongoing project, due later in 2025. Director / Producer: Luke Penney Director of Photography: Luke Stockman Art Director: Jordan jtl Tarpett-Lee Art Assistant: Tarquin Slater Art Assistant: Alice Bratley Gaffer: Julian Wagner Lighting Assistant: Benjamin Annabelle 1st AC: Joey Leu 2nd AC: Kirill Griffen Colourist: Devan Narsai Stylist: Gee Pikinga Stylist: Chontaine Thompson-Pirake BTS: / jakodvisuals Camera Package: Gear Room NZ Made with the support of NZ On Air I NEED U Single Credits: Written by: MOHI Produced by: Mixed by: BHaru Mastered by: KOG Studios Backing Vocalists: HOPE Distribution: PRECISE ABOUT MOHI Hailing from the urban streets of Henderson, West Auckland, award-winning Indigenous artist MOHI is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. His music weaves Te Reo Māori and traditional Māori storytelling with English lyrics and urban influences, creating a unique and visionary sound. With whakapapa connecting to Te Tai Tokerau, Tauranga Moana, and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, MOHI's journey is deeply rooted in his Māori heritage. Since launching his solo career in 2020, MOHI has grown to become a household name. With a string of chart-topping hit singles under his belt, MOHI's music has struck a chord with listeners from all walks of life across the globe. His latest project 'The Flowers That Grow From Concrete Pavements' has already seen two singles topping the NZ Music Singles Charts 2024. Last year, MOHI won the Best Te Reo Māori Album and Best Male Artist at the Māori Music Awards 2024. MOHI was also nominated for the 'Best Māori Artist' and the 'Mana Reo' awards at this year's Aotearoa Music Awards 2024 and clinched the coveted APRA MAIOHA AWARD for his waiata 'Me Pēhea Rā.' In May 2025, MOHI took the first showing of his latest project 'The Flowers That Grow From Concrete Pavements' to FOCUS International Showcase Festival in Wales and in June of the same he performed his latest single Starry Skies as part of Matariki Mā Puanga, Aotearoa's official Matariki broadcast.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Arts Sustainability Fund Recipients Announced
Kāpiti Coast District Council has approved funding for two new initiatives through the latest round of the Arts Sustainability Fund. The 2025/26 successful projects are Maven Theatre Company, a new professional theatre company that will premiere local and national drama productions, and Ngai-kore-tua-mao, an exciting environmentally-based performance and community arts programme by Louie Zalk-Neale (Ngāi Te Rangi). The Arts Sustainability Fund provides multiyear funding to help establish aspirational new projects that have the potential to grow into a major arts activity in Kāpiti Coast District. Group Manager Customer and Community, Brendan Owens says the fund is designed to help local practitioners achieve ambitious arts projects that have the potential to become self-supporting over the next two or three years. 'With an impressive theatrical programme that will enhance opportunities for local talent and technicians, and a truly exceptional arts programme that combines creativity, cultural expression of our tangata whenua and diversity, active care for the environment and community participation in the arts, we think this year's successful projects will be very well received. 'These projects have tremendous potential to create art events that will raise our arts profile, and become a drawcard for audiences across the region and beyond. 'Council is proud to be supporting incredible initiatives that will enrich our arts sector and boost Kāpiti Coast's cultural economy,' Mr Owens says. For more information on available funding, visit _________ The 2025/26 Arts Sustainability Fund grant recipients: Maven Theatre Company aims to enhance local theatre through staging quality productions in our state-of-the-art venue at Te Raukura ki Kāpiti. The new theatre company, founded by Jessica Clough and Sera Devcich, will provide a platform for local artists, actors and technicians to showcase their skills. Ngai-kore-tua-mao is a community-enriching arts programme by celebrated visual artist Louie Zalk- Neale (Ngāi Te Rangi). The programme will present powerful art experiences strongly integrated with te taiaio (the environment) and engage audiences in a rich cultural/ecological programme of events to raise the profile of the lesser-known fibre and cultural practices of mahi tī kōuka (the art of weaving with cabbage tree leaves). Last year's Arts Sustainability Fund recipient Writers' Practice will launch Bookmark Kāpiti an inaugural two-day literary festival across Kapiti Coast venues on 9–10 August.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Meth and mental illness: What Tauranga social workers see on the frontline
Stanley said drug, alcohol and mental health services were hamstrung by a lack of funding, lack of qualified staff and an avalanche of people seeking help. 'A lot of particularly Māori and non-government organisations are hitting the wall and until you solve all of those reasons in its entirety, it's just going to get worse.' The Government has set a workforce target of training 500 mental health and addiction professionals annually. Te Whatu Ora Health NZ told NZME it recognised there were inconsistencies in services in Tauranga, and it was working to strengthen the 'connected continuum of care'. 'Chasing our tails' Ngāi Te Rangi Oranga Whānau social worker Violet Davidson said many of her mental health clients required significant help and wraparound services. In her 24 years of experience, the issues had escalated and secondary health care services were 'backlogged'. Depression, anxiety, stress and suicide were rampant in the community, driven by poverty, trauma, intergenerational and social factors. 'These are very challenging times and some of those who are presenting need more in-depth or specialised treatment. They have severe problems. 'We're trying to provide interventions or preventions but at times it feels like we are chasing our tails and have missed the boat.' For example, some referrals for specialised treatment were declined, with people 'pushed back to their GP'. She often worked with entire families to address dysfunction stemming from multiple issues. Ngāi Te Rangi Oranga Whānau supervisor and social worker Glenn Shee said there were fewer addiction services available despite more people needing help. 'It is getting worse.' He said Ngāi Te Rangi would not turn anyone away and it was taking referrals from organisations it had not traditionally worked with. To him, the future looked bleak for those trapped in addiction. Shee was also concerned about social workers burning out as workloads increased. Study and employment criteria could work against people with criminal records who wanted to qualify as social workers. The former drug addict, who had been clean for more than 15 years, said those with life experiences similar to their clients often found it easier to break down barriers – and were living proof of life beyond addiction. Recent Social Workers Registration Board workforce reports showed more social workers were leaving the profession than entering, student numbers were the lowest since 2013, and hundreds of social workers planned to retire or leave due to high workload or burnout in the next few years. 'Battle' to get people support Ngāi Te Rangi social worker Patrick Mitchell, 65, is retiring after 23 years in the industry. He found his niche in mental health but said the 'battle to get support for those people is real and proving more difficult'. In his view, the move away from residential care had overwhelmed community mental health services. 'I think they [mental health services] are looking for behavioural problems, not mental health, so they can say 'those people don't belong here'.' Mitchell said dealing with whānau with mental health issues was 'stressful and confronting', and more training and support was needed to help workers feel confident and comfortable. Five years ago, Ngāi Te Rangi Oranga Whānau kaimahi (worker) Aaron de Ridder was in jail. The recidivist offender said his final rock bottom came when his mother and greatest supporter died when he was behind bars. 'I made a conscious decision then because I couldn't be there for my mum, my family and my kids.' Before prison, de Ridder was addicted to methamphetamine and any drugs he could get his hands on. His tribe was drug dealers, prostitutes, gang members and criminals. Following his release, he lived at Tauranga transitional facility Takitimu House and completed an array of programmes before working with people with addictions. Methamphetamine was easier to get than cannabis, de Ridder said. 'It's so cheap and readily available, which is crazy. When I started meth, it was a fulltime job to stay high because it was so expensive. Drug use in Tauranga has been 'bad for years', he said, and those using meth came from all walks of life including professionals like lawyers and business executives. In his opinion, the city needed its own residential drug rehabilitation centre. 'It's absolutely stupid when we have one of the biggest capita of drug use in the country.' Now de Ridder is on the Takitimu House board of trustees and is a member of the Kainga Tupu Taskforce, addressing homelessness in the Western Bay of Plenty. He is also studying to become an alcohol and other drugs clinician. 'I feel proud to give back to the community I took from for so many years and to support those people who are going through similar struggles.' Te Whatu Ora Health NZ responds Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty group director of operations, Pauline McGrath, acknowledged access to support, especially for addiction services, had been inconsistent in the region. 'We are working to design and strengthen a more connected continuum of care—from primary and community services through to supports for people with high and complex needs." A new approach to regional planning aiming to ensure services were 'tailored to community needs' would begin in the Bay of Plenty region soon. A recent stocktake of mental health and addiction services found 43 contracted providers in Bay of Plenty and 136 across the Te Manawa Taki (Central North Island) health region. The goal of this was to give Health NZ more visibility of service locations and gaps, and how to improve local access, especially to short and medium-term residential care. 'These insights will help inform how we better connect hospital specialist services, iwi, providers, and communities to improve access and outcomes in Tauranga and across the region.' Residential treatment was available at Rotorua's Te Whare Oranga Ngakau 'through direct engagement with Ngai Te Rangi' for Tauranga residents. The workforce issues were a 'critical focus' - getting people with the right skills where they were needed. Mental health service providers had access to workforce development and post-graduate training in mental health and addiction. There were also free online training resources that any social service provider could access through workforce centres. - Additional reporting Samantha Motion
Scoop
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Ngā Tohu Toi 2025 Recipients Announced – Join Us To Celebrate Māori Excellence In The Arts
Tauranga, Aotearoa – Ngā Tohu Toi is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of its prestigious awards celebrating excellence and leadership in ngā Toi Māori (Māori arts). These awards honour artists, knowledge holders, and innovators whose mahi enriches our communities and strengthens the future of Māori creative expression. This year's recipients will join a distinguished cohort of past award winners, including Ria Hall, Stan Walker, Mabel Wharekawa-Burt, Darcy Nicholas, Joanna Paul, Whirimako Black, Joe Harawira and others. This year, we celebrate the following outstanding recipients: Wi Taepa (Ngāi te Rangi, Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue) Tuakoi Ohia (Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Āti Awa, Te Arawa, Tainui) Justine Murray (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui Ngai Tamarāwaho, Ngai Tukairangi, Ngāti Tapu, Ngāti Kahu) Regan Balzer (Ngāti Ranginui,Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Raukawa, Te Arawa, Apakura) Peter Harawira (Ngāti Awa, Ngai Te Rangi) Sarah Tangitu ( Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Pirirakau, Ngā Tamawhariua) Mauria (Tracey) Ngatoko Rahipere (Ngai te Rangi, Ngati Ranginui) Chloe Reweti (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāi te Ahi) Te Karehana Toi aka TEEKS (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) Julie Paama-Pengelly (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tūwhiwhia, Ngāi Tauaiti and Ngāti Tapu) Whare Thompson (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngā Puhi) Ngā Tohu Toi invites everyone to join us in honouring these incredible individuals at our 2025 Awards Celebration: Thursday 19th June 2025 The Cargo Shed, Tauranga Moana From 5:00pm onwards Enjoy a powerful evening of celebration, live performance, storytelling, and the collective recognition of Māori creative excellence. Tickets are available now at: Tables of six are also available to purchase for you and your roopu. This is a night not to be missed — a moment to stand in support of our artists and the cultural legacy they continue to shape for generations to come.
