Community board funding takes centre stage

Event organisers are the big winners after nearly $10,000 was granted during the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board meeting earlier this month.

Four events across the district benefited from funding, with the biggest slice going to Hui Waiata Toi O Hokianga, which was granted $3000 towards a festival in Rāwene next weekend.

The event on Friday 1 March and Saturday 2 March aims to bring people of all ages together to showcase the Hokianga’s rich cultural tapestry through Toi Māori arts, music, raranga, wearable arts, and kura performances. Buskers will be out on the street, a range of market stalls will be set up, and a wearable arts fashion parade will be held in Rāwene’s town square on the first day. On the second day, a main stage will be set up at the end of the esplanade with a line-up of bands, duos, solo performers, and poets. The organisation hopes to make it an annual event for the Hokianga that will help both aspiring artists and the local economy.

Man Vs Wild was granted $2500 for an event at Te Whakarongotai Marae at Ōmāpere from 1-3 March, where men get together to build leadership skills and become better role models in their whānau and communities. Activities include diving for kaimoana, surfcasting, snorkelling and fishing. Participants from across the Far North are expected to attend.

The community board also granted $1600 towards a three-part wānanga series run by Toi Tangata over Easter (29 March to 1 April) at the Te Pīti Marae in Ōmanaia, where well-known chef Joe McLeod will be teaching kai Māori enthusiasts how to identify, gather, prepare, preserve, and cook local food using modern and traditional techniques.

A multisensory immersive theatre production called SparkLIVE was granted $2500 from the community board. The Glass Ceiling Arts Collective production is touring New Zealand, including performances at Memorial Hall, Kaikohe, on 26 March, and at South Hokianga Memorial Hall, Ōpononi, on 28 March. Find out more here.