Kahurangi Theatre in Education Programme New Zealand
Te Whakangāhau o Aotearoa
Te Whakangāhau o Aotearoa – the Kahurangi National Theatre in education programme is the core programme offered by Kahurangi NZ Māori dance company.
This programme has been an integral component of preserving, maintaining and promoting Mātauranga Māori through Māori song and dance in New Zealand schools since 1984.
The Theatre in education programmes are 30 – 45- minute performances that showcase Māori tribal pūrakau — myths and legends through Māori song and dance. It provides the platform for cultural understanding and awareness for its audiences in a non-invasive and entertaining manner. This is why, Kahurangi has been successful in maintaining a strong theatre in education programme in NZ Schools. The Theatre in education programme directly aligns to the NZ School curriculum and teaches have seen the value in having Kahurangi perform its theatre in education programmes in their schools as it provides an alternate delivery mode for schools to meet core curriculum subjects that’s educating and entertaining for their students.
In 2019, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden announced that, “New Zealand history will be taught in all schools and kura by 2022, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today”. (Beehive, 2019).
“From 2023, Te Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories will be part of all kura and schools’ marau -kura and local curriculum. The final content has been released in March 2022 to give kura and schools time to plan for implementation of the new curriculum content from term 1 2023.
Now that the final content has been released, schools and kura will be taking some time to become familiar with the final content. This year there will be opportunities for whānau and communities to contribute to the development of their school or kura local curriculum | marau-ā-kura, to include local critical histories”. (Ministry of Education, 2022).
Kahurangi has a strong position in this market and will continue to deliver the National Theatre in Education programme in New Zealand schools in 2023 onwards, as this programme directly aligns and supports the implementation of Aotearoa NZ’s histories into the NZ curriculum which is required to be taught in NZ schools from 2023 onwards.