Regional Kapa Haka In Broadcasting Agreement

Regional Kapa Haka In Broadcasting Agreement

Kapa Haka competitions in six regions throughout the North Island will soon be broadcast on national television in a ground-breaking agreement between Māori Television, six regional Kapa Haka trusts and Te Matatini Society.

The agreement allows for Māori Television to broadcast regional Kapa Haka competitions in Tai Tokerau, Tamaki Makaurau, Tainui, Mataatua, Te Arawa and Tairawhiti to the New Zealand public on television as well as online, further opening up Māori performance art to a worldwide audience. More than 20,000 per day from Aotearoa and overseas accessed the Māori Television website during the 2013 Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Championships to watch live or pre-recorded Kapa Haka performances.

Mataatua will also host officials from the famous Edinburgh Tattoo who are coming to New Zealand to watch performances in that rohe.

The Chairman of Te Matatini Society, Selwyn Parata, says this multi-party agreement signals a new era for regional Kapa Haka competitions and reflects the positive direction taken by Te Matatini in promoting Māori performing arts.

“Some of the country’s best Kapa Haka is performed at regional competitions. This provides for those performances to be seen nationally, which will be a confidence boost to the artists and help build up the level of competition that the public expect to see. Kapa Haka will become more accessible to a greater number of people,” Mr Parata said.

Mr Parata envisaged this collaborative relationship with Māori Television, the performing rohe and Te Matatini will be established throughout all Kapa Haka rohe if successful. “This agreement demonstrates there is good demand from the public to watch Māori performing arts on television and have access to it via the Internet.” He added that the regional agreement did not affect the broadcasting arrangements for Te Matatini 2015, which is to be held in Otautahi (Christchurch).

Mataatua Kapa Haka Incorporated Chairman, Te Kahautu Maxwell, said he is pleased that Mataatua has been able to participate actively in the agreement. “Mataatua performances will be the first to be filmed under this agreement. While we had initial concerns, we are confident that they have been addressed and thank Carol Hirschfield and Māori Television for their understanding. We look forward to hosting a successful festival and viewing the benefits of everyone’s hard work,” he said.

Te Matatini Society is the national organisation for Kapa Haka and Māori performing arts in Aotearoa and has responsibility for fostering, developing and protecting traditional Māori performing arts through providing funding and support each year for the local, provincial and national development of Kapa Haka.

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