Executive Director Leaves Te Matatini on Sound Footing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4 December 2015

Executive Director Leaves Te Matatini on Sound Footing

Te Matatini Kapa Haka Aotearoa looks forward to an exciting future based on an improved financial position and significant growth in Kapa Haka throughout the country.

The Chairman of Te Matatini, Selwyn Parata, said today that Executive Director Mr Darrin Apanui has announced he will move on from the organisation in early 2016 to look at opportunities overseas.

“Darrin has been steering Te Matatini for the past six years and, in that time, he has put the organisation in a much stronger financial position, built lasting relationships with funder partners and Government agencies, and overseen an increase in the number of Māori – and non-Māori – participating in Kapa Haka performance art,” Mr Parata said.

“Darrin leaves our organisation on a very sound footing and in a much better position that it was merely six years ago,” he said.

This year, the Te Matatini National Festival held in Otautahi / Christchurch was the most successful ever and saw a record number of teams participate. The Christchurch competition recorded large audiences at the venue, as well as huge numbers of people tuning in to watch the event on Māori Television and live streaming it from around the world on the internet.

Darrin has been responsible for Te Matatini’s presence and growth internationally, with our leading teams taking part in major events in USA, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Hawaii, United Kingdom, at events around the Pacific and for important gatherings for the New Zealand Government at its diplomatic missions. Te Matatini’s participation at the famous Edinburgh Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo has also seen our unique performance art well promoted, Mr Parata said.

Darrin has developed an excellent relationship with the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute in Rotorua and was instrumental in working with them in the creation of te Mahau, a 13 metre high, 30 tonne carving that has framed the stage at each National Festival since 2013. He has also worked with the University of Waikato to instigate a scholarship programme to develop the quality of judging kapa haka.

“The board of Te Matatini wish to thank Darrin for his service to Kapa Haka and wish him well in the future,” Mr Parata said.

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