Waikato-tainui Artist Theia Announced As New Mātairangi Mahi Toi: Artist In Residence At Massey University

Award-winning singer and songwriter Theia ((Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpa) has been announced as the next Mātairangi Mahi Toi – Artist In Residence at Massey University in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington).

Theia, who this year won the coveted Taite Prize for ‘Best Independent Album’ with her reo Māori project TE KAAHU, will be officially welcomed with a pōwhiri on to Te Rau Karamu Marae, Massey University Pukeahu campus on November 15.

The following night, on November 16, she will perform an intimate TE KAAHU show for students and staff from Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts. There are also a small number of tickets available for members of the public. Click here for more info.

The Mātairangi Mahi Toi Residency was created by Toi Rauwhārangi in partnership with the office of the Governor General to support the development of Māori and Pacific visual arts and creative practices. Previous recipients of the residency include Troy Kingi, Horomona Horo and Lindah Lepou.

Through the generosity of the office of the Governor General artists were able to live and work in a house in the grounds of Government House. This year the college has partnered with Te Whare Hera to be able to continue the residency and provide a Māori artist with a paid opportunity to reside in Wellington and take full advantage of the world class facilities and resources available to them at Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts.

Theia is an enigmatic artist who effortlessly straddles the two worlds of her riot-pop namesake and her award-winning reo rangatira project, TE KAAHU. Both projects reflect her artistry and demonstrate a sharp wit and poetic beauty set to different sonic landscapes. Where her Theia bangers challenge and confront social injustices; TE KAAHU explores themes of spirituality, whakapapa and the environment.

Her catalogue in reo Pākehā has drawn a loyal fan base across the globe, receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Pigeons & Planes, Rolling Stone, Clash and Billboard Magazine. Her songs have earned her a multitude of nominations at the New Zealand Music Awards, the Waiata Māori Music Awards, the George FM Awards, as well as commercial radio play in NZ, Australia, and Asia, alongside local chart success.

TE KAAHU has also seen local and international success. Alongside being awarded the Taite Prize for Best Independent Debut, in the last 18 months TE KAAHU has been a finalist in the Rolling Stone NZ Awards, the AMAs, the APRA Maioha Award, the Waiata Māori Music Awards, and the Student Radio Network Awards. Theia has also toured TE KAAHU in Canada, performing at the iconic Calgary Folk Music Festival and Folk on the Rocks in Yellowknife.

Theia is excited to take up the residency and is looking forward to completing her debut Theia album and writing new waiata for TE KAAHU during the residency. “I’m honoured to join in the legacy of Mātairangi Mahi Toi for 2023/24 as both a proud young Waikato woman and a passionate composer and performer.”

News of the residency comes on the back of the critically acclaimed GIRL IN A SAVAGE WORLD Tour, which brought Theia and TE KAAHU together for the first time on the same stage. Although now officially over, Theia has just announced that she will present one final show for Auckland friends and fans, with an intimate performance at Freida Margolis in Grey Lynn on December 3. Only a few tickets remain for this show. Click here.

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