Te Rākau Trust and the creation of ‘Undertow’
This event is part of the Pūkana exhibition — a celebration of moments in Māori performance.
Date: Monday, 18 November, 2019
Time: 12pm to 1pm
Cost: Free. You don't need to book.
Location: Programme rooms, Te Ahumairangi ground floor, National Library, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon
Our country’s colonisation history, from 1840 to today
‘Undertow’, which premiered on Māori TV on 31 October, is all about ordinary people going to extraordinary measures in their search for a place to call home. It is political theatre wrapped up in Kaupapa Māori — the story of our country’s colonisation history, from 1840 to today.
As Jim Moriarty says, it’s a chance to ‘move forward into the 21st century, get over our historical amnesia and understand our collective history.’
Undertow website — Step through the proscenium arch and journey through time itself with UNDERTOW - Te Rākau’s electric Theatre Marae experience.
Te Rākau Trust
Te Rākau Trust, creators of 'Undertow', describe themselves as a Kaupapa Maori organisation, guided by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Join Kaitohu / Performance Director — Jim Moriarty, Kaihautū / Producer — Aneta Pond and Kaituhi / Playwright — Helen Pearse-Otene in this lunchtime discussion about their journey to create a Theatre Marae experience.
About the speakers
Jim (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kahungungu, Rangitane, Scots, Norwegian, Italian) is the Performance Director of Undertow and Rangatira on the paepae auaha of producers, designers and creators.
Aneta (Ngāti Rangi, Te Ati Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine) is the Kaihautū/Producer of Te Rākau and has been working with the company since 2014, beginning with 'The Ragged'.
Helen (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri, Ngāti Ruanui) is the writer of The Undertow and a member of the paepae auaha. She is a Registered, Practicing Psychologist in the midst of pursuing her PHD.
Image: L to R: Jim Moriarty, Aneta Pond and Helen Pearse-Otene.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
-
31.9% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
-
68.1% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
-
46.4% I avoid spending money on coffee
-
44.1% I still indulge at my local cafe
-
9.5% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Loading…
