1WHA
This course requires 2 options.

11 Whakaari

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Brendon Weatherley, Zoe Creek.

Theatre studies and Film Acting in a te ao Māori Context

This course is a performance-centred course taught through a Māori lens, using texts written by Māori writers, focusing on a Māori context, centring mātauranga Māori. The course enhances practical skills, such as working as a group to realise a common goal, while also promoting interpretative, reflective, and evaluative practice, resulting in improved literacy. This course supports the learning in Māori Performing Arts, Media Studies, Visual Arts, Music, and English.



Curriculum Level Six 

Understanding Drama in Context

(UC)

Developing Practical Knowledge in Drama

(PK)


Developing Ideas in Drama

(DI)

Communicating and Interpreting in Drama

(CI)

Demonstrate an awareness that drama serves a variety of purposes in their lives and in their communities.

Explore the elements of role, focus, action, tension, time, and space through dramatic play.

Contribute and develop ideas in drama, using personal experience and imagination.

Share drama through informal presentation and respond to ways in which drama tells stories and conveys ideas in their own and others’ work.


Course Overview

Term 1
In traditional Māori society, the whare tapere was a site for storytelling, dance, music and games. In a series of workshops, ākonga will read and consider a range of poems and short stories by Māori writers, and consider how story-telling is central to Whakaari. Interpretation of text will inform practical performance outcomes. Ākonga will submit their best two workshop outcomes for Assessment 1 (10%).

Term 2
The Māori renaissance saw a number of plays take the stage on Aotearoa's theatre landscape. Ākonga will workshop extracts from such plays/scripts written by Māori. In each workshop there will be a series of process, performative, and evaluative tasks that engage with the skills needed to bring the script to life, as well as developing a contextual understanding of each text. A holistic grade will be awarded for contribution to the workshop activities for Assessment 3 (20%).

Term 3
Hanga te Whare Tapere - Devising
Using pūrakau as source texts to explore mātauranga Māori, ākonga will consider the relevance of the kaupapa of these stories to today, and how they underpin contemporary Māori values. Ākonga will use these texts as a stimulus to devise a new piece, exploring how best to portray their message in dramatic form. Ākonga will enhance their devised performance through staging conventions such as lighting, properties, set pieces, costume, and/or make-up. Throughout the process ākonga will record a vlog detailing the creative process and decisions made. The devised live performance and vlog will contribute to Assessment 2 (20%).


Term 4
Using the work created throughout the year, ākonga will continue to refine two pieces for performance at a whānau evening in Aronui, with a focus on how Whakaari can enhance manaakitanga. Students will be assessed on their contribution to the performance evening, the rehearsal process, as well as their resolved final performance pieces. Assessment 4 (50%)


Prerequisites

None

Pathway

Assessment Information

Paper Description Type Weighting
Paper 11WHA1 Practical theatre workshop outcome Internal 10.00%
Paper 11WHA2 Devised theatre Internal 20.00%
Paper 11WHA3 Excerpts from three plays Internal 20.00%
Paper 11WHA4 Final performance Internal 50.00%