11 Whakaari

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%)