Come on Baby Light My Whaiao!

Remember those times you entered a theatre space carrying the weight of the day in with your wine glass, the lights went down and before a dancer moved or an actor spoke you were transported to a new world by the lighting and design. As we build our brand new theatre space in Shed 1 at Corban Estate Arts Centre we are asking for your support to help us fit out the theatre with the lighting equipment needed to create new worlds at Te Pou Theatre.

COME ON BABY... LIGHT MY WHAIAO! 

“What do you mean by this lil bit of ridiculousness?” You ask, “Can you even spell fire?” “Do you want fire in your new whare?” To this we answer “kao”, “āe” and “let us tell you all about it”.

Te Whaiao is a phase of the worlds creation after the formative period of darkness (Te Pō) and before the fully realised created world (Te Ao Marama). Te Whaiao is the glimmer of light before the dawn. The development of new Te Pou Theatre is modelled on these phases of creation. 

Through this boosted campaign we can reach Te Whaiao, lighting our theatre and opening our doors so that our first play can be staged early next year.  

Who are we?

Ko wai mātou?

Te Pou is our country’s leading Māori home for theatre. Previously based in New Lynn since 2015, Te Pou is a whare for all Aotearoa where professional performing arts are created, scripts are developed, actors are enabled, technicians are taught and producers are grown through an annual series of programmes aimed at enhancing and supporting the sector. Te Pou Theatre is a charitable trust helmed by Dr Charles Royal, led by Amber Curreen, Amanda Rees and Tainui Tukiwaho and supported by a whole whānau of theatre makers and community who call Te Pou a welcoming home for the arts for all. 

You can see more of what we do at Te Pou by checking out our Kōanga Festival 2020.

What do we need?

We have PLENTY of opportunities to support Te Pou. We currently have the budget realised for 60% of this Te Pō phase, stage one of the build, and are busy fundraising to get us to 100%. We plan to open the theatre in early 2021 as we continue to raise funds for stage two of the build which will take us to Te Ao Marama.

In this boosted campaign we are asking for any support you can give to help us get the whare opened, moving from the darkness to the light with lighting equipment for the theatre to make magic new performing arts worlds at Te Pou Theatre. 

So, COME ON BABY... LIGHT MY WHAIAO!