Musician Allana Goldsmith talks about her love of jazz and her song on Waiata Anthems. Video / supplied
A world-first festival touted as the te reo equivalent of the popular Welsh Eisteddfod in Europe could become a permanent fixture in the Hastings events calendar if it attracts the support predicted.
The Toitū Te Reo festival, which celebrates Māori language and culture, will be held atToitoi arts and events centre and on the streets of Hastings for the first time on August 8 and 9 this year.
Ngāti Kahungunu, Hastings District Council, and locally based language company Kauwaka, run by Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod, have spearheaded the event, which will feature song, dance, art, comedy and a special symposium for experienced and new te reo learners.
The symposium will include discussion panels of te reo experts, keynote speakers, spaces for fluent speakers to upskill and for people starting to learn.
Internationally respected language champion and Hawke’s Bay resident Sir Tīmoti Kāretu has long aspired for the district to host an event of this calibre.
He said Toitū Te Reo’s intent was to promote the status of the Māori language as an official language but also unite all New Zealanders in recognising and honouring it.
“It is an opportunity for everyone to come together, learn, and embrace the cultural heritage that defines us,” he said.
Hawke's Bay leaders have collaborated to put on a world-first te reo Māori festival in Hastings in August, which includes a special symposium held at Toitoi (pictured). Photo / Warren Buckland
Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber said he expects more than 5000 people to attend, and iwi across the country have confirmed that they will send delegations.
“Over the years, Ngāti Kahungunu has been a leader in revitalising te reo, and we’re doing our bit to unite Māori and other supporters behind our language,” he said.
“A kaupapa of this kind will be a first for Aotearoa and will demonstrate how te reo Māori is thriving in many of our communities. It will be a celebration of language and culture.”
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said that if the inaugural festival attracted the support predicted, Toitū Te Reo had the potential to be a regular fixture on the region’s event calendar.
“Toitū Te Reo will contribute to Te Mātau a Māui-Hawke’s Bay’s already rich event reputation and bring more visitors to our region, boosting our tourism economy,” she said.
“It’s a chance for all New Zealanders and all the vibrant cultures represented in Heretaunga to come together to live and breathe our national identity.”
Free events include wānanga, a rangatahi poetry slam, food stalls, information stalls, a kohanga reo space, a parent’s retreat, art trail, live demos, retail and street concerts.
Tickets for the Toitū Te Reo Te symposium are currently on sale via Eventfinda.
