Aronui Indigenous Arts Festival returns to Rotorua

Ngahiriwa Rauhina will perform Back to Square One at the 2022 Aronui Indigenous Arts Festival. Photo / Janelle Masters Creative

Indigenous Arts Festival, Aronui, is returning to Rotorua in the new year, promising a lineup of world-class Māori artists.

The festival was postponed in September this year due to the Covid-19 Delta lockdown and the revised programme will run for 15 days from February 18 to March 4.

The new festival dates act as a stepping stone to the festival's full return at the end of next year.

The festival will feature a range of art forms, including live theatre, writers talks, live music and the Aronui Māori Market, set on the banks of Te Tākinga Marae, Mourea.

The portrait of Merata Mita by artist Mr G was commissioned in October as part of the ongoing presence of the festival.

Aronui Indigenous Arts Festival founding director and Te Arawa descendant Cian Elyse White said she was excited by the festival's return.

"The team are amped to be delivering a humble arts feast to the community once again, after what has been a challenging six months.

"The placement of the revised programme has been strategic, and has been designed to activate Rotorua in the lead-up to the Six60 show on March 5 at the Rotorua International Stadium."

Among the many highlights of the festival will be Hardcase Hori Housie, the Aronui Māori market in collaboration with Ngāti Te Tākinga (Mourea) and Ngā Kākano o Aronui - The new works project.

The latter will share snippets of brand new musical theatre shows from Rotorua's own Bobby Mihi Howard and Howie Morrison Junior.

One of the first scheduled events is Hardcase Hori Housie, a two-hour interactive cabaret-style production hosted by seasoned entertainer Rutene Spooner, and supported by 'homebrew house band' -The Doughboys.

The festival is organised by the Aronui Arts Festival Charitable Trust, helmed by descendants of Te Arawa with great support from local stakeholders.

Trust chairwoman Mercia-Dawn Yates said Aronui would be "exactly what the community needs" coming out of the festive season.

"It will be a celebration of the arts that will uplift the spirit of our people, especially after the events of the past two years. Nau mai te hua o te ao toi!," Yates said.

The Aronui Māori market, delivered in partnership with Te Tākinga Marae, would set the tone at the start of the festival.

It will bring people together for kai, arts, crafts, kids activities, live music and a showing of Whare Kōrero – Stories Within Stories which is also scheduled to be performed at the New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington.

For tickets and the official 2022 Aronui programme, visit www.aronuiartsfestival.com.