Mäori language festival receives Te Waka Toi Boost

MEDIA RELEASE

To: Chief Reporter/Arts-Maori Affairs Reporters

Date: 8 November 2001
No of pages: 1

Mäori language festival receives Te Waka Toi Boost

The importance of Mäori language revitalisation was reinforced by Te Waka Toi, the Mäori arts board of Creative New Zealand, in its funding support for the annual Mäori language festival, the Te Ataarangi Festival of Arts 2001.

The event is being staged in Auckland during November 2001. It celebrates the success of learning te reo Mäori through the Te Ataarangi method, and embraces the future of te reo Mäori in all traditional and contemporary artforms.

Up to 1000 people at various levels of language proficiency are expected to converge on Hoani Waititi Marae for Te Ataarangi Festival of Arts 2001. Te Waka Toi Chair Elizabeth Ellis said it signalled a huge amount of enthusiasm for survival of the language into the future.

“Twenty years ago research predicted that the Mäori language would be dead by the year 2000,” she said. “Events like this prove that Mäori have not only the passion but also the initiative, skill and knowledge to ensure this taonga maintains a prominent presence in today’s world.”

In this funding round, Te Waka Toi offered a $30,000 grant towards the staging of the festival.

Te Waka Toi received 104 funding requests seeking more than $4 million for a range of projects. It offered grants to 42 projects totalling $563, 674.

Ends

Inquiries to Reuben Wharawhara, Communications Adviser:

Ph (04) 498 0727

NOTE: A comprehensive list of projects funded by Creative New Zealand can be found on its website at www.creativenz.govt.nz/funding/grants

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