29 November 2018

On December 5, Te Anga Pāua o Āotearoa will host the inaugural National Kapa Haka Festival 2018 for people with intellectual disabilities.

Fifteen teams from around the country will perform in Hamilton, showcasing the immense talents of those supported by IDEA Services.

For many, being involved in kapa haka creates a sense of identity, and a connection to their whānau, hapū, iwi and marae. Outside of the cultural benefits, kapa haka improves motor skills through actions and choreography as well as mathematics through counting and following beats.

The festival will give both performers and tutors an opportunity to increase their knowledge of being Māori through the medium of performing arts.

The songs tell some hard truths – of feeling excluded, being invisible or experiencing discrimination. But kapa haka has transformed these experiences. Performing has built confidence and connections with people, and group members show instead their joy and pride.

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