Caption: Taiohi by Fin DAC. More artworks representing wāhine will be commissioned in Tauranga from July. Photo credit: Tourism Bay of Plenty.

Wāhine artists and athletes score major funding goal in the countdown to kick-off.

Tauranga City Council has been granted $240,000 from the Department of Internal Affairs’ Hine te Hiringa fund to celebrate and empower women alongside the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.

The city was eligible to apply to the fund as a Team Base Camp hosting the Netherlands women’s football team this July and August.

Centred around Tauranga Tiahuia (women of prestige and talent), three initiatives will be launched – a street art project, an out-of-the-box mentoring programme and a Coaches Symposium for coaches of women’s sport.

“Tauranga has a rich history of powerful wāhine,” says Nelita Byrne Tauranga City Council’s Venues and Events Manager.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate these icons, while also empowering our future māreikura (superwomen) through this programme.”

Tauranga Tiahuia Street Art Project
Wander the streets of Tauranga and you’ll discover works by street artists like Owen Dippie, Mr G, Jacob Yikes, Lucy McLauchlan, Fintan Magee, Fin DAC and more.

Now wāhine artists will take over more of the city’s walls, with five new works being commissioned through the Hine te Hiringa fund.

“This project will platform some amazing local female artists, creating space for them to tell the stories of inspiring wāhine,” says James Wilson, Tauranga City Council’s Arts and Culture Manager.

“There is a perception that street art can be a bit of a ‘boys’ club’. The Tauranga Tiahuia commissions can blow that myth out of the water while adding some new stories to our growing collection of public art in the city”

Once completed, Tauranga City Council will run an engagement programme around the artworks, which will be pushed out to the local community

The locations of the murals and artists are yet to be decided but they will feature on the city’s refreshed public artwork app – City Art Walk.

Out-of-the-box mentorship programme
The second initiative is a mentorship programme to empower young up-and-coming athletes and creatives.

The programme has been named ‘Out-of-the-box’ for a reason, with high-performance athletes mentoring young creatives, and master creatives mentoring young athletes.

“We plan to flip stereotypes with this mentorship programme,” says Nelita Byrne.

“A performer could learn resilience or mental focus from a sports coach, while a footballer could be inspired to bring more flair to their game.

“The programme will explore what high performance and leadership looks like across sports, arts and self-development, while expanding the participant’s world view.”

One-on-one sessions, personal development plans, and the opportunity to build a diverse network will feature as part of the programme.

The programmes will take place from July 2023, alongside the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand which will see a month of activities and celebrations across the country.

Coaches Symposium
The third initiative aims to lift Women’s sport in the region by educating coaches of female teams and athletes on the very latest information on nutrition, team culture, menstruation and strength.

The programmes will take place from July 2023, alongside the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand which will see a month of activities and celebrations across the country.

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