Tart Up Your Tartan And Polish Your Sporran

8 August 2007

Tart Up Your Tartan And Polish Your Sporran - Te Papa Opens The Scots In New Zealand Exhibition On 18 August

The Scots in New Zealand, an exhibition celebrating the contributions the Scots and their descendants have made to New Zealand, opens on Saturday 18 August in Te Papa’s Community Gallery on Level 4.

A rich diversity of fascinating stories is told through objects, photographs, audio-visual films and interactives. The Scots are one of New Zealand’s major immigrant groups, whose legacy is indelibly imprinted on New Zealand life.

Ever been on a wee trip through the Caitlins or out to Ardmore? Have you cooked up some tatties for the lads lately? Language is just one of the many ways Scots have subtly and pervasively influenced New Zealand culture and society since the 19th century. Explore expressions of Scottish identity like bagpiping, fiddle–playing and Highland Games and discover the influence Scottish people have had on our everyday lives through politics, the study of medicine, education, engineering and architectural prowess and even contemporary fashion. You can't separate the Scots from scotch - learn about whisky distilling in New Zealand and smell the ingredients that give whisky that distinctive flavour!

Visitors will discover the experiences and contributions of Scottish migrants, from the early settlements in the 1800s such as Otago, Waipu and the interaction of Scots settlers with Mäori in Turakina. Contemporary personal interviews examine the hopes and the sometimes contradictory realities of moving from Scotland to the far side of the world. Highlights include young Mäori/Chinese/Scot Kiel McNaughton’s search for his Scottish ancestry in 2005 and an interview with Scottish artist Rob McLeod, who immigrated to New Zealand in 1972, as he explores the inspiration for his artwork Foreign Climb on show in the exhibition.

See how Scottish identity is celebrated in New Zealand today with audio-visuals featuring the winter game of curling in Naseby and the Waipu Highland Games, an annual event of competitive piping, dancing and sports. Watch the pupils and community of Scots College, Wellington celebrate their school's heritage with a ceilidh (pronounced ‘kay-lee’), a traditional Scottish get-together, in which dancing, piping and food are shared.

Developed with the New Zealand Scottish community, The Scots in New Zealand follows Qui Tutto Bene, the Italian community exhibition, as the fifth in this ongoing series of exhibitions in Te Papa’s Community Gallery. The Community Gallery explores the experiences of different ethnic groups in New Zealand and provides a forum in which these communities can tell their own stories.

The Scots in New Zealand opens in the Community Gallery of the Passports exhibition, Level 4, Te Papa on 18 August 2007 and is supported by an exciting and engaging events programme.
Admission is free.

ENDS

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