Polyfest’s Te Paparewa Māori likely in a separate venue again

Polyfest’s Te Paparewa Māori is likely to be held at a separate venue again next year.

Chris Selwyn (Te Rarawa), who is tumuaki at this year’s kura matua Ngā Puna o Waiorea, says “I think we have made a commitment to carry on.”

This year, Te Paparewa Māori was held at Due Drop Events Centre for the first time, separate from the rest of the festival.

It was also held a week after the other stages for the first time this year.

Selwyn says the venue change has been brewing since the 2023 Te Matatini festival which was held in Tāmaki Makaurau.

He says having the two events so close together meant many Kapa Haka tutors were busy with Te Matatini practices and performances leading up to Polyfest, leaving only two weeks between the competitions for schools to prepare.

“[Te Matitini] usually falls now towards the end of Feb, and [Polyfest] is in March, mid-March.”

The decision to move Te Paparewa Māori was finalised after bad weather conditions affected one of the divisions at last year’s Polyfest.

“Even though we postponed for the following week, [Auckland Boys’ Grammar School] were still unable to compete because they then had clashes.”

He says having an indoor venue ensures schools’ hard work doesn’t go to waste.

“We’re basically able to give 90 per cent assurance that the event is going to go ahead, and that the event is going to go ahead safely.”

Event attendee Mila Guttenbeil (Ngāi Tahu, Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao and Te Rarawa) says while most people had good things to say about the venue change, some felt a sense of disconnect.

“Talking to my Pasifika whānau, I know they wished both weeks were still together since the Pasifika stages lost a lot of energy that the Māori performers brought in prior years”.

Selwyn says that while the festival adapts to meet growing needs, there’s a desire between the stages to remain united, and this year the festival launch and pōwhiri were held all together.

“Even though we may have our separate stages, there’s still the desire to have the one festival - it might be two events, it might be three events, it might be four or five events, whatever it works out to be.”

He says moving the other stages to an indoor venue is something to look at for the next 20 to 30 years as Polyfest continues to grow and change.

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AI was used to transcribe audio from the interview.