This article was first published on RNZ.
ASB Polyfest, the largest Pasifika secondary school festival, is into its second week and for the first time it has been split in two, with this week dedicated to Māori performance.
Now in its 51st year, the annual festival sees thousands of visitors and performers come through the Manukau Sports Bowl, with more than 80,000 expected this year.
Te Paparewa Māori event director Tracey Watkinson told Midday Report the Māori stage had grown so much that the decision was made to move indoors to the nearby Due Drop Events Centre.
“We had outgrown the Manukau Sports Bowl, or Te Paparewa Māori had, that the greyhound area that we were in which was the biggest area of the Manukau Sports Bowl was unavailable to us anymore.”
The name Te Paparewa was given by pou tikanga Hemi Tai Tin and basically translates to “Māori stage,” she said.
Te Paparewa Māori runs from Monday until Thursday and Watkinson said with 62 groups representing 72 kura across Auckland it is one of the biggest stages in the country.
“It’s one of the busiest first days that I’ve been involved in in the last 15 years, thank you to our whānau for coming out to support those kura,” she said.
Te Paparewa Māori is also a qualifying event for the national secondary schools kapa haka competition and Watkinson said there is a buzz from students and their whānau.
“It’s fabulous out here today, from our stall holders, to our stakeholders, to our whānau, to our rangatahi that are coming in and performing there’s a real buzz and a vibe here.”
Wehenga 3 (division 3) are competing on Monday and Tuesday, followed by Wehenga 2, with Wehenga 1 rounding out the competition on Thursday, she said.
“Our sessions on Wednesday and Thursday have already sold out, so that tells you the kind of volume of whānau and community that we have coming through.
“We’re grateful, as an event we’re grateful to our Pasifika and Diversity whānau for their support of us and I think we support them in this journey but to cope with growth this is sort of it for us.”
By RNZ Midday Report.
