Te Kura Maninirau

Te Kura Maninirau is a partnership program with Te Pou Theatre, administered by The Dust Palace Charitable Trust and Aotearoa’s first kaupapa Māori circus school. It was founded to address the gap in participation at all levels and ages of Māori in the circus art form. This is due to a number of barriers including cost, availability and non-inculsive teaching methods. The aim is to engage with tamariki and rangatahi through recreational classes, professional development for rangatahi and adult professionals in parallel art forms (e.g dance, theatre) and the creation of kaupapa Māori circus theatre productions. This is part of a long-term plan to increase participation and employment of Māori artists and to create a culturally safe access point for Māori in the art form.

4 x kaupapa Māori circus classes every Sunday during term time at Te Atatu Peninsula Community Centre for 38 tamariki and rangatahi Māori across term 4, 2024 and terms 1 & 2, 2025. Te Kura Maninirau are also aiming to introduce number of low cost classes available to the whole community including parent and child classes, preschool, school-age, teen and adult.