M9 is back and this time Māori art takes centrestage

M9 is at the Civic Theatre, February 21.

Māori oratory and performance event M9 is returning on its first anniversary this Matariki, spotlighting nine powerful Māori voices from the world of toi Māori.

Presented by Matai Smith, this instalment of M9: He Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata – will collectivise and weave together the tapestries of Māori arts on July 6 at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, Tāmaki Makaurau.

The event aims to create a rich and diverse cultural landscape that reflects the unique experiences, stories and perspectives of the Māori world. Begging the question: without Māori art – who are we?

In the lineup are some of the best-known mātanga toi in Aotearoa, including Tame Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe), Maisey Rika (Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Nigel Borell (Pirirākau, Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea), Nikau Hindin (Ngāti Tūpoto) and Graham (Mr.G) Hoete (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Awa) – with more to be announced.

Curator Ria Hall says this season’s M9 event is special as it dives deep into the world of individual artists, some of whom are bringing back artforms that were once lost.

Ria Hall is back in 2023 better than ever.

“This kaupapa needs to be discussed more in-depth. As artists, they know how they view the arts, but it’s in the forms of expression that the rich histories and culture of te ao Māori can be felt and understood,” says Hall.

Hall says this topic is timely due to the recent announcement by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown to cut funding for arts and culture in the council’s annual budget.

“The essence of Māori arts is that it isn’t just pictures on a wall, or to adorn something. Toi is our mode of communication.

“Art sits as an intrinsic part of one’s DNA and it’s not us who render ourselves as cultural trinkets, but those who sit outside our cultural spheres. M9 allows us to unpack these ideologies by professionals who through their specialty educate the many,” says Hall.

The nine kaikōrero will reflect on the resilience their tūpuna required to pursue their respective art forms. They will explore how their continued practice in the face of colonisation led to revolutionary change and how integral Māori arts are to the collective survival of the nation today.

Graham Hoete, well known by his artist name “Mr.G” is passionate about navigating the spectrum between Te Ao Tawhito (old traditional world) and Te Ao Hurihuri (the current ever changing world) of toi Māori and the arts.

“I’m also passionate about how we curate our public spatial narratives through the arts, the revitalisation of our stories of the whenua, how this strengthens our identity as a people, and the health benefits that come from this because toi is rongoā.

“Speaking on the M9 stage allows me to share the importance of toi Māori and its ability to preserve and tell our stories that we connect to, and the impact this has on our tuakiritanga [identity], which is the very foundation of our being,” says Hoete.

Through the exploration of the traditional indigenous mode of communication, the ringa toi will share their experience, challenges and the opportunities of Toi Māori.

• Made possible through the support of Te Māngai Paho and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, M9: He Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata is on July 6, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre.