We are beyond excited to welcome and share the story of Te Puāwai, a weaving house, home to a collective of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei kairaranga - Māori weavers from New Zealand. 

Join us and the weavers to to learn about the art and meaning of Māori weaving and craft of Poi, a tradition deeply connected to people, land, and their ancestors.

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PUBLIC PROGRAM

1.00 pm - 2.00 pm

TALK

The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Weaving Rōpū will introduce the art and meaning of Māori weaving, a practice that is guided by the relationship between people, land, and ancestors. The weavers will share kōrero (stories) about their collective work at Te Puāwai weaving house, where intergenerational knowledge is nurtured and sustained. Participants will engage in hands-on making of raranga (weaving with natural fibers). Through these activities, participants will experience how Māori weaving embodies community, resilience, and creative expression, offering a unique cultural exchange between Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Thailand.

3.00 pm - 5.00 pm

POI WORKSHOP

Poi are a traditional Māori art form that combines rhythm, movement, and storytelling. In this workshop, participants can choose to make one type of poi: either soft poi with balls, used in contemporary performance, or poi piu, made from dried flax and played as percussion instruments to the rhythm of chants. Poi reflects Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) connection between people, nature, and music.

About Te Puāwai

Te Puāwai is the whare raranga (weaving house) at Ōrākei Marae in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland, New Zealand). Established in the 1960s, it blossomed into a centre of education, creativity, and cultural renewal. Today, Te Puāwai is home to a collective of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei kairaranga (weavers) who work together as a rōpū (group) to sustain, teach, and innovate weaving practices. Through wānanga (learning exchanges), they ensure that mātauranga (ancestral knowledge) is carried forward to future generations, while also sharing Māori weaving with audiences nationally and internationally.