Te Ahurei Whakaari o Kōanga 2025 | Celebrating new Māori storytelling at the time of Kōanga.
Ko Matariki te whetū o te rangi. He pua kōwhai ki te huapae. With Matariki in the sky, the nights are long and the days short; but the dawn of spring is on the horizon.
Kōanga is a time when te taiao comes to life with new growth. Kōanga Festival cultivates new ideas and shares the bounty of new narratives through Māori performing arts.
Kōanga is a time for kotahitanga; first we celebrate our Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Po. Then we gather for the hakari of new Māori stories. Kōanga Festival returns over two packed weekends from 12 – 21 September 2025. Across the festival, Māori storytellers thrive as new plays are developed and shared for the very first time; and the community comes together on Whānau Day to hear stories from around the world. Mark your rātaka e te whānau.
And that’s just the start… ū tonu mai…
Full Kōanga Festival 2025 Programme coming soon…
The Playwright Programme is the beating heart of Kōanga Festival – it’s a special time to support new stories from our incredible kaituhi.
We’re excited to share the four kaituhi who are embarking on a three-month script development, leading into a one-week workshop with creatives over Kōanga Festival. This culminates in public play reading where the works are heard for the first time.
To support the kaituhi on this journey, the preeminent NZ Playwright Victor Rodger ONZM joins them as Script Mentor.
This year’s Koanga Festival 2025 Playwrights Programme kaituhi are…
Leigh Minarapa (Ngāti Rangitihi) (she/her)
Leigh was born & raised in Matatā and now resides in Tāmaki Makaurau. With over a decade of experience in film and television, Leigh has worked in a range of roles, including script supervisor, art director, production manager, researcher, writer, and director. Her directing credits include the short documentary Street Smart and the recent short film Shades of Blue and Green, which has screened in festivals worldwide. She is also a board member for Day One Hāpai te Haeata.
What draws you to writing for the stage?
“The immediacy of the audience response, the freedom to be experimental and weird, how important dialogue is, not being able to hide behind editing or retakes. Whatever happens on the night just happens and you gotta roll with it.”
Lila Māhina Black (Ngāti Raukawa) (she/her/ia)
Lila is a theatre technician, designer, kaituhi, and performer currently based in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara. Lila is a 2020 graduate of Te Kāhui Auaha, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts, and currently continues her studies in Te Reo Māori and Creative Writing. As a wahine Māori, wahine takatāpui, and wahine tipua, her kaupapa and toi mahi comes from an intersectional approach grounded in manaakitanga and ihiihi.
Who’s your favourite theatre writer and why?
“Elaine Lee, because my favourite play I’ve ever read was this feminist space opera she wrote called ‘Starstruck’ which is brilliant. It was groundbreaking when she wrote it in the 80s and it holds up amazingly, its still funny and hard-hitting, I want to play every one of the characters because they’re so well written.”
“Ngahiriwa Rauhina (Ngāti Whakaue, Tuhourangi ki Wahiao, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Raukawa) (he/him)
E te ti, e te tā, nei ra te mihi manahau ki te kaipānui. He uri tēnei no Te Arawa waka, Mataatua waka me Tainui waka hoki. Ko Ngahiriwa Rauhina tēnei. He kaiwhakaari, he ringatohu, he tauira kaituhi hoki tēnei. Ko te mahi whakaari taku reo rangatira nō reira koina te take kei te hiahia au ki te whakapakari i āku pūkenga i tēnei ao o te ao whakaari.
Ngahiriwa Rauhina (he/him) is a Māori actor, writer, director, and producer with 17 years of experience in stage and screen. Based in Rotorua, he leads Ko.Ko.Ko. Creative LTD, creating kaupapa Māori theatre that amplifies indigenous voices.
What’s your favourite genre of literature?
“Probably gonna get a fair amount of flack for this but I consider Manga literature so that there is my favourite. In my opinion, it is the ultimate version of long form storytelling you can get.”
Zody Takurua (Ngā Rauru) (They/ Them)
Zody is a kaituhi/kaiwhakaari in their final year at Te Kura Toi Whakaari ō Aotearoa. Their creative practice is majorly informed by the trisectionality of Takatapuitanga, Māoritanga and Pākehātanga. They are interested in how to make valuable commentaries and statements through their written and performative practice, to support the growth towards the unity of these communities.
What draws you to writing for the stage?
“Truthfully, I want to make my own mahi. Theatre is a performative language that makes sense in my head right now. I also value experiencing the story arrive on the floor and witnessing that translation is a really joyful and satisfying place to work in.”
Victor Rodger (Samoa – Iva, Savai’i, Pākehā – Dundee) (He/Him)
Victor Rodger ONZM (he/him) returns as the Script Mentor this year. Victor is a writer of Samoan & Scottish heritage whose theatre work deals with race, racism, sexuality and identity. Rodger’s first play, Sons, premiered at The Court in 1995. Since then he has received numerous awards in recognition of his theatre work for plays such as Black Faggot and has held several writing residencies including the Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence at the University of Hawaii. Through his theatre producing entity FCC he has also produced Tusiata Avia’s highly acclaimed Wild Dogs Under My Skirt and The Savage Coloniser Show. In 2021, he was named an Officer of the Order of New Zealand merit for services to theatre and Pacific arts. Last year, he became an Arts Laureate.
What’s one piece of advice for someone who’s wanting to start or finish a script?
“The late writer, Vincent O’Sullivan once came to Drama School when I was a student and essentially said: if you’re not passionate about the idea you are writing, it’s going to be like shovelling shit up a hill. And was he ever right.”
Whānau Day is a filled fun day celebrating storytelling in all its many forms and to inspire our youngest storytellers with pūrākau from around the world. Bring the whole whānau to create memories to hold and cherish.
The day is packed full with activities, performances, food trucks, games, workshops, storytellings and more.
Mark your rātaka for this free whānau event.
Āhea: Sat 13 Sept, 10am – 3pm
