#TEPOUTHEATRECHALLENGE RECRUITS MĀORI TIKTOK HEAVYWEIGHTS FOR FUNDRAISER
Te Pou Theatre has launched the first annual #TEPOUTHEATRECHALLENGE - an ambitious fundraising campaign with the aim of raising $40,000 to support their kaupapa to create a thriving home for Māori Theatre.
To kick off the campaign, Te Pou has recruited Māori TikTok content creators with a combined audience of 271.3K viewers. Lewis Contini he/him (Ngāpuhi) AKA @brownscouse, Paaka Davis he/him (Te Rarawa) AKA @paakadavis and Quack Pirihi they/them (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai) AKA @quackpirihi have all shared the challenge to their audiences, spreading the word far and wide.
Throughout the month of April, theatre lovers across the motu are challenged to show their support for Te Pou by taking up a wero (challenge) to raise funds, or supporting their friends and whānau who are participating. There’s a wero for everyone - whether you want to create content on TikTok, show your support with a gaming livestream, play Panga - the Reo Māori version of Wordle - or have your own idea - the most important thing is that you take up the challenge and play for our plays.
The aims are awesome: to raise funds to grow Te Pou and encourage the use of Te Reo Māori in everyday life. The steps are simple: you choose your wero and challenge your friends, whānau, and even random strangers if you dare. The dreams are big: to get social media buzzing with kōrero, waiata, dance, theatre, comedy. Everyone who participates becomes a part of the growth of Te Pou with: filling the whare with free courses for Māori actors, writers, designers and filling our pages with more and more scripts with te ao Māori, te reo Māori, contemporary Māori stories for everyone to love.
"This a more creative way of involving a much wider community in supporting the kaupapa. It's also a great way to help out if they don't have money themselves, we know our whanau aren't short on talent. It's a really fun way to play along with Te Pou as we all help the kaupapa of Māori Theatre to grow".
- Tainui Tukiwaho (Tūhoe, Te Arawa),
Kaihautū Taha Wairua, Te Pou Theatre
The challenge has been set by Te Pou and anyone can take it up and be a part of the future of Māori performing arts in Tāmaki Makaurau.
PICK A WERO TO TAKE UP:
#THIRTYSECONDTHEATRE
Become a TikTok Te Reo Superstar! Visit the challenge website and spin a virtual wheel to choose your kupu & genre. Using your outcome, create and film a 30-second TikTok theatre masterpiece! Post the video and get your friends and whānau to join in. Stumped for ideas? Check out @brownscouse, @paakadavis and @quackpirihi on TikTok to see what they’ve come up with!
#GAMEFORTEPOU
Gaming your thing? This one is perfect for you. Choose your game for your marathon - whether it’s Minecraft, FIFA, GTA or The Sims is up to you! Build up your dream team for the stream and then spread the word on social media. Use your gaming marathon to raise funds for Te Pou and challenge yourself to see how long you can last
#PANGACHALLENGE
You don't have to be an actor or a gamer to join in! If you want to support us from your comfy couch we have something for you, Te Pou has teamed up with Panga, the Reo Māori version of Wordle, to bring the popular game to our Te Pou Theatre Challenge. Use your reo Māori to play and fundraise without breaking a sweat. Challenge your whānau and friends to see who gets the most kupu correct, and raises the most money by the end of the month.
#CHOOSEYOURWERO
Not sure what you want to do for your challenge? There is an option for that too! If you have a different way you want to fundraise we would love to see what you think of - the more creative the better. If you're struggling, they’ve got you! Head to the challenge resources page for lots of different ways you can play for Te Pou.
#TEPOUTHEATRECHALLENGE
www.tepoutheatre-challenge.raisely.com
About Te Pou Theatre
Te Pou Theatre formed in 2015 to provide a home for Māori theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau, a place where creatives from across the country could show their work, and where local and Auckland-wide audiences could see contemporary Māori performing arts. Te Pou celebrates being Māori and supports the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori.
Te Pou receives annual funding from Creative New Zealand, Foundation North and Auckland Council. Te Pou receives welcome support from many other gaming and philanthropic trusts. Their aim to be free or low cost to everyone means they need to fundraise to keep delivering their programme, and keep their doors wide open.