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Recent NewsMuseum event melds Maori and Taiwanese performances in cultural youth exchangeDate: 3 July 2012 The Cultural Exchange event takes place at Auckland Museum this Sunday (8 July) and will see three unique cultural performances take place on the same stage: Jieshou (Chinese traditional orchestra), Shuang Wen (traditional dance) and Kapa Haka. Travelling to New Zealand is a $90,000 trip for the Jieshou orchestra group so to raise money and provide extra practice opportunities they have been holding street concerts, including one which raised $40,000. Te Reo Maori HOD Glenfield College Kipa Rangiheuea says Sunday’s event is an invaluable opportunity for his students to learn about another culture. “I hope our students see some similarities and differences between each other’s cultures, and develop a friendship through what they can share with each other.” “We intend to present what we are proud of in our culture, and that is song and dance. We honour our past through these forms of expression, and like taonga in the Museum, these are passed down from generation to generation.” “Through the programme the young people are also able to discover and share ideas about the similarities and differences in both their dance and music performances and in their broader cultural practices.” Team Well Consultants co-ordinator Shin-Ling Tsai says performing alongside the Maori cultural performers is a great opportunity for the Taiwanese students to broaden their vision of the world and its many cultures. “This will be a great opportunity to observe the similarities as much as the differences. There are some similarities between the Chinese aboriginal culture and New Zealand’s aboriginal culture, such as the moko and even in the dialects.” Johnny Hui, Auckland Museum educator for family programmes, says the museum is already seen as a home for cultural stories and treasures and through this event and future cultural exchanges the museum wants to play a part in showcasing the beauty and vibrancy of different cultures. Glenfield College will perform their items in Te Reo Maori including a welcome chant to the students from Taiwan upon their arrival, an action song using the ’poi’ and a ’haka’. “We’ll be encouraging the students from Taiwan to participate in some our items on the day.” A news clip from Taiwan’s national television channel shows recent preparations for the Jieshou orchestra group’s trip to New Zealand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xushtqozaug&feature=youtube_gdata_player
For more information or to arrange filming or photography at the Kapa Haka, Jieshou & Shuang Wen: Cultural Exchange, please contact: Melanie Cooper Other contacts: Shin-Ling Tsai |
