Taki Rua
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| Formation | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington |
| Fields | Contemporary Māori theatre |
Kahukura Chief Executive | Tānemahuta Gray, Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne, Waikato |
| Website | www |
Taki Rua is a theatre organisation based in Wellington, New Zealand that has produced many contemporary Māori theatre productions. Taki Rua has been going since 1983 and has had several name changes over that time including The New Depot, Depot Theatre and Taki Rua / The Depot. The full current name is Taki Rua Productions. Since inception the mission of Taki Rua has been to showcase work from New Zealand. Because of this and the longevity of Taki Rua many significant New Zealand actors, directors, writers, designers and producers have part of the history including Riwia Brown, Nathaniel Lees, Rachel House, James Ashcroft and Taika Waititi.
Taki Rua started in Wellington in 1983 when a group took over The Depot, a second performance space that Downstage Theatre had set up a year previously, they changed the name to the New Depot. This collective group was Colin McColl, Jean Betts, Philippa Campbell, Fiona Johnstone, Alyson Baker, Richard Mudford, Phillip Mann and John Banas.[1]: 245 Colin McColl when interviewed in 2013 says about the start, "We wanted primarily something for New Zealand writers and also Māori and Pacific Island writers. That was the initial vision."[2] In that year about 15 shows were presented including a late-night satirical cabaret by Rangimoana Taylor and Asking For It written and directed by New Zealand feminist playwright Renee.[1]: 246
The New Depot was run as a cooperative with the people involved in each show taking the box office risk. At the end of 1985 the New Depot moved to an upstairs premises in Alpha Street at the back of Courtenay Place.[1]: 285
Two members of the co-operative, Maori poet and playright Roma Potiki and actress Dulcie Smart, co-wrote a proposal to the QEII Arts Council for funding to enable the theatre to become bi-cultural.[3] In 1992 The Depot Theatre became Taki Rua The Depot[4]: 80 . and then in 1994 to just Taki Rua. Former director of Taki Rua and playwright Hone Kouka says of the name, "Taki Rua is a weaving pattern and means to go in twos - signifying the bi-cultural aspect of the theatre."[5]: 17
Taki Rua as a venue closed in 1997 and changed to operating purely as a production company, focusing on touring and presenting works in other venues.[6] The name changed to Taki Rua Productions,[4]: 85 and is still running under this name although mostly referred to as Taki Rua.
The loss of a venue as a home base for collectives to come together was mourned by the theatre community, with a reflection written in the 2013 publication Playmarket 40.[4] In 2016 Taki Rua joined with Māori theatre company Tawata Productions and Pacific theatre company The Conch, to set up a new home base but not a performance venue in Wellington called Te Haukāinga.[7] In 2020 Te Haukāinga was shared by Taki Rua, The Māori Sidesteps, The Performance Arcade and Te Hau Tūtū.[8]
In 2021 the staff of Taki Rua include the Kahukura / Chief Executive, Tānemahuta Gray, Kaiwhakahaere Matua / General Manager, Nathan McKendry and Pou Tikanga Mātauranga Māori, Pekaira Jude Rei. Their Ngā Kaiurungi / Board Members are Toni Huata, Tama Kirikiri, Simon Garrett, Trish Stevenson, Adrian Wagner, Tolis Papazoglou, Jamie Ferguson, Pearl Sidwell, Roimata Kirikiri and Patrick Hape.[9]
A film documenting the history of Taki Rua, Taki Rua Theatre - Breaking Barriers, directed by Whētu Fala was released in 2024.[10]
Kaumātua
Experienced practitioners 'elders' were named as kaumātua of Taki Rua. They gave guidance and support and were both Māori and Pākehā. Over the years this group of respected people included Tungia Baker, John Tahuparae, Wi Kuki Kaa, Bob Wiki, Rona Bailey, Keri Kaa and Sunny Amey.[11]