Published: 25/10/2019
Following its successful Canterbury tour, The Court Theatre’s treasured children’s show Matatihi: Maia’s Journey of Bravery is hitting the road, touring South Island Primary Schools in 2020!
“We’re hoping to reach children who aren’t close to theatres and for whom it isn’t easy to experience live theatre,” explains Programmes Manager Rachel Sears. “It’s a great opportunity for children to experience live performance – including music, storytelling, theatre, puppetry and awesome costumes...”
Running from May – June, schools can book a performance for their school now, with the team taking the show all the way down to Invercargill and right to the top of Nelson!
“For the past five years we’ve only toured to Canterbury Primary Schools,” explains Sears. “This is a great opportunity to expose students further afield to te reo Māori and the myths and legends that relate to their home in the South Island.”
The show retells the legend of the Pouākai, with brave Maia helping this lonely bird find friendship and figure out how to fly. Beautifully brought to life through music, puppetry, kapa haka, waiata and te reo Māori, this show inspires young people to be bold, proud of what makes them different and to carve their own path in the world.
“It’s a story of friendship, overcoming adversity and believing in yourself, which are great messages for any children to be exposed to,” says Sears. “This feels like a story that belongs to the whole South Island, which is why it’s so exciting to be going on tour.”
Matatihi: Maia’s Journey of Bravery will be performed at Primary Schools around the South Island from 11 May – 12 June 2020. You can find out more and book a visit for your school here.