March 14, 2022

Are you passionate about creating taonga and keeping the stories of your whānau, hapū and iwi alive through whatu/raranga? Come and join the Toi Whakarākai whānau and become skilled in traditional weaving techniques, creating taonga that can be handed down to future generations.

Poutuarongo Toi Whakarākai graduate Faith Henare-Stewart says “the key differences between Te Wānanga o Raukawa and mainstream learning institutes is that the Wānanga is mātāpono based and seeing that in a wānanga setting keeps us whole, and of course being immersed in te ao Māori.

The support from the kaiako of this tohu was amazing, travelling to where I was living at the time to talk face-to-face and help with my mahi, amazing manaakitanga!

My major assignment for my final year was my korowai which I named “AKE”. I entered this artwork into the “Kingi Tūheitia Tipuna Portraiture Award” competition and after being selected as a finalist I was awarded an “Honourable Mention Award” by Kīngi Tuheitia himself.

The most rewarding part of completing this tohu was the feeling of being connected to my much loved grandmother through our shared passion for weaving.” 

For more information about this course visit https://www.wananga.com/diploma-in-design-and-art