Wed, 2 Feb 2005
Te Papa's update for February 2005
February highlights @Te Papa Come along to topical debates this month about the Treaty of Waitangi. A diversity of
lively exhibitions will also inspire and inform, while children will enjoy Discovery Hours with Te Papa's knowledgeable
curators. At the popular family exhibition Space - A galaxy of adventure, visitors can land a space shuttle, fire a
rocket, race to the Moon, and much more.
Space has been teamed with a great competition: win a Dominion Post holiday for two (1 adult, 1 child) to the
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. On Waitangi Day, a leading kapa haka group will perform on The
Marae. And in a series of three debates through February, Dr Claudia Orange of Te Papa and Professor Matthew Palmer from
Victoria University will host some of the country's leading thinkers as they investigate how the Treaty of Waitangi
impacts on society both today and in the future.
For Te Papa's seventh birthday on 13 February, a celebration of dance from different cultures will include the chance
for visitors to learn some new dance moves! For kids there are three Discovery Hours this month - Bring-a-Bug Day, Learn
about the Wiri (Drill), and Postcards from the Past where you'll find out how friends kept in touch a hundred years ago.
Visit the exhibition Toi Te Papa Art of the Nation: 1940-today to see significant artworks from the collections. In Out
on the Street: New Zealand in the 1970s you can experience this psychedelic decade of social and political change. Qui
Tutto Bene: The Italians in New Zealand offers a fresh and fascinating look at what it means to be Italian in New
Zealand. Enjoy a great day out!
EVENTS:
Thursday 3 6.30pm-8pm: 'The Treaty Debate' series - Unsettled Histories: The Waitangi Tribunal and Treaty Settlements.
Dr Claudia Orange of Te Papa and Professor Matthew Palmer of Victoria University jointly chair this debate based on New
Zealand's founding document and how it impacts on our society both today and in the future. Panellists include Judge Joe
Williams and consultant Wira Gardiner. In partnership with Victoria Continuing Education and the Centre for Public Law.
Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.
Saturday 5 12 noon-12.55pm: Strawberry the Clown. See award-winning clowning with a contemporary edge. Mime, physical
comedy, and vaudeville are fused with the traditions of the great silent clowns. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.
Sunday 6 2pm-2.30pm: Te Ati Kimihia. Celebrate Waitangi Day with one of Wellington's leading kapa haka performance
groups. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.
Thursday 10 6.30pm-8pm: 'The Treaty Debate' series - Tidal Power: The Foreshore and Seabed Act. Dr Claudia Orange of Te
Papa and Professor Matthew Palmer of Victoria University jointly chair this debate based on New Zealand's founding
document and how it impacts on our society both today and in the future. Panellists include Treaty lawyer Tim Castle and
Ngäi Tahu leader Tahu Potiki. In partnership with Victoria Continuing Education and the Centre for Public Law. Soundings
Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.
Saturday 12 1pm-3pm: Chinese New Zealanders Share Their Stories. "GUNG HEI FAT CHOI - May good fortune attend you!" Te
Papa marks the Chinese New Year with Chinese New Zealanders sharing their life experiences, reflections, and
aspirations. This presentation focuses on those who have visited China and how that visit altered, confirmed or enriched
their view of their place in New Zealand's multi-ethnic society. Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.
Sunday 13 Te Papa's Seventh Birthday! >From 11am: Te Papa's Seventh Birthday Celebrations. Come and celebrate Te
Papa's Seventh Birthday. There'll be dancing all over the Museum from many different cultural groups. You can join in
the fun and even learn a few new dance moves! Throughout Te Papa. Free entry. 2pm-4pm: Discovery Hour: Bring-a-Bug Day.
Hey kids! Meet Te Papa's entomologists Phil Sirvid and Ricardo Palma. Bring along your insects and ask questions!
NatureSpace, Level 2. Free entry.
Thursday 17 6.30pm-8pm: 'The Treaty Debate' series - Necessity or Nullity: Constitutional Reform and the Treaty. Dr
Claudia Orange of Te Papa chairs this debate based on New Zealand's founding document and how it impacts on our society
both today and in the future. Panellists include Professor Matthew Palmer and Judge Carrie Wainwright. In partnership
with Victoria Continuing Education and the Centre for Public Law. Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.
Saturday 19 1pm-1.45pm: Sunga. Hear three Samoan women explore the musical essence of Polynesia. The Marae, Level 4.
Free entry. 2pm-3pm: Discovery Hour: Learn about the Wiri (Drill). Hey kids! Come and find out about the wiri
(traditional Mäori drill) with Te Papa's Mäori curator Dougal Austin in a wonderful session of show-and-tell. Then learn
how to use the wiri. Te Huka ä Tai, Level 4. Free entry.
Sunday 20 12 noon-12.45pm: Sunga. Hear three Samoan women explore the musical essence of Polynesia. The Marae, Level 4.
Free entry. 2pm-3pm: Discovery Hour: Postcards from the Past. Hey kids! Check out how friends used to keep in touch
before phone and email. Look at postcards a Dunedin teenager collected a hundred years ago. See some of the clothes she
made and wore, dress up yourself, and make a card to send to a friend. Inspiration Station, Level 4. Free entry.
Saturday 26 12 noon-1pm: Wellington Brass Chamber Group. Hear members of this leading Wellington brass band play some of
your favourite songs. The Amphitheatre, Level 1. Free entry. (Wet weather venue Wellington Foyer, Level 2.)
Sunday 27 1pm-2pm: Harbour Capital Chorus. Enjoy one of Wellington's leading choral groups. The Marae, Level 4. Free
entry.
SHORT-TERM EXHIBITIONS:
Space - A galaxy of adventure Land a space shuttle, fire a rocket, race to the Moon - there's heaps for kids to do in
this fantastic exploration of Space. Adults $6.50, child (4-14 years) $5.00. Until 29 March 2005. Family concessions
available.
Mäori Showbands The people, the sounds, the look, the sensational performing style - experience an extraordinary musical
era in Mäori Showbands, Te Papa's first online exhibition. During the 1950s and 1960s a generation of multi-talented
performers successfully took their unique blend of popular music and Mäori culture from New Zealand to the world. Visit
www.maorishowbands.co.nz to explore the people and stories behind this phenomenon. Discover the enduring appeal of some
of New Zealand's most magnetic entertainers.
Qui Tutto Bene: The Italians in New Zealand Te Papa and the Italian community combine to present a fresh and fascinating
look at what it means to be Italian in New Zealand. Qui Tutto Bene is an exploration of the colourful history and
wonderfully diverse influence of this small vibrant community. Until March 2007. Free entry.
Out on the Street: New Zealand in the 1970s Tutu te puehu Come and remember the protests, the personalities, the long
hair, and eye-popping fashions of a decade when alternative voices rose to challenge the establishment. Until May 2005.
Free entry.
Toi Te Papa Art of the Nation: 1940-today Showcasing over 100 of the nation's most significant artworks and taonga from
Te Papa's collections. The first part of a major project, this exhibition includes works by Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere,
and Rita Angus. Free entry.
Shawls: the elegant drape Showcasing the rich textures and exquisite patterns of a selection of shawls from Te Papa's
extensive collection. Until September 2005. Free entry.
Toss Woollaston: family and friends Looks at New Zealand painter Toss Woollaston's early years and his key relationships
during that time. Free entry.
Te Awa Tupua: The Whanganui Iwi Exhibition In partnership with Te Papa, Whanganui iwi present stories and taonga from
their unique Whanganui river culture, from Te Kähui Maunga (the mountain clan) to Tangaroa (the sea). The exhibition's
central theme is contained in the whakatauakï (proverb), 'E rere kau mai te awa nui mai Te Kähui Maunga ki Tangaroa, ko
au te awa ko te awa ko au.' (The great river flows from the mountain clan to Tangaroa, I am the river; the river is me).
Until May 2006. Free entry.
Wild Design: A fresh look at nature Enjoy a visual feast of photographs, objects, and artworks that bring you up close
to design in the natural world. Until late 2005. Free entry.
Ngä Toko Rima | Contemporary clayworks Out of the creation stories of fire, water, and earth, five leading Mäori artists
create powerful new works in clay. Until September 2005. Free entry.
ENDS