By Emma Katene/Ngāti Kahungunu

A recipient of Kia Mau Festival’s inaugural innovative new initiative, He Toi Puaki, presents the world premiere season of Heart of Stone.

When the journey gets really rocky and rough, who’s got your back?

When Mīkaere (12) and Sophie (13) arrive at their school campsite, they expect adventure—but nothing like this. A strange energy hums beneath the forest floor, pulling them toward a glade shrouded in mystery. As they explore, they uncover long-buried secrets—of the land, of themselves, and of a darkness that has waited in the shadows for far too long.

Now, the glade is in danger, and so are they. With time running out, Mīkaere and Sophie must confront forces beyond their understanding. But the deeper they go, the more the glade demands of them. Courage will be tested, sacrifices will be made—and not everyone may make it out alive.

When the journey gets really rocky and rough, who’s got your back?

He Toi Puaki – Seed Commissions, is a significant evolution in Kia Mau’s commitment to nurturing indigenous voices and fostering homegrown talent amongst our arts whānau here in Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui.

He Toi Puaki embodies the essence of its name by serving as a platform for emerging artists to blossom from seeds of creativity into fully realised productions. This commissioning opportunity is set to redefine the landscape of indigenous performance art in Aotearoa.

Among the inaugural recipients of the He Toi Puaki commission are Emma Katene, Īhaka Martyn, and the dynamic partnership known as CONJAH, forged between Jahra Wasasala and Ooshcon.

Review:

“He Toi Puaki is such a great opportunity for me as a new writer who doesn’t get to focus on written storytelling very much. As an actor, director, or designer I’m working to express the text through the body and it’s a pleasure and a challenge to do the foundation work. I’m excited to learn and practice the art of painting with words and how I can intertwine my knowledge as an artist into the play I write.” Emma Katene

7.30pm, Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 June 2025
Price $10.00 to $25.00

ABOUT KIA MAU FESTIVAL

Kia mau is a call to hold fast. Kia Mau is about us all.

Kia Mau Festival is at the forefront of contemporary Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous art in Aotearoa and beyond. We are innovators—pushing boundaries, redefining forms, and forging new paths with creative risk-taking at every step.

Right here, right now, we bring together local, national, and international artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. We find the intersection where our stories intertwine, creating an experience that is uniquely ‘local’ yet unparalleled in Pōneke throughout the year.

Celebrating 10 years in 2025 and now in our eighth iteration, Kia Mau takes place from 30 May to 14 June 2025.

Kia Mau Festival