Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal: ‘Making the Modern Whare Tapere’

Whare tapere were pre-European Maori village 'houses' of storytelling, dance, games, music and other entertainments. They fell into disuse in the 19th century and new ways of performing were subsequently developed by Maori communities. Research conducted over the past decade has uncovered an amount of fragmentary information about these traditional 'houses'. This presentation discusses the ways in which such fragmentary knowledge is being used today to inspire and influence new creations and performances.

Composer and researcher Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal is professor of Indigenous Development in the Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland and founder of the modern whare tapere, something that was first achieved in 2010 within Charles's tribal community in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Charles has an abiding interest in the creative potential of indigenous knowledges and is currently visiting fellow with the Indigeneity in the Contemporary World project team at Royal Holloway.