Te Ngākau Civic Square, Wellington - The Heart of Matariki ‘22

*Matariki ki Pōneke mobile App download

Nau mai, haere mai. Wellington City Council invites you to Matariki ki Pōneke, to celebrate the Māori New Year.

Enjoy a stunning free whānau friendly experience with our Ahi Kā and Matariki Map & 360° Augmented Reality Experiences in our App.

Matariki is a time for remembering the past, celebrating the present and looking to the future. Remember and honour our culture, heritage and community, with an immersive walk-through journey on the Wellington waterfront, including projections, displays, performances, fire and light.

Te Ngākau Civic Square, Wellington

The Heart of Matariki ‘22

Risen from earthquakes, extended by settlers, Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s beloved waterfront sits above the ebb and flow of the moana. Our sand-made CBD has withstood wicked winds and earthquakes, but are the high-rises tall enough to sustain a mighty wave? Much of our city is fortunate to have views onto the sea, yet what we don't see below the surface and beyond the harbor falls to our periphery. Sunbathing on the freighted-in sands of Oriental Bay beach, deep water oil-spills, great pacific garbage patches, melting ice caps and unsustainable fishing practices are blissfully out of sight, out of mind.

Unable to discern the whetū through the skyglow, various city people find themselves adrift. In an attempt to bury their heads in the sand, four Wellingtonians dig too deep and are swallowed whole by the moana. Perhaps their understanding of interconnectedness can change if they navigate the waterways like a tuna; traversing rivers, lakes, wetlands and the ocean, reaching unfathomable depths.

- Wolfe Girardin - Director

*from the Matariki video - ‘Tuna Heke’

‘Tuna Heke’
+ WATER + OCEAN + CLIMATE CHANGE + ACTION + PROJECTIONS + LIGHTS + SOUND + ART | LIVE / SEQUENCED + PERFORMANCE + IMMERSIVE MEDIA + MOBILE AR+ APP + 360° PORTAL + COFFEE + DONUTS + INFORMATION + EDUCATION + KNOWLEDGE + MĀTAURANGA MĀORI + LIVE MUSIC + PARTY + WHANAU FRIENDLY + MATARIKI CELEBRATION + TUTU +++

THURSDAY 23RD - SUNDAY 26TH JUNE + 6PM - 9PM • Matariki ‘22

*click the image to enlarge

Te Arawhiti Rama

“The bridge of light will guide you on your journey as you travel between the spaces from the past to the future”

City to Sea Bridge Pyramid

*visuals by Cubeman

Thursday 23rd - Sunday 26th June 2022 • 6PM - 9PM

An installation - Reclaimed!

A narrative of the history of the location. An ocean theme - an underwater environment fabricated with lighting, sound & projection. Designed with family in mind while maintaining a level of sophistication that engages a mature & discerning audience. A 10 minute loop sequence; & 40 minute live performance elements; 80 minute schedule with an interval; 2 sessions each night.

The experience will be available in a mobile App as a 360° interactive portal AR experience.

Te Ngākau Civic Square is a public square in central Wellington, New Zealand, between the Wellington central business district to the north and the Te Aro entertainment district to the south.

Ngā Mata o te Ariki, more commonly known as Matariki, will be celebrated on Friday 24 June next year. The 2022 date was advised by the Matariki Advisory Group.
The Government has also asked the Matariki Advisory Group to advise on future dates, as the exact timing of Matariki shifts each year, but these are expected to always fall on a Monday or Friday.
“Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday; a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Māori,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“It’s great to have the date locked in for next year. This will be a day to acknowledge our nation’s unique, shared identity, and the importance of tikanga Māori. It’s going to be something very special, and something uniquely New Zealand.

the team

Wolfe Girardin Jodoin

Director
Ethan Wimsett

Producer
Joff Rae

Executive Producer
Aaron Hobman

Production Manager
CUBEMAN

Live Visuals

PRODUCTION

The installation production involves projection, lighting, audio & digital interactive. Visual & audio elements will be choreographed & sequenced.

PROJECTIONS

Primary projections are required for the mapping of the City Art Gallery building; a projection on the stairs of the City to Sea bridge; & the pyramid on the City to Sea bridge (both sides). Access to strategic buildings TBA.

LIGHTING

An extravaganza of high tech moving heads & SFX.

AUDIO

A 5.1 mix, choreographed sequenced tracks for regions in the site. Performance / stage area.

MEDIA

D3 Disguise Media Servers / Interactive App on iOS & Android.

PERFORMANCE

Live VJ sets; street performers; choreographed SFX.

ARTISTS TBC

PROGRAMME

Programmed loop interactive immersive experience interspersed with live performances (ie 2 x 10’ sequenced loop experience / 35’ performance / 5’ interval / 60’ sessions; 3 x sessions each evening); 180’ schedule (2 x 5’ sponsor breaks between sessions; 10’ loop to finish).

Thursday 23rd June - Sunday 26th June 2022 inclusive;
6.00PM - 9.00PM

CLIENT

Wellington City Council Events Team
Event Director - Suzanne Tamaki / WCC
Event Manager - João Salomão

Executive Producer - Joff Rae
Producer - Ethan Wimsett
Director - Wolfe Girardin Jodoin
Sound Design - Dr Thomas Voyce & Koa Williams for Rhombus Music
Guest Artist Taonga Pūoro - Rob Thorne
Assistant Producer - Finn Beattie
EA - Audrey Holyoake

PRODUCTION
Production Manager - Aaron Hobman
Crew Manager - Tarnz Ruru
Production Assistant - Aaron Ward

VISUALS
Projectors / Servers - Deen Abu Baker
Projection - Geoff Walsh
Projection / Content - Darrell Smith

LX & AUDIO
Lighting Director - Daniel Van Ness
LX / Audio Operator - Sunil Sumi
Audio Assist - Aaron Ward

Crew - Alexander Simpson & Rusty Arai

App & Media - iSPARX™
Product Owner - Finn Beattie
Content Developer - Ethan Wimsett
App Developer - James Norling
360° capture - Mackenzie Hill

Content - indigi.nz™ / Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision / WCC Archives

Production House - NJL Productions for ALPHA State Limited / ARTIVIST : creative
Projection - CUBEMAN
Projection - NW Group / Oceania & Spyglass
Audio - NJL Productions
Structures - Tana Group

Actors:
Lorraine A Ward, Ollie Hutton, Joel Ruys, Ethan Wimsett, Inshirah Mahal, Annaliese Rosa Brown, Teuila Ofamo'oni-Ah Hi, Vishmi Helaratne, Jake Massih, Wolfe Girardin Jodoin, James Costin, Kelda Morris, Samuel Fa’atinga Ropati + the 8 other Wellingtonian volunteers