Spirit of Matariki

Pupils of Opoho Primary School, in Dunedin, (from left) David Knauf, James Muir, Promit Saha, Kairi Mertensen-Morunga and Isabel McAughten (all 7) dance with the ghost puppets they made as partof the Matariki celebration.

Pupils have been making puppets to represent the ghosts of their ancestors as the school celebrates the Maori new year.

Each class created ghost puppets for a Matariki concert this Friday.

Pupils will perform Maori songs and parade their puppets through streets around the school. The pupils were being assisted by local artists Kaitrin McMullan and Drew Willis as part of the Artists in Schools programme funded by the Dunedin City Council.

- George Driver