Taieri College will host a free whānau-friendly Matariki event with performance, arts and crafts and a hāngi.
The Taieri Community Matariki Celebration will open with kapa haka, karakia and protocols, then people can enjoy sets from about four bands, a choir, a hip-hop crew and a drama group in the Performing Arts Centre.
While the entertainment is taking place, there will also be a quieter area in the school library and a family-friendly space in the indoor training centre where the wider community can enjoy arts, crafts, games and movement activities.
Taieri College kaitiaki of tikanga Māori and Pasifika Te Maio Tamati-Stirling said the evening was an expansion of a whānau showcase the school staged last year.
"We kind of had a bit of a review afterwards and just said, you know, [that was] actually pretty successful, enjoyed that, that was great, let’s just keep that going," Mr Tamati-Stirling said.
A complimentary hāngi, provided by Te Whare Tapa Whā o Taiari, will be served from about 6.30pm, with the aim to feed as many as possible while portions last.
Kai prepared by the food tech staff will be available in the Performing Arts Centre foyer.
"So we have got two fronts of kai going on there."
In the library, visitors will be invited to make a "wishing star".
"They will write an aspiration or a hope or something like that and they can decorate it a bit and then we can hang it up and they look really cool," Mr Tamati-Stirling said.
Pulling the evening together has been a whole-school effort.
"There’s heaps of people behind it to make it work, so very exciting and very fun," he said.
Mr Tamati-Stirling hopes the night will help the college stand out as a hub for the wider community as well as a celebration of the Matariki season.
"I just think the festivity, the joy and the positivity around the whole thing is just a pleasure to see," he said.
He is keen to cater not only for the school’s whānau and students but also the broader public.
"We are excited to see how many come in."
The event is a collaboration between the college, Te Whare Tapa Whā o Taiari and Taieri Network, with the support of the Puaka Matariki Festival.
Taieri Community Matariki Celebration
Friday, June 26
5.30pm - Arts, crafts, movement activities
6pm - Taieri College Matariki showcase
6.30pm - Free hāngī, while supplies last
Taieri College, 3 Green St, Mosgiel
