Workshops on the Wharf - Matariki: Navigation Boats

With the beautiful sunny day forecast the Workshop this week was perfect for the outdoors!  Ann and Sian did their amazing Workshop building cork navigation boats.  This workshop part of the Matariki festival celebrations of the Waterfront.

What you will need:

• corks
• skewers
• chopsticks
• paper 
• toothpicks

Basically you make anything you want, so long as it stays upright.  Corks can be quite hard and toothpicks not strong enough, so an adult might need to help with them.  Decorate your sails and away you go!

Once complete you then test your navigation boat in the water and see how you go across the pond (or bath!). 

It's great fun!

Workshops on the Wharf - Matariki: Time Capsules

What a wonderful wonderful way to start of the celebration of Matariki (Maori New Year).

Tanya ran the workshop making time capsules which I thought was a great idea!

What you will need:

• Pieces of card, preferably coloured with printed 'slits' on them for cutting.
• Stickers
• Markers and pens for colouring
• Printed stickers with the 'Do not open until 10th June 2013" on them, (or whatever the date is for the next Maori New Year).
• Tape

So basically you get your sheet of card, and draw things that you love 'today', favourite movies, items of clothing, friends, and things that you think are important for your time today.

Then select some stickers that you love and stick them onto it on both sides.   Once complete, cut along the slits, roll up into a tube, and use the 'dated sticker' to "seal" the tube.  Then fold the end tabs (that have been formed by the slits), and use tape to seal the ends.  There you have it!

Now you have to wait until next year to open it!

Matariki - Maori New Year

What is Matariki?

Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades, a cluster of stars that can viewed from anywhere in the world.  The rise of the Matariki constellation is an important time in the Maori calender, as it signifies the New Year, and a signal for plantation of crops.

Why is it important?

The Matariki celebrations were held from pre-European settlement right into the 1940's, then reducing in popularity until the dawn of the 21st century where celebrations have been revived and have become a special time of celebration. Matariki was thought to determine the crops for the next season therefore it was important to embrace the New Year to ensure a good crop for the next season.

How is Matariki celebrated?

Historically New Year celebrations provided opportunities for community to come together and acknowledge the year gone by and look forward to the year ahead.  This often included the gathering of whanau (family), sharing of kai (food), korero, traditional rituals and entertainment.  Nowadays celebrations of the Matariki are often extended with a series of festivals, exhibitions and workshops.

Some of the workshops we have done for the festival have inlcuded:

• Time Capsules
• Navigation Boats