Te Puia (formerly known as the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute of New Zealand) has undergone a period of transformation within the last two years. Chief Executive Officer Te Taru White shares how this iconic institution has repositioned itself to enable culture and commerce to be reconciled.
Rotorua has long been ingrained as one of the most popular tourism destinations in Aotearoa. And the jewel of the geothermal wonderland’s crown is Te Puia, New Zealand’s oldest and most visited cultural centre. Over the last 18 months, the centre has worked hard to re-brand its image not purely as a tourist destination but as a premier cultural experience.
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“The prioritisation of cultural integrity over commerce has also meant the reframing of all of Te Puia’s storytelling into a Maori knowledge context. “There are no myths and legends in our culture, they are knowledge systems. When you talk myths and legends you are conjuring up a Disney perspective of our culture.” And that’s far from the kind of education that Te Puia hopes will invigorate its students and 65 staff who are mostly from within the Whakarewarewa Valley. They are, after all, continuing in the traditions of their whanau who worked in roles such as guides or carvers.”
“With a truely unique value proposition that brings a positive return not only to balance sheets but to the local community, Te Puia is the only centre of its kind internationally that is self-funded. Similar cultural centres are subsidised by other sources of income. For iwi who want their own cultural centre, Te Taru explains that they have to decide on the values driving the business. “They have to decide if they want to make a profit, if they want to break even or if they want to make a statement about their identity.”
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