PŪNGAO - ENERGY

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the bad news and the busyness of life? Do you feel like the world needs more good in it? Do you feel like there is nothing you can do to bring more positive impact to your community? 

Supporting Pūngao (Energy), in any way, will put you front and centre in bringing light to the darkness of today.

PŪNGAO (Energy) is the next work from Whakamana Creatives; a dance theatre project developed from studio residency partnerships with The Auckland Performing Arts Centre and Ellen Melville Centre. Our work uses contemporary dance, through the lens of Te Ao Māori, expressed through workshops, company rehearsals and open performances. We use dance to address some of the most pressing issues facing our communities – both local and global – leaving participants with activated energies to take back for themselves, their whānau, and their community.

We need your help to support the artists to workshop this new work (August - November) 2025, and present it at TAPAC in December 2025.

About Us

Whakamana Creatives tells stories of indigeneity, justice, solidarity, healing, and resilience through movement, research, and interdisciplinary arts. We support other artists to reclaim narrative power, foster inclusion, and create space for truth-telling, connection, and transformative social change.

Our most recent works have included The Embodied Research Lab (2024-2025), NGĀ PUNGAREHU (2024) and Matariki Dance Workshop (2025). Now, with support from Boosted E Tū Toi, we’re proud to present our newest project: PŪNGAO.

Tiaki Kerei – Kaiwhakahaere/Director (Whakamana Creatives) Choreographer, Performer. Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa. 

Tiaki Kerei is synonymous with the development and recognition of Māori contemporary dance, fostering innovative choreographic platforms in Aotearoa and internationally. Since 1999, he has been recognized in Aotearoa with his selection as the Whakahaungia Choreographic Commission recipient by Toi Māori, and winning of an A.M.P Scholarship which enabled him to travel to the United States. In addition to his extensive work across the dance industry in Aotearoa, Tiaki has been a visiting Assistant Professor at University of California Riverside, as Artist in Residence at University of California Berkeley, at the Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Regent’s Scholar at University of California Los Angeles, and a contributor to Indigenous Choreographer’s at Riverside Project fostering new directions for Indigenous contemporary dance. Most recently Tiaki, has continued to broaden perceptions of ngā toi Māori by establishing Whakamana Creatives, and the Embodied Research Lab in Aotearoa. Both these projects are driven by community and intercultural dance practice and deeply driven by innovative approaches from Tikanga Māori towards movement, choreography, connection, and resilience.

Mitra Khaleghian – Kaiwhakaputa/Producer (Whakamana Creatives). 

Born in Tamaki Aotearoa/New Zealand to migrant parents escaping extremist persecution, Mitra and her family were privileged to be embraced by Mãori and Pasifika communities, with Mitra being whangai to Whakatõhea of Ōpōtiki during her youth. This unique whakapapa has provided her the opportunity to commit over 20+years to designing, and leading, community interventions with groups across the Pacific, Afghanistan, Syria, East/Central Africa, Malaysia, and Ukraine to counter racial, political, and social conflict. Mitra has managed government/community awards valued at over $200 million NZD (so she'll make sure your generous donations are ethically spent!) and has produced live shows as well as content for international film and television outlets. As a longtime artist advocate, she co-founded Whakamana Creatives (with Tiaki Kerei) in 2024.

Together, we are committed to cultivating indigenous inspired arts spaces that honour the interconnectedness of mind, body, community, cultures, people, and place. Drawing on traditional knowledge and practices, we explore collective well-being, cultural revitalisation, unity, and positive social transformation. With your support, PŪNGAO can expand its reach through full show development—including rehearsal and presentation—and engaging public workshops.

We would be incredibly grateful for your support to help bring PŪNGAO to the stage. Every dollar you contribute will go directly toward making this project happen. Here’s how your generous donation will be used:

• Project Venue Costs – Renting a space to host our project workshops, rehearsals and performances.
• Artists Fee – Helping cover the costs of artists contributing to the Creation Lab and performance.
• Production Design Materials – Bringing our vision to life through digital, costume, set and sound design.
• Marketing – Reaching as many people as possible to ensure this powerful experience/project is accessible to all. 

We would appreciate and be grateful for your support. We look forward to creating this special experience with your help, and seeing you at the workshops and performance!

PŪNGAO (Energy) is the next work from Whakamana Creatives; - a dance theatre project developed from studio residency partnerships with The Auckland Performing Arts Centre and Ellen Melville Centre. Our work uses contemporary dance, through the lens of Te Ao Māori, expressed through workshops, company rehearsals and open performances. 

Co-led by Māori choreographer / project facilitator Tiaki Kerei and producer Mitra Khaleghian with other Māori and tāuiwi collaborators, our work ignites authentic desire to create collective joy, resonance and whanaungatanga (connection) through community-driven and global facing initiatives in Aotearoa/New Zealand and beyond. This practice began in 2018 as a weekly community dance gathering emphasising accessibility and hauora (wellbeing) called Movement for Joy based at Corban Estate Arts Centre, gradually expanded to workshops in Hawaii, California, New York and throughout Aotearoa. In 2024, Movement for Joy became Whakamana: to strengthen / advocate for each other’s mana (self respect / inherent essence) and broader social and global outreach goals. In August 2024, Whakamana Creatives, the entity, was co-founded by Kerei and Khaleghian who produce opportunities for strategic partnerships, performance and innovative social impact arts. Their first work “Ngā Pungarehu / Ashes” was presented at TAPAC in November 2024 to rave reviews. 

Funds from this campaign will support Whakamana Creatives to workshop this latest work, Pūngao, from August 2025 and present the full work in December 2025.

What We’re Doing & Why

PŪNGAO will explore the themes of movement, heat, light, growth and Māori cosmology. It’s a series of workshops (for the public), a studio creation lab (for the ensemble), with a performance outcome in theatre, for invited guests, donors, and the public. 

Community Workshops: Led by renowned choreographer Tiaki Kerei, the public workshops are open to all backgrounds and abilities. Through guided improvisation, discussion and self-exploration, participants will deepen connection to te ao Māori and each other. More than just movement, this is a celebration of joy, self-expression and collective wellbeing, honouring our ancestry, while embracing the future.

Creative Lab: The creative lab brings together diverse artistic practitioners in a studio setting. The Lab will explore physical movement and traditional practice, upheld by the framework of Te Ao Māori, to research and develop ideas for the formation of the full scale, international level, show Pūgano.

Performance: A combined ensemble of Māori, Tau Iwi, and Tangata Tiriti artists will perform a tour-ready show for invited guests, donors, and the public at TAPAC Theatre in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland in 

Your generous donations will support local artists, make high quality arts accessible to our local communities, and reinforce the Pūngao – Energy – of diversity, cultural and ancestral knowledge, strength, and unity we all so desperately need.