Kumo Taiko 10th Anniversary Concert

We are Kumo Taiko, an amateur Japanese drumming group based in Auckland. For 10 years we have shared the power and spirit of taiko at local festivals, cultural events, and community celebrations.

To mark our 10th anniversary, we are producing our first-ever full-length concert, TEN, in a professional theatre on Labour Weekend 2025. This milestone event will bring together 34 performers, original compositions, and the energy of a decade of drumming.

To make it possible, we need your help to cover essential costs including venue hire, technical crew, drum transport, costumes, stage design, marketing, and professional photography and video. Our goal is to raise $5,000 so we can keep ticket prices affordable and share this experience with as many people as possible.

Help us raise the curtain on TEN!  Every gift brings us closer to making this unforgettable anniversary concert a reality.

Kumo Taiko is a community-based Japanese drumming group based in Auckland. Since 2015, we’ve been bringing the powerful rhythms of taiko to stages, schools, and festivals across Aotearoa.

Rooted in Japanese ensemble drumming traditions, taiko is more than music — it's movement, teamwork, and storytelling. Our group is made up of everyday Aucklanders from all walks of life who come together to train, perform, and share the joy of taiko with the wider community

Meet the Team

• Jane, our concert producer, has nearly 20 years of taiko experience. She previously co-founded Tamashii Taiko and produced several full-scale taiko concerts, including Taka, a fusion piece that won the 2013 Viva Eclectika competition.
• Jean-François, drum maker and taiko performer, has crafted every drum Kumo Taiko uses. He also built the largest hiradaiko (flat taiko drum) in New Zealand, which has been used by international artists and on national TV.

Our performers represent the cultural diversity of Auckland. We rehearse weekly and donate our time voluntarily, united by a shared love for the art of taiko.

Kumo Taiko is 100% volunteer-led and not-for-profit. All of our rehearsals, admin, event planning, and logistics are managed by members in their own time. We keep things going through small gigs and membership fees, but a large-scale concert like TEN requires greater support.

We’re seeking $5,000 to help fund:

• Venue hire and technical equipment
• Drum transport and maintenance
• Costumes and stage design
• Marketing and ticketing
• Photography and video documentation

Every dollar you give will go directly toward creating a high-quality, community-centred cultural event.

This October, Kumo Taiko will mark its 10-year anniversary with a major public concert: TEN.

This full-length event will celebrate the group’s first decade with original compositions, choreographed routines, and dynamic performances that showcase the energy, cultural depth, and community spirit of taiko drumming. With 34 performers ranging in age from 16 to 75, this will be our most ambitious production yet.

Taiko is about more than performance — it’s about connection. The deep, resonant sound of the drum invites people to be present, to feel, and to move together.

By supporting this campaign, you’re helping to sustain a unique, grassroots arts group and bring a powerful expression of culture to the Auckland stage. You’re also showing that community-led creative projects matter.

Save the Date

🗓 Sunday 26 October 2025 📍 Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom

We’d love to see you in the audience — but right now, we need your help to get there.