Matariki Whatarau and Leading Artists Mentor Rangatahi for Manawa Ora Theatre Production

On Thursday, 10 September 2026, actor and musician Matariki Whatarau is working alongside Tāmaki Makaurau rangatahi to help them reclaim their voices through the arts. As a mentor for the kaupapa Māori creative organisation Ngā Rangatahi Toa, Whatarau is helping prepare a new generation for the stage in the upcoming flagship theatre project, Manawa Ora: Taurite. The initiative, based at Auckland’s Q Theatre, departs from conventional performance by allowing young people to devise their own scripts rather than using existing works. Over an intensive 10-day creative wānanga, participants draw on their personal identities and whakaaro to create a production that blends music, rap, dance, and spoken word. According to Waatea News, the programme focuses on rangatahi who have faced challenges in mainstream education or are transitioning into Alternative Education, using creativity as a tool to strengthen their sense of purpose and identity. Whatarau is joined by a cohort of established Aotearoa artists, including Diggy Dupé, Fran Kora, Karlos Saunders Tunks, Brooke and Starce O’Neill, Lionel Wellington, and Nikau Hindman. These mentors work alongside the young performers to build trust and translate complex life experiences into art. The production explores the theme of balance—specifically how young people recalibrate and find stability amidst whānau pressures and the transition into adulthood. Founded in 2009 by educator Sarah Longbottom, Ngā Rangatahi Toa has evolved from a small initiative into a comprehensive creative youth development model. By incorporating kaupapa Māori values and toi Māori, the organisation provides a space for rangatahi Māori to strengthen whakapapa connections. Through projects like Manawa Ora, the kaupapa ensures that young people are not defined by their past struggles, but by the power of the stories they choose to tell.