Who We Are

Our Kaupapa

Te Matatini was established to foster, develop and protect traditional Māori performing arts in the pursuit of excellence. To achieve this purpose, Te Matatini aims to:

• Promote the awareness, importance, and appreciation of traditional Māori performing arts;
• Revive, maintain and protect the traditional Māori performing arts;
• Encourage and promote participation in the traditional Māori performing arts;
• Foster and promote all aspects of tikanga Māori that is essential to the traditional Māori performing arts;
• Identify, build and strengthen organisation structures and infrastructures at regional, national and international levels for the development, delivery, and performance of traditional Māori performing arts;
• Establish and maintain relationships with organisations whose objects are to further traditional Māori art forms;
• Develop and engage with all sectors of the community, with special regard to rangatahi, so as to encourage interest, participation, and to develop depth and continuity for the traditional Māori performing arts;
• Advance strong governance, direction, and policy that will enhance quality management for the Society and all members of the Society;
• Advance the Society as the national advocate in all aspects of traditional Māori performing arts;
• Advance relationships with public and private sector orgnaisations that could support or mutually benefit from traditional Māori performing arts in Aotearoa and internationally
• Be the principal stakeholder of the National Festival or the traditional Māori performing arts and to ensure that high quality performances in the traditional Māori performing arts is attained;
• Set the highest standards for competitions both nationally and regionally by ensuring that the organisation, results for competitions, and judging meet quality benchmark standards.