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ABOUT
Page Under Construction
We are currently transitioning from Tuatara Collective Limited to Tuatara Collective Trust. Only website information relevant to this organisational structural change is being updated.
All project-based information remains unchanged.
Tuatara Collective brings artists together to collaborate and turn our own Aotearoa stories into art. Our voice, our music, and our dance is most powerful when our hearts are entwined in the roots of the work. Tuatara Collective will produce and present art to general public, communities and schools, locally, nationally and internationally. All projects will have relevant themes that will provide the basis for community workshops to facilitate kōrero. The Over My Dead Body series by Jason Te Mete was the debut for Tuatara Collective, beginning with development seasons of UNINVITED at Auckland Pride Festival, and LITTLE BLACK BITCH at Kia Mau Festival in Wellington, followed by Matariki at Auckland's Basement Theatre and Artworks Theatre on Waiheke Island. These productions received excellent reviews which enabled Tuatara Collective to gain funding and support to present fully professional seasons - LBB in 2020 and UNINVITED in 2021.
Other projects include Over My Dead Body: WITH THESE HANDS (Waiheke 2020) in collaboration with Artworks Theatre, FIA FIA and FRESH CHOICE (2020) and our inaugural HAU Festival [te Hī me te Hā] in August 2022 as part of the Artist's In Residence programme at Basement Theatre. The festival events included Hine Te Rēhia, Garage Party and Ka'a [little shit].
Tuatara Collective is working together with Ahipoutu Collective (formerly) Moana Moko) in Tauranga Moana to deliver a series of free Māori Theatre and Wellbeing Wānanga, as well as He Toi Kupu - a large scale community engagement programme in 2022/2023 - made possible with funding support from Creative New Zealand.
WHAKAPAPA
JASON TE METE
Kaiwhakahaere
Jason Te Mete (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi) is a freelance actor, singer,
dancer, director, pianist, and most recently, playwright/writer.
Jason received outstanding reviews for his performance as Mitch Albom in the
NZ premiere of ‘Tuesdays With Morrie’ (Newmarket Stage Company), and his
recent performance and musical direction of the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe
Festival season of 'K'Rd Strip', Okareka Dance Company's highly acclaimed
devised work received 5-star international reviews. He has performed in the NZ
premiere of ‘Billy Elliot’, ‘You Can Always Hand Them Back’, ‘Guys And Dolls’ and
‘Stepping Out’ (Auckland Theatre Company), ‘The Mikado’, ‘Anything Goes’ and
‘La Cage Aux Folles’ (Court Theatre, Christchurch), Raymond Hawthorne’s
acclaimed production of ‘The Consul’ (Opera Factory), and was the first to play
iconic Angel Dumott Schunard in NZ in the premiere of ‘Rent’ in 2007.
Jason has directed over 30 musicals, some of which include ‘Edges’ (Rebel
Theatre), ‘Mrs McGinty & The Bizarre Plant’ (The Court Theatre), Les Miserables’,
‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Dreamgirls’, ‘The Wiz’ and ‘The 25th Annual Putnam
County Spelling Bee’ (Manukau Performing Arts), which won 9 NAPTA Awards
including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Ensemble Cast. He has musically directed ‘Altar Boyz’ (Fortune Theatre, Dunedin), 'Little Shop of Horrors’, 'Checkout Chicks' and ‘The Twits’ (ATC), and 'Blood Brothers’ with Annie Whittle & Ray Woolf.
His first play ‘LITTLE BLACK BITCH’ was the winner of the 2018 Adam Play Award for Best Play by a Māori Playwright.
He was Programme Leader of Performing Arts at Manukau Institute of Technology until 2020 when the Creative Arts faculty was disestablished. He continues to create new indigenous stories for stage and screen, and actively pursues opportunities to assist rangatahi to step into the industry.
TĀWERA ORMSBY
Kaiwhakahaere
Tāwera hails from Ngāti Porou and Ngāpuhi. She has over 20 years experience
in administration (Human Resources, contracts, accounting) and group
facilitation work for community-based and Kaupapa Māori organisations in
South Auckland.
She is an advocate for Māori and Pasifika whānau and community development,
and has always had an interest in performing arts & kapa haka. She is a mother
to 3 children who are actively involved in the arts, because of which, as a parent
helper, she has gained a number of skills in production.
Tūī is a descendent of Ohomairangi and Mākuratawhiti of the Ngāti Ohomairangi
people. Her grandparents hail from the vessels Te Arawa, Hōkioi, Tainui, Uruao,
Hohou-te-rongo, Kaiwhare, Mataatua, Nukutere, Nukutaimemeha, Paikea, Ārai-te-
uru, Uruao, Tākitimu, Manuka, Maahunui, and Kurahaupō.
A highly skilled Māori performing artist, Tūī is an expert in Mau rākau a Matarua
(Weaponry Māori). She specialises in patu (short clubs). Tūī is senior wahine
karanga for her many pā and marae. Tūī is a skilled and thorough researcher, and
a trained Human Rights Commissioner (Taku Manawa).
Tūī is a creator, composer, tutor and first female leader and tutor of
Te Matarae-i-Ōrehu 1994 - 1997 (top National Kapa Haka), and over the last 25+
years she has been a judge for Māori performing art forms from primary through
to tertiary level, including senior regionals for Te Matatini and various ahurei and
ahurea throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, Hawai’i and Australia.
Tūī has performed in the ‘creme de la creme kapa haka’ throughout Aotearoa,
including Te Matarae-i-Ōrehu, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Te Arahi, Te Rautahi, Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao, and Waihirere.
Tūī led the Aotearoa Māori Cultural Group part of the NZ Symphony Brass Band Orchestra on a European Tour to the World Music Championships in Kerkrade Netherlands 2005. She has toured extensively locally, nationally and globally, leading, managing, performing, negotiating, marketing, and co-ordinating kapa haka tours and performances in many forums and is an experienced Cultural Ambassador for Aotearoa New Zealand.
