Toi Aro is one of six Kaupapa Māori Toi Principles that focuses on Self-Reflection, to be intuitive and to be guided by Wairua / spirituality. This principle also informs the use of our imagination in creative practice and the discipline of being self-critical.
Developed in 2021, our Toi Aro 5-day programme has been delivered for the benefit of the Rangatahi Court and Oranga Tamariki. Participants receive kōrero, guidance and Mātauranga / knowledge from our carvers providing an awareness and understanding about their Whakapapa / their relationships, their own morals and values and the importrance of being self-critical.
Carving their Patu throughout the week participants will stand in their Mana and present their creative mahi and narrative to whānau and friends on the final day of the programme.
Toi Aro cultivates a sense of identity and of knowing. It develops practical skills, self awareness and emotional intelligence and how it can be informed by personal and, or, collective trauma.
Creativity is a fundamental part of what makes us human, whether it be art, music, or storytelling. Without creativity our lives would be incredibly dull. The word Toi means more than just the word ‘art’, it implies that when something is created, such as snow turning into water to settle in a lake, or even a child being born, it goes through a series of processes before it comes to life. In Te Ao Māori, we know this as being Tapu and becoming Noa, the sacred becoming of use to us. Toi Aro is one of those processes, through the process of self-reflection. As Rangatahi grow up, they seek meaning about themselves and their identity, and many parents will agree that this can be one of the most challenging things to navigate the older their child gets.
Our Toi Aro programme can be tailored made to be delivered in 5-days or over a school term.