Glen Eden School
Region: Auckland
Art form: Visual Arts
Project name: Ngā Hau e Whā Mural Project
Creative name: Victoria Scott
Project Information:
In 2020, we established a bi-lingual pathway in Te Reo Māori which has expanded to now include ākonga from Years 3 to 6. In consultation with mana whenua and whānau, this unit was given the name Ngā Hau e Whā, meaning the Four Winds. The name is symbolic of being a place for ākonga from everywhere to come and learn and it resonates not just within our bi-lingual classes, but across the school. Within the unit, there are tamariki who not only whakapapa back to different iwi and locations, but also those who are the children of migrants from many countries. This is also the case in our whole school with many ethnicities and cultural identities represented. Alongside this, Te Kawerau ā Maki who are mana whenua, have gifted us a beautiful school pepeha that pays homage to the taonga of our area. Our goal is to create a community mural on one of the exterior walls of the bi-lingual classes that embodies the essence of Ngā Hau e Whā and our school pepeha; and represents our tamariki, whānau, kura and wider community. This would be a taonga for us to connect to and value for many years to come.
Our creative will support us to collaboratively develop, formulate and implement a design that students, whānau and staff can contribute to and identify themselves in. It will represent their identity in the context of our community. A group of 30 students will then look more closely at imagery that represents the concepts that came out of the initial sessions and collaboratively design what this could look like. This group of students will then participate in creating and painting the mural.
Vic will investigate our pepeha and the background of Ngā Hau e Whā with the lead teacher and kaiako to support. She will hold a staff hui and a whānau hui to explain the goals and process of the project and provide an opportunity for them to contribute design ideas. Vic will work with classes of Years 3-6 students to explore the meaning of our pepeha, components within it and our relationship to it before critically thinking about other artist’s work and what our school and community mural could look like. Vic will work with a group of 30 students to develop the imagery from the initial design concept sessions, including a trip to Arataki to look at the pou and local landmarks and landscape, and look at other community murals around our area. Once complete, the mural will be blessed and there will be a school and whānau presentation and celebration.
Project starting: February 2023
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