Matariki Fire Show in Whangarei

The Northland Community Circus Network are set to Light Up Northland this Matariki with fire shows in four Northland centres starting at the Twilight Festival in Whangarei in two weeks.

Matariki, the traditional Maori New Year, is marked at the first appearance of the Matariki star cluster - also known as the Pleiades or seven sisters.

The pre dawn rise of the cluster can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the new year is marked at the next new moon - this year on 14 June.

The shows, in Whangarei, Dargaville, Kaikohe and Waipu will be around 45 minutes long. The shows follow Maui's search for fire, created by Kumarani's two French circus teachers Matt Merle and Joe Carvalho or Co. Tangatawiwi Circus.

Joe and Matt are building fire sculptures and coaching teams with local support. A core team of the best Northland performers, including Unicycle World Street Style Champion Chris Huriwai from Kaikohe, will take
part in all shows but each will have its own local artists and flavour. The Waipu Highland Pipe band will play in Waipu, and international visitors, local artists and cultural groups are lined up for different shows.

The network is made up of local circus groups - Dargaville's Kumarani, the Whangarei Community Circus, Circool Circus in Waipu and emerging groups in Kaitaia and Kaikohe. They would like to thank the three Northland district councils' creative communities schemes and Northpine for their support.

Amokura Family Violence Prevention Consortium, have generously supported all four shows. We invite everyone to Step Back this New Year and join us in a unique and spectacular celebration the whole family can enjoy.

Show dates are: Saturday 29th May at the Quarry Arts Centre as part of the Twilight Youth Festival in Whangarei, then Saturday 6pm on the 12th June in Dargaville, the 19th June @ Kaikohe Speedway and 26th June at Caledonian
Park in Waipu. Rain dates are the following Sunday or check www.circuskumarani.co.nz

Koha donations are appreciated which will go towards the funding shortfall and to support local programmes. Production Manager for the shows Thomas Hinz is still keen to hear from artists, photographers, filmmakers and sound engineers who would like to take part in the project. He can be contacted on 093613801 or 021939501. Mark your calendar now to support this exciting initiative of what we hope will become an iconic annual Matariki event in
Northland.