Media Releases
10 June 2009 – A Million Poems for Matariki
The Devonport Community Coordinator, with the support of Michele Leggott (the current New Zealand Poet Laureate), the Michael King Writers’ Centre, and the Devonport Library, is organizing an ambitious community project to celebrate Matariki, the month-long Maori New Year celebration.Entitled ,A Million Poems for Matariki, the project encourages the entire Devonport peninsula community to engage in the celebration of Matariki by being creative and giving poetry a go.
A beautifully framed A4 poster serves as a canvas for each poem. On the back of the poster, you find guidelines as well as Michele Leggott’s words of encouragement for budding and established poets:
“When the stars of Matariki come over the northeastern horizon just before dawn early in June the old year ends and a new year is be-
ginning. Is the star cluster bright and jewel-like in a clear sky or a hazy shimmer in the east? Look up or look into your imagination and tell us what Matariki looks like from where you stand in the world of light. We’d like to have a sky-ful of poems to read and put up around our community, so write a poem on this poster and be part of A Million Poems for Matariki!”
The project aims to give posters to all primary and intermediate school-age children on the peninsula. Also, anyone in the community can pick up posters from the Devonport Library, the Devonport Community House, or the Depot Artspace.
The finished posters will be hung all around the community, in shop windows, at the Devonport library, the Devonport Community House, cafés, etc, anywhere there is a free spot! There will also be a culminating event held at the Depot Artspace on Sunday 26 June, from 1-3 pm.
The project’s vision is that the posters will line the Devonport peninsula community like stars in the sky during the next school holidays (July 4 – July 20). This way the spirit of Matariki will spread wide and that it will connect all in the celebration of the Maori New Year.
A Million Poems for Matariki is funded by the North Shore City Council Creative Communities Scheme.
For more information, please contact Maire Vieth @ 445 9533 or 021 776 057 or on dportcomm@xtra.co.nz
Visit the Poet Laureate blog site at NZ Poet Laureate to read Michele's blogs and see pictures of her visits to Devonport schools.
More Releases
19 August 2010 – Residency programme for 2011 announced
20 July 2010 – A Million Poems at the Library - National Poetry Day, 30 July 2010
20 June 2010 – Residential Workshop, October 2010
14 June 2010 – Matariki sparks an innovative community poetry project
14 June 2010 – A Million Poems for Matariki: Devonport
14 June 2010 – A Million Poems for Matariki: Otahuhu
14 June 2010 – A Million Poems for Matariki: The University of Auckland
09 June 2010 – Michael King Writers' Centre Residential Workshop 2010
07 April 2010 – The University of Auckland/Creative New Zealand Writer-in-Residence 2010
26 March 2010 – New Chairman for Michael King Writers' Studio Trust
17 March 2010 – Whale traditions explored
2009
11 December 2009 – First Maori writer's residency announced: calling for applications for 2010
10 December 2009 – Calling for applications for six-month residency in 2010
28 October 2009 – Top writers selected for residencies
29 September 2009 – Heritage Week events
18 August 2009 – Applications are now open for two short residencies in early 2010
18 August 2009 – Call for applications for two short residencies in 2010
18 August 2009 – Short residencies 2010 - How to Apply
25 June 2009 – New writer-in-residence selected
18 June 2009 – Hometown celebration for Poet Laureate
10 June 2009 – A Million Poems for Matariki
03 June 2009 – Jam Radio features Michael King Writers' Centre authors
19 May 2009 – Residency opportunity confirmed for 2009
06 May 2009 – New residency opportunity coming up in 2009
06 March 2009 – Hill Standing Above - speech by Bob Ross at launch of history booklet
06 March 2009 – Hill Standing Above - history booklet launched
06 January 2009 – Two Writers-in-Residence Selected