Delivery
The unit started with a visit to Taraika, to give new students a more in-depth look at the marae and provide an opportunity for others to observe it in a new context. They discussed the opportunities and practicalities in hanging panels, and sketched ideas for installing the panels – one constraint being that they couldn't be placed on the back wall which is reserved for photographs commemorating those who died while attending/working at Wellington High. They also had to think about any other possible constraints imposed by cultural considerations while discussing how they might approach their brief. Kylie says she directed the class to work out their own solutions, rather than imposing hers, and that their brainstorming sessions resulted in some interesting ideas.
The students agreed that a common theme would unify the individual panels and decided to incorporate the school tikanga using words from it on each panel to make them learning tools as well as decoration. They researched the meaning and background of the tikanga and chose key words for the panels. Each student was randomly allocated a word. The girls linked the tikanga to their school environment and its location in Mt Cook, overlooking the city, and spent a lot of time thinking about how they would integrate everything into their designs. They walked around the area, sketching or taking photos, and interviewed teachers and fellow students about their viewpoint and the values they associated with the school (It proved too difficult to meet with non-school users of the marae, so students acknowledged their role but didn't consult them).
The class discussed their brief with Matua Ben who suggested some ideas and pointed out that Taraika is for everyone involved with the school, so that representing different cultures within the Māori context was acceptable.
The students researched traditional Māori crafts, particularly the tukutuku (panel weaving) and Kowhaiwhai (rafter paintings) commonly seen in maraes, as well as contemporary Māori art. They also looked at the commercialisation of Māori culture and its artistic use by non-Māori, both within New Zealand and internationally. This led on to a discussion about intellectual property and how this might apply to traditional indigenous art. The class visited the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa marae to observe the decoration, and sketched particular features or made rubbings of patterns which might be suitable to adapt and use in the panels.
Stakeholder consultation was an important part of the design process and the students made up a survey asking for feedback from some of their other key stakeholders – the principal and deputy principals, and teachers who were Māori or had strong links to Māoridom. They also met with wider stakeholders – kapa haka students, general teaching staff, auxiliary staff and fellow students, to discuss their ideas.
During this time the class practised a variety of fabric manipulation techniques which they might choose to use in their work – a variety of pleating, weaving and gathering methods, freehand stitch sketching, fabric painting, screen-printing, cross-stitching, and appliqué, and Kylie demonstrated photographic screen-printing. Students used some of these techniques in their panels and included other skills they had learnt at school or home, such as knotting or plaiting styles.
As the students designed their panels they had to think about how they might represent their theme, and what techniques they could use to do this, such as representing waves by pleating blue fabric. They trialled different sections before beginning construction of the panel, to ensure that features worked and fitted as planned, and to allow for any changes if something wasn't right or didn't look as effective as imagined.
Each student was given plain calico and allocated $10 for materials. This was later increased to $15 when it became too difficult to work within, but students still had to plan carefully and sometimes compromise, one student, for example, could only use a few dye colours rather than the assortment she would have preferred.
After completing their trialling and selecting their final designs, the class started to make their pattern pieces and prepare to dye fabric, hook wool, etc. They presented their designs to a meeting of eight teachers and received positive feedback but, as in the real world, controversy did arise. One participant questioned the placement of the Māori word on the panel, suggesting that its location below the English version implied an inferior status. During a heated discussion the teachers decided that given the marae context, the tikanga words should be in Māori.
The students were annoyed at their designs being misinterpreted, explaining how their positioning would have the Māori word at eye level, and why they thought it should be in English as well. They agreed to call the principal and deputy principal into class to adjudicate and, after listening to an explanation as to why the wording should be in Māori, understood the reasoning even though they still disagreed. This was a good learning experience for the students in terms of realising that although a technologist might be fully involved in creating something, it is the client who makes final decisions.
This was the main hiccup the students faced, and work progressed relatively smoothly from there, with individual students making any adjustments their design required during construction.
The Marae from before the installation of the panels
The Marae after installation of the panels
