On a Sunday in Te Atatū, tamariki are juggling, tumbling and swinging from aerial hoops and trapezes. But this isn’t your typical circus class.
Te Kura Maninirau is a circus school created by The Dust Palace and Te Pou Theatre, bringing contemporary circus together with tikanga and mātauranga Māori in a space designed to feel welcoming and familiar for whānau.
Established in 2023, Te Kura Maninirau now runs classes from the The Dust Palace studio in Ellerslie and Te Atatū Peninsula Community Centre, primarily for tamariki aged seven to 14 years old. Students learn everything from ground-based skills like juggling and tumbling to aerial disciplines including hoop and trapeze.
What makes Te Kura Maninirau different is its intentional grounding in tikanga and mātauranga Māori. Each term explores different areas of mātauranga Māori, with Māori kaiako delivering a programme designed from the ground up to be culturally grounded for tamariki and whānau.
The kaupapa also challenges the idea that circus is an exclusively European art form, drawing connections between contemporary circus and traditions of object manipulation, acrobatics and taonga tākaro within te ao Māori.
Keeping the programme accessible is central to how it works. Classes operate on a koha basis, which helps remove the financial barrier that can put extracurricular activities out of reach for some whānau.
And there is no shortage of demand. Around 60 students currently attend each week, with another 40 to 50 on the waiting list and approximately 100 tamariki moving through Te Kura Maninirau each year.
The Trusts is proud to support the school through the Your West Support Fund, helping cover venue hire, kaiako costs and the maintenance and purchase of specialist circus equipment.
Dust Palace School Manager Natasha Van Etten says, “We want tamariki and whānau to walk into this space and feel that circus is for them. By grounding Te Kura Maninirau in tikanga and mātauranga Māori, while keeping classes koha-based, we can create a place where young people can explore something completely different, build confidence and stay connected to their culture.”
The Trusts CEO Allan Pollard says making activities accessible to more West Auckland whānau is exactly what the Your West Support Fund is designed to do.
“It’s opening up an exciting art form to kids who may never otherwise have had the opportunity to try it, while creating a space where they can feel completely at home. We’re proud to help keep that opportunity accessible for West Auckland whānau.”
For tamariki in Te Atatū and across The West, it adds up to something pretty rare: a chance to try an art form most people only ever watch, taught by Māori kaiako, in a space built for them.
Learn more about Te Kura Maninirau at thedustpalace.co.nz or follow The Dust Palace on Facebook.
If you or your organisation could use support from The Trusts, find out how to apply at thetrusts.co.nz/our-funds.
