Wairua Winter Wellness Workshops

Toi Oriwa Creative & friends invite you to participate in a 7 week program where your art practice is cultivated to help with the emotional and mental wellness of yourself and your community.

This is for all the adults that need time to replenish and refocus on the health and wellbeing of your inner self. Join Oriwa and friends in one or all of the workshops and take a big step forward to retune your body and soul through creative activation and meditation.

For more information check out the Museum’s @TeAwamutuMuseum or @ToiOrwaCreative Facebook. To book phone 07 872 0085.

Toi Oriwa Creative Space

The Te Awamutu Museum implemented an opportunity to activate creativity in the Museum from a Māori arts practitioner perspective. It embodies a collaborative learning experience empowering visitors to ignite and inspire their own creativity.

Oriwa Morgan-Ward of Toi Oriwa Creative was invited to develop a creative space open to the public on Saturdays. A regular workshop presenter for the Museum, specialising in Māori culture through a creative lenz, transformed a corner of the education space into an active experience for visitors.

Ko wai au? From which waters do I flow from?

A whakapapa of Tainui, Te Arawa and Ngāpuhi, Oriwas has always had a connection to her iwi and papa kāinga through the strong legacy her mother Rosie Morgan (nee Tahwai) had shared with her and her whānau from as far back as she can remember. Born in Tokoroa, raised in Australia later moving to America where she had her son, Oriwa returned to Aotearoa in 2013.

“On returning home I knew I wanted to reinvent myself and therefore pursued my love of everything Te Ao Māori and enrolled in a Te Reo Māori class”

Continuing with her Te Ao Māori journey Oriwa relocated to Hawkes Bay studying a Bachelor of Māori Art at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Heretaunga. Upon completing her degree, Oriwa returned home to Putaruru making a special journey to visit with Uenuku at the Te Awamutu Museum. It was then she built a strong creative relationship with the Museum and for the following four years, began presenting a number of Māori creative public programs including Pā Harakeke – a six month solo artist studio installed in the main gallery. Following on from the success of her public programs and studio installation Oriwa was asked to develop a space within the mezzanine that would activate creativity and inspire visitors into the Museum and learn more about what we have on offer.

Toi Oriwa Creative Space is open everyday up in the mezzanine area and Oriwa is in the space on Saturdays from 10am-2pm. Please check with our reception to confirm dates when Oriwa is in the space.

Keep up with the latest workshops, creative activities and more….