Streams of Consciousness: Te Aroha o Te Wai

Hawke's Bay Youth Theatre, Toi Whakaari Taiohi o te Matau-a-Maui Senior Company presents Streams of Consciousness: Te Aroha o Te Wai, in association with Hawke's Bay Arts Festival at Arts Inc Heretaunga on Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 October.

A state of change
In which she no longer recognises herself reflected in the world
A changing state
The only eternal kind
And the formation of a new one.

Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 shocked Hawke's Bay into action, sending ripples of upheaval and change with which the community is still grappling. It signalled a seismic shift in our relationship with the natural world, a reminder of our own mortality, and a humbling of the way in which we perceive the natural taonga surrounding the daily life of the community.

In the ancient story of our rivers, our awa, we find the cyclical rhythms of expansion and contraction, and the often violent catalysts of massive destruction, renewal, and growth. If we're paying close attention, we even find these rhythms within ourselves.

Hawke's Bay Youth Theatre, Toi Whakaari Taiohi o te Matau-a-Maui, is delighted to share this original devised work of poetry, physical theatre, and storytelling that examines the lives of a constellation of characters as they grapple with adversity and relationship, all braided into the flow of time and water.

HaBYT's Senior Company is an auditioned theatre training programme for 15-19 year olds with a focus on advanced acting skills that pave the way for possible further tertiary training. The core principle of the Company is whānaungatanga - the treasuring of connection, community and trust. Throughout the year Company members work closely together to develop their craft as actors on performers with a key focus on voice, collaborative movement and character work. 

The seeds of this piece were germinated through a collaborative cross cultural exploration with the rangatahi of Unity Theatre, Liverpool - Piki Ake: Rising - funded by the NZ Pacific British Council.