Connected

Everything is connected… right?

A connection is when two things come together, when a link is established. Is it important to be connected to something? Someone? Is that not what we all want? To be accepted or noticed by the world.

Connected is a free performance by Toitoi's Creative Leaders. In it, the rangatahi of Te Matau-a-Māui explore the challenges they've faced this year, how they overcome them and what they want for the future.

This full-scale performance uses the four elements to explore our life cycle. Wind focuses on discovery - how relationships come and go. Fire examines failure and how sometimes we must fight to survive, and thrive. Water shows us the many pathways we can choose and how that effects who we become. Earth is reflective - it teaches us to learn from our mistakes and empowers us to grow.

A band on stage and multimedia elements support the performers and enhance the story.

The 2022 Toitoi Creative Leaders come from secondary schools across the rohe and are aged between 14 and 18. With musicians, actors, dancers, writers, and a technical team, this group have spent the past 10 weeks creating this performance ready for the public. Come along and see our what our youth have achieved on the Toitoi stage!

NB: All photography used in Connected is courtesy of Simon Cartwright.