The Motuhake Series: The Perfect Gift
This was the second instalment of the highly acclaimed Motuhake series. The show/workshop was created by Justin Haiu (New Zealand Dance Company, Whiteface Crew, Lion King), and his team.
It was a professional show with Pacific Island actors, facilitators, role models and a drama therapist. Like most of our school shows, it encompassed a workshop in which 20 selected children worked for 1 hour with the facilitators to be incorporated into the show.
It was the story of brothers in search of a gift worthy of the affection and appreciation they feel for their mother. They travelled through war-zones, flew on make believe flying carpets, and so much more, all in search of the perfect gift.
Key Competencies
The themes were caring, sharing, resilience and empathy. It was also about believing in yourself and having each other's back to create a positive outcome.
"Don't give up, don't give in, you've got to hang on until you win."
The ‘perfect gif't’ isn’t about how big it is, how grand it is, or how expensive and flash it is… it’s about the heart of the gift, the meaning of it, and the way in which it’s given. While they can’t give their mum riches or treasures, what they finally discover is they can give her joy and love in the gift of a song.
A song about her, the perfect gift.
“Words cannot express our thanks for you and your team and the care you showed our students. The leadership programme you ran with our children was very personalised and relevant to their needs. The way you identified with our learners was more than we could have ever expected. So much so, that during your time with us, one of our children felt safe enough to step forward and ask us for help. That fact that he knew how to ask for help and that he knew it was OK to ask and expect us to support him can 100% be linked to your programme. You, your team, and your programme should be in ALL schools. Students all around New Zealand need exposure to steps they can take to finding themselves, and links to support networks. It was a very powerful learning time for me too as a school leader. ”
“It was not only great for the kids but it was also a wonderful reminder for our teachers about the power and effectiveness of learning through the creative medium.”