TONO MAI! Creative Residency Applications Now Open!
Exciting artistic opportunity to come and create new mahi whakaari at Te Pou Theatre.
Te Pou Theatre’s Creative Residencies Programme with two residencies is available again in 2026:
Nohonga – Local artist/s based in Tāmaki Makaurau
Nohonga – National artist/s based outside of Tāmaki Makaurau
Calling all Māori Performing Artists and Māori-led arts groups/companies locally and across across the motu to apply for our Nohonga Creative Residency, based here at our whare – Te Pou Theatre. This is a returning programme, supported by Creative New Zealand, providing artists with creative development support to explore ideas and develop a new, bold and exciting performance based work. Residency support includes time, resources, space and the support of the wider Te Pou whānau.
There are two residencies available in 2026, we’re able to offer residencies for local and national artists. These Nohonga are an opportunity for artists to workshop a new concept, refine a scripted work, trial a design concept or dream up a new performance based work. The key outcome of the residency is supporting the development of new whakaari and our Māori creative community.
Key dates:
Submissions open on Mon 10 Nov, 2025
Applications close on 11.59pm, Sun 7 Dec, 2025
Notification: Shortlisting and selection over December/January, with notifications end of January 2026.
"The Nohonga Residency is a gold standard in how to hold space for creatives."
"The more programmes like this, the more work there is! This means more access for so many communities to see top quality work."
"The care and interest [Te Pou Theatre] took in the kaupapa of my work was deeply appreciated too, it made me feel seen and in turn allowed me to really dig deep and delve into the concepts I wanted to test out."
"The Nohonga Artist Residency has been crucial to my arts practice and vision for my work KA|URI going forward. We've built a solid foundation that the Nohonga held strong for us. I hope many other artists get to have this support of the Nohonga in the future, it has catapulted my vision for the work forward and most importantly it nurtures the artist relationships to community. We can't make work without the beautiful eyes of our audiences. It all goes hand in hand."
All images captured by Jinki Cabronero
"I’m grateful to return to the coal face of forging a story of my own making. These days my professional practice sees me applying my skills on someone else's creation. The Te Pou Nohonga gives me the opportunity to return to the craft which gave me those skills. It’s a chance to breathe, to breathe life into an idea, an idea you share with others, others who add to that idea through providing space, resource, kōrero, tākaro, pātai, awhi and understanding of what it takes to forge a story."
This programme is supported by Creative New Zealand through their Residencies Internships and Fellowships Fund.
