Tairoa Morrison
Tairoa is currently studying a Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.
This degree has been developed with the aim of producing kaihaka who are valued repositories of mātauranga Māori, te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and Māori performing arts; ensuring graduates have the mātauranga and skill base fully recognised within Māori communities.
Combined with these studies, Tairoa has almost completed his first year at Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa (The National Wood Carving School). He is proud of being accepted into Te Whakairo as only five young carvers are accepted each year and it is a stronghold of traditional carving skills. Students on the course are taught the time-honoured techniques of wood carving.
Tairoa has been performing kapa haka from a young age and is a member of Te Mātārae i Örehu. He loves performing alongside his whānau, and also learning under Wetini-Mitai-Ngatai.
Tairoa’s goals are many, all centred around teaching our tamariki and rangatahi. Once he has graduated he aims to combine performing arts, carving and Te Ao Māori – teaching and sharing knowledge through the art forms he is currently studying.
"Hei painga mo te iwi"
For the betterment of the people
NRAIT is proud of Tairoa and wishes him well with his studies.
May 2019 Update
Tairoa has graduated with his Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi and has also graduated from Ngā Kete Tukuiho (The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute) from the wood carving school. He is in his final year at Massey University, studying a postgrad diploma in teaching (Te Aho Paerewa).