How tech enabled an indigenous digital arts platform in Aotearoa NZ

The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t the first act of nature that closed theatres in Aotearoa New Zealand. Before that, there were earthquakes that closed theatres considered unsafe and overdue for lengthy building strengthening projects. Such closures are why one arts festival turned to digital technology to keep performances alive and accessible.

Tawata Productions has created Moana Nui, a “sovereign indigenous arts platform” as a digital venue for its Kia Mau Festival with technology created by Hamilton-based Shift72, the company responsible for enabling online platforms for the Cannes Film Festival and South by Southwest in Texas.

Curator Mīria George, who founded Tawata Productions, says the Moana Nui platform features a range of work, from short documentaries on creators to film of live dance performances, with about 40% of the content from other indigenous communities. “There is a really vibrant and connected global indigenous theatre and dance network, and Moana Nui has been able to tap into that and to share stories from our cousins, some of whom are in the midst of the third wave of COVID,” she says.

Becoming proficient in IT to enable digital performance space

A Ministry of Culture and Heritage COVID relief grant enabled George to use the services of Shift72, investing first in an initial build and, now that the festival is live, in the monthly subscription while festival runs its course. Organising the content, and finding a way to present live dance and drama online, has meant that George and her colleagues, who are all creative professionals, are becoming proficient in IT.

The team are having to manage “all sorts of technical hitches and hurdles along the way,” she says, though they are helped by both the platform itsef and Shift72. Still, the ability to run their own tech, rather than pay an IT professional to do so, is proving hugely beneficial, George says:

As a lean creative company, we don’t want to be burdened with a really big administration. That’s not our kind of company; we’re a creative company. So, our artists, directors, producers are all [working] across the tech space as well. We’ve heard so many stories of creative companies being beholden to the middle person when dealing with anybody in the technology space.

George also notes that a new generation of artists is emerging that isn’t intimidated by technology.

Digital platforms enable greater control for artists

Gaining a better understanding of IT can also mean that performance artists exercise greater control over how their work is presented in the digital space than in the live environment. “I think that is where the real-life industry has to catch up. We’ve seen that time and again across both the live performance and the film industries. These are industries that suffer from terrible inequities and imbalances, so for us to be able to take hold of this space has been an incredibly satisfying process,” George says.

The artists contributing work to Moana Nui have, where appropriate, specified what countries the work can be viewed in—some want it to be open to a global audience, while others just want it seen in Aotearoa for now. “We have very comprehensive geo-blocking ability, and that’s really in line with film, depending on who has the premiere screening rights,” she says.

The digital platform also enables the collection of data showing who is viewing the work, for how long, and how often. This “patron data” has often been hard for artists to gain from live venues. “Patron data has been such a political point of debate for the theatre and dance industry because often venues won’t give companies access to patron data, and so working in this space you have access: You know how many times a work is being accessed, you can see who your big users are. It is just another level of engagement,” George says. She hopes the established theatre business in Wellington “catches up” to this approach.

New technology will enable greater artistic expression

Some of the work will be filmed during live performances at the Kia Mau Festival and then uploaded to Moana Nui. George says they decided against livestreaming the live performances, because they believe a recorded performances that is enhanced in postproduction will provide a better experience for viewers.

In the future, she sees technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality being incorporated into work on the digital platform. In addition to being a playwright and director, George is also a filmmaker and in 2019 had a film at the South by Southwest film festival. It was there she saw how new technology can be used to enhance the digital experience.

“That’s where I see the future of Moana Nui: moving into VR, being more responsive, and the app-connected space as well. This platform can go home with our audience members. We can have intimate experiences, intimate access with our audience. Maybe have a Māori indigenous walking adventure around the waterfront,” she says.

Still, although George considers there are “endless opportunities” in the digital space, it will never quite compare the experience of live theatre and dance. “Nothing could ever replace what it feels like to be sitting in a theatre and watching an electric performance of one of your favourite playwrights happening right in front of you. But in lieu of that, this is another way you can stay connected,” she says.