Supporting Māori and Pasifika Expressive Knowledge at World Conference

The International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTMD) aims to further the study, practice, documentation, preservation, and dissemination of music and dance of all countries. The ICTMD is an NGO in official consultative relations with UNESCO.

There is widespread recognition within ICTMD that intangible expressions such as song and dance are vehicles for knowledge and communication.

The ICTMD World Conference took take place in Wellington from 9-15 January 2025 and was attended by more than 800 people from 85 countries. This was the first time that the Conference has taken place in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This project enabled Māori and Pacific expressive knowledge in the form of Māori kapa haka (performed by Hiwa Performance Creative) and Samoan dance/siva Samoa (performed by Victoria University of Wellington’s Samoan Student Association) to be included in the Conference Programme.

The project also supported a conference keynote given by Jerome Kavanagh Poutama, which engaged with Māori taonga puoro (sound instruments).

The conference had a number of themes – many that align with National Commission priority areas - including “Indigenous Peoples’ Music and Dance”, “Alternative Approaches and Methods to Research, Education, and Knowledge”, and “Translation, Inclusivity, Reception”.