KarenTe O Kahurangi Waaka-Tibble
- Producer
Twenty-five plus years spent working in Māori tourism proved valuable when Karen Te O Kahurangi Waaka-Tibble moved into television production. The Rotorua local was used to managing people and events, so making TV shows was a natural fit. Now general manager for Kura Productions, Waaka-Tibble has produced nine seasons of children's te reo show Pūkoro, as well as big screen docudrama Maui's Hook.
Biography
When Karen Te O Kahurangi Waaka-Tibble was a child, performing on stage was all in a day's work. Her parents ran concert party group The Rotorua International Māori Entertainers, based at the Rotorua International Hotel. All five kids were expected to pitch in. At age 16, Waaka-Tibble flew to Japan with members of her family to perform at a trade fair. "It was the beginning of traveling the world as an ambassador for Aotearoa. My motto: have poi, will travel!"
Screenography
Awards
2018 Mate20 New Zealand Television Awards
Nominated for Best Maori Programme (with Quinton Hita, Rachel Jean and Nicola Smith): Ahikaroa
“It’s been interesting and challenging that after travelling to many cities around the world promoting New Zealand and Māori, that the hardest place for Māori is here in New Zealand – our own country. ”