THE MANA WAKA - 'Living Canvas'

The Mana Waka is a 40ft traveling art house on wheels, a 4.1m high coastline bus with a dedicated 3.5m studio space. Its defining feature is the large mural it will carry in collaboration with First Nations Artists and community.

This 'Living Canvas' is a life size depiction of a Traditional Maori Canoe called a WAKA. It will travel the full length of the bus at just under 12m. Woven into the Waka will be the Rainbow Serpent, celebrating our relationships to the the land we love, the people we serve, bringing to life the creation stories here for us all to learn and enjoy.

We are welcoming FUNDS FOR ARTISTS TO PAINT THE MURAL on the grounds of HOTA, Home Of The Arts on the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, QLD Australia, for 5 days launching week MAY 9-13th, by the lakeside.

Leading 'The Mana Waka' is WHAIA Sonic Weaver of Ngati Kahunungu Iwi as Artistic Director, in collaboration with Maori concept is Kimiora Ratana, a Gold Coast based artist from Te Awamutu, Te Ati Haunui a Paparangi Iwi, Aotearoa NZ. The head of the Rainbow Serpent is being guided and blessed by Elder Uncle Magpie Goolimboorin and his family of the Bundjalung Nation.

Our Kaitiaki Tohora/Guardian Whale will also come to life - "seeing through the eyes of our tipuna/ancestors".

We are welcoming volunteers/sponsorships/donations of nourishment to be part of the process this week of MAY 9-13th. Please get in touch with us.

Following the journey The Mana Waka will continue to invite other artists to contribute to the piece as it travels and touches community with its work, hence the ‘Living Canvas’. We aim to engage in regional communities offering cultural exchange, music, art, education and inspiration to all. This collaboration intends on reinforcing relationships, whilst including new ones within our wider global creative community.

We are welcoming all artists to join us in painting the mural on the grounds of HOTA, on the Gold Coast the week leading into the launch of her maiden voyage. Please get in touch with us NOW.

We are working in partnership with Corrina Bonshek & Collaborators, ’Song To The Ocean’ FREE show starting on -

SATURDAY 13th of MAY @6pm

*@5pm Will be the official blessing of

The Mana Waka - Living Canvas

Donations will go directly to the collaborating artists and elders involved, their amazing talents and time and their nourishment/travel expenses for the week. We are raising for 5 artists and elders to paint and bless The Mana Waka during 5 days in residence at HOTA covering all materials paint,food,travel/admin etc. Our stretch funds we hope to support 2X contributing artists on tour to work with NAFA, Northern Australia Festival of the Arts in Townsville through JUNE and Uluru in JULY.

We have secured inkind sponsorship from HOTA and Corrina Bonshek & Collaborators. The Rainbow Serpent is an honorary space held to celebrate our Indigenous Aboriginal family of artists. The Waka will carry open space inviting artists we connect to via the ocean. The Mana Waka is an evolving piece of art gifted to community working for community, we hold space for future collaborative artworks.