Personalised Passion Project: Beast King Kabuki

For the past few weeks on Wananga, we have been working on our personalised passion projects. We have assembled a group of seven people, five from our Wananga and two from another Wananga next to our classroom. On the first day, we brainstormed our ideas and concluded into creating a life-sized sculpture which is the "King of the Beast" from a Kabuki play. Kabuki is a form of theatre, Japanese theatre. We also developed our driving question; How can we use sustainable materials (recycle), such as newspaper and cardboard to create art--life-size sculpture? 

On the following day, we began to construct a plan and the measurements of the sculpture whilst thinking about the materials we require to make the sculpture. Proceeding to Wednesday, we began to measure the cardboard around the torso including, arms and hands. We then began to cut out the pieces that we measured around the torso, arms and hands. On Friday, we measured and cut the body, head and put together some of the pieces cut. Overall, the materials we used include cardboard, newspapers and any other junk. 

Yellow Brick Road: Post-reading Questions - English

1. The narrator's reason for moving to Wellington is money. It has been mentioned that they were poor and that they couldn't stay poor all the time. We can also comprehend their financial struggles as the limited space in the car and its problems. Moving to Wellington could ultimately change their lives, and fix their financial problems. 

2. The several differences between Wellington and Waituhi are the people. Throughout their drive to Wellington, people would be disrespectful towards them and sped past them without stopping. They also mentioned how there were fewer Pakeha in Waituhi and plenty in Wellington. 

3. Dad told Uncle Sam they were moving to Wellington because Dad had enough of shearing, the fruit-picking and the going down South to shear some more. Moving to Wellington could give them better jobs that pay more than the jobs they do at Waituhi. Overall, Dad wanted a new start for his kids so that they would grow up with everything.

4. The narrator's attitude changed once they got closer to the Emerald City (Wellington), he was excited and happy. Although, once he saw the numerous yellow signs that instructed them about the road. He began to feel scared and sang to himself to feel consoled. 

5. The Emerald City, Yellow Brick Road, Flying Monkeys, scarecrow, tinman and cowardly lion, are all allusions (references) to "The Wizard of Oz". I believe that Witi Ihimaera used references from The Wizard of Oz as the characters from The Wizard of Oz believed that by going to Emerald City, they will be helped. Similar to the characters from Witi Ihimaera, where the family is poor, resulting in the journey to go to the Emerald City (Wellington). They might not know what awaits at Emerald City, however, it could still fix their problems. 

Yellow Brick Road: Pre-reading Questions - English

1. Witi Ihimaera was born on February 7, 1977, in Waituhi, near Gisborne, New Zealand. Ihimaera is an author, novelist and short-story writer, anthologist and librettist. He is known for being the first Maori to publish both a book of short stories and novels about Maori rather than a European. Many of his work has been adapted to films, including Mahana, Déwé Gorodé: Écrire Le Pays, White Lies, Kawa' and Whale Rider.

2. The title "Yellow Brick Road", for me symbolises hard work and wealth. Yellow bricks could be determined as gold which can relate to hard work and wealth. 

3. Based on the title, "Yellow Brick Road" could be about a journey about people where they face several challenged on the way to reach their goal. 

Some of his works: