Aaron Hapuku
Frankenstein (2016)
A descendant of Ngāti Kahungunu (ki Heretaunga) and Tainui (Ngāti Mahuta), Aaron has been involved in Māori performing arts, theatre performance and traditional Māori weaponry arts for a number of years.
He is a member of Te Ahikōmau a Hamo Te Rangi, regularly performing at Te Matatini. Aaron travelled and performed extensively as a member of Moana and Tribe with acclaimed Māori singer and songwriter Moana Maniapoto. He was a member of Ngāti Rānana (The London Māori Club) as a performer, kaiāwhina and composer, founding member of Manaia Ltd and a student and teacher for Maramara Tōtara.
Aaron has a degree in Māori Performing Arts from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and a master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Te Whare Wānga o Otago (Otago University). He is the current chairperson and Taura Pouwhakarae (Pou Waru) of Te Whare Tū Taua o Waitaha and works as a Māori health lecturer and researcher at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (Canterbury University). Aaron has performed and co-directed with Free Theatre on Footprints/Tapuwae (2015), The Black Rider (2017), A Winter’s Tale (2019), The Axe (2021) and several of the companies Ubu Nights (2014-19) and is an advisor and researcher for Te Puna Toi Performance Research Centre.
He is a member of Te Ahikōmau a Hamo Te Rangi, regularly performing at Te Matatini. Aaron travelled and performed extensively as a member of Moana and Tribe with acclaimed Māori singer and songwriter Moana Maniapoto. He was a member of Ngāti Rānana (The London Māori Club) as a performer, kaiāwhina and composer, founding member of Manaia Ltd and a student and teacher for Maramara Tōtara.
Aaron has a degree in Māori Performing Arts from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and a master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Te Whare Wānga o Otago (Otago University). He is the current chairperson and Taura Pouwhakarae (Pou Waru) of Te Whare Tū Taua o Waitaha and works as a Māori health lecturer and researcher at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (Canterbury University). Aaron has performed and co-directed with Free Theatre on Footprints/Tapuwae (2015), The Black Rider (2017), A Winter’s Tale (2019), The Axe (2021) and several of the companies Ubu Nights (2014-19) and is an advisor and researcher for Te Puna Toi Performance Research Centre.
