Every day Tainui Tukiwaho (Tuhoe/Te Arawa) works in the creative sector he feels lucky to be paying bills and supporting his family by, as his friend put it, "being an egg and playing games". It also comes after a lot of hard work and support. 

Tainui tells us how during his journey to build Te Pou, a home for Maori Theatre in Auckland, he was supported by ART Venture coaches and mentors.

* The call is out now for entrepreneurial creatives in Auckland to put forward an Expression of Interest to join ART Venture in 2016. See more details below.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work: 

I am recognised as a 'Maori' actor, director and producer and so too is my work. I used to really dislike that. Not because I am ashamed of being Maori, far from it. In fact I’m a little sad for those of you who aren’t Maori, because being Maori is awesome. I disliked it because of the logic behind that categorization, which was normally offered based on my aesthetic or even my name. 

With the work we have been doing at Te Pou and with the shows we have created over the years, I hope that the reasoning for that recognition has changed. I hope it speaks of the process that I apply while navigating my way through this creative industry. Regardless of the origin of the story I am telling, the kaupapa and tikanga of te ao Maori remains present as my compass.
        
What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?

A while ago my friends at home asked me what actors actually do. After I explained he said:
“Ow just sounds like people give you money to be an egg and play games all day.”
“I suppose they do bro,” I answered.
          
This is what thrills me the most. Every day I work in this industry, I smile to myself remembering that I am in fact paying my bills and supporting my family by, as my friend put it, being an egg and playing games. What a lucky person I am.

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?

The most important thing I have learnt in business is that people are worth infinitely more than money. It becomes increasingly difficult to remember this as more money becomes available to you. If you can remember, those people will still be there long after the money runs out.

You are an established creative entrepreneur so why did you need a business development programme? 

“Knowledge is only power if one knows what facts NOT to bother with” - Robert Staughton Lynd

I didn’t know. I read and spoke to people about running a business and asked for tips on how to grow, which was wonderful but it is very easy to drown in all that good advice. I needed to learn how to swim or at least float amongst it all.

As a result of being on ART Venture:

• I’ve gained: Insight in to many aspects of business I didn’t know existed.
• I’ve worked with: A wonderful group of motivated entrepreneurs.
• I’ve connected with: I connected with a broad and varied group of artists, art forms and people I would never have met.
• I’ve built: A home for Maori Theatre in Auckland.
• I’ve contributed: For my roopu I feel I have contributed my unique world perspective that is born of my connection to te ao Maori.  

What has been the enduring impact - professional and personally?

Enduring impact is a hard thing to answer, I am still going through the process with ART Venture. 
 
Why would you recommend other creative entrepreneurs apply for ART Venture?

I find it really hard to explain ART Venture, even to my family and friends. I’m still not exactly sure how to unpack everything I experienced last year. What I do know, is that as I was on my journey to build our whare I was surrounded with business experts that created a uniquely flexible and supportive environment that held me with an equal share of softness when it was needed and hardness when what I actually needed was a kick up the a**. 

What’s your big idea for 2016?

I am planting a lot of seeds in 2016. I'm not expecting any fruit this year, but next year I hope to be able to feed our whole whanau with what we produce.

About Tainui Tukiwaho

Tainui Tukiwaho is a graduate of the Unitec Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts and has been working as a professional actor over the past decade on screen and in theatre. Tainui took over as Director of SmackBang Theatre Company in 2008 with Charles Unwin. Tainui has been directing and producing works for SmackBang since early 2008 for many of the weekly productions in The K-Road Project at Te Karanga Gallery on Auckland’s Karangahape Road. In 2011 he closed SmackBang to open a company that had a 100 percent te ao Maori focus Te Rehia Theatre in his time working with this company he produced and directed shows that had strong tikanga and reo maori content and has set him on the path that he is currently traveling.

In 2014 Tainui won the role of CEO of Takirua the national Maori theatre company, where his skills as a producer were challenged and was blessed with the experience gained from working in such a role, leaving the position with many more skills than when he began. In 2015, Tainui decided it was time to take the next step in supporting Maori theatre and he began Ruia taitea Creative and from that company Te Pou Theatre was born. Tainui continues to act, produce and direct in the performing arts industry and takes great pleasure working with varied and diverse companies and individuals.

About ART Venture

ART Venture is for entrepreneurial practitioners, producers and leaders who are serious about accelerating their skills, projects, organisations and businesses, while also contributing significantly to Auckland through their creative talent, public-good focus and business innovation. 

Now in its seventh year, the programme is an initiative of Arts Regional Trust Te Taumata Toi-a-iwi (ART) with delivery partner, The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui. 

ART Venture Expressions of Interest for participating in the 2016 programme are open now and close on Wednesday 24 February 2016, 5pm. 

Experience A Taste of ART Venture to find out if it’s for you on Monday, 15 February 2016, 5.30 – 8.30pm at Q Theatre, Auckland.