Performing Te Whare Tapa Whā: building on cultural rights to decolonise prison theatre practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ngā Pātū Kōrero: Walls That Talk (2019) is a documentary theatre production staged by incarcerated men at Unit 8 Te Piriti at Auckland Prison in Aotearoa New Zealand. The performance was built around Te Whare Tapa Whā (The House of Four Sides) – a model of Māori health that participants engaged with as part of their therapy for being convicted of sex offences. This article discusses the use of masks in performance and the significance of Te Whare Tapa Whā as a dramaturgical device. What insights for decolonising prison theatre practices can be advanced by building on foundations of cultural rights?