Ara Raranga: A Guide to Your Weaving Journey

Kākano | Seed | Beginners

Suggested Attendance: 2 sessions

Taonga: Putiputi (flowers), whetū (stars), ika (fish), and other small taonga.

Whakaari: Learn the essential tikanga of harakeke and take your very first steps into the world of weaving. Most weavers spend 2 sessions here to fully absorb the foundational tikanga, harvesting techniques, and leaf prep before moving forward.

Pihinga | Sprout | Beginner +

Suggested Attendance: 3-4 sessions 

Taonga: Kono (four-cornered food basket) and kōnae (two-cornered basket/pouch).

Whakaari: Watch your skills break through the soil. Move from small decorative items to structural weaving. Take your time to complete your first physical vessels, staying at this level until you have achieved confident, consistent tension and learned several tākiri (closes).

Māhuri | Sapling | Intermediate

Suggested Attendance: 6 sessions (average)

Taonga: Advanced edge-locking styles, Waikawa (open-weave storage baskets) and processing techniques for whiri-based weaving projects. Create your first “green” Kete Timata and Wall hanging to practice basic pattern placement.

Whakaari: Building structural density. This level builds directly on Te Kāhui Pihinga. Just like a young sapling develops its woody trunk, you are moving away from light mahi into material processing. This stage is all about building physical stamina and material mastery through tākiri (stripping fibres) and kōhua (boiling). You stay here until your hands master the strength required for raw preparation mastering advanced structural and preparation techniques to bridge the gap toward complex projects.

• Kōhua and Whakakāno sessions held in Te Aro Studio.

Te Kāhui Tipuranga | Intermediate +

Suggested Attendance: Ongoing

Taonga: Various kete, pīkau, porawhita, kete kai.

Whakaari: Moving toward mastery. You have the raw strength from the Māhuri stage; now you are part of the Tipuranga—the generation of weavers transitioning into complex design work. This stage acts as your official launchpad. Here, you learn how to structurally map out, lock, and preserve complex bases, providing your exact pathway into He Wānanga Motuhake and Te Kāhui Kōrari.

Te Kāhui Kōrari | Independent Studio

Whakaari: Stand tall and independent. An open, unguided studio space for graduate weavers to work on personal projects and share space without a formal tutor.

He Wānanga Motuhake | Specialised Masterclasses

Taonga: Purposeful creation. Immersive, project-focused blocks dedicated to mastering specific, intricate taonga (kete kai, porowhita, pīkau, kete whakairo).