Events

Māori Ocean Culture in Venice

Sep 16, 2025, 2:00 PM

Sep 16, 2025, 5:00 PM

Māori culture meets UNESCO-IOC and Associazione Giochi Antichi in Venice to celebrate the ocean as a bridge between cultures

An international event celebrating the encounter between the ancient Māori culture of Aotearoa-New Zealand and the Venice lagoon will take place at the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre on the island of San Servolo, Venice, with a focus on the ocean as a universal, spiritual and identity-forming cultural space: Māori Ocean Culture. The initiative stems from collaboration between Associazione Giochi Antichi (AGA) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC), and precedes the XXIII edition of the Tocatì – International Festival of Street Games in Verona, where the Māori delegation will be guests of honour.

Agenda

14:00 Arrival of the general public and welcome moment

14:15 Start of workshops

14:15 – 16:15 Māori Ocean Culture Workshops (in Italian)

Location: SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre

Workshop 1: Tangaroa Exploring Tangaroa, a central ﬁgure in Māori mythology, son of Ranginui (Sky) and Papatuanuku (Earth), associated with the sea, fertility and creation.

Workshop 2: Waka The “Waka Māori” refers to the traditional Māori canoes, especially the elaborately carved waka taua. The Waka are important cultural symbols, representing identity and community. This workshop will draw parallels with Venetian boats like the gondola and caorlina, exploring the cultural identity represented by maritime vessels.

Special guest: Gloria Rogliani, Venetian rowing champion.

16:30 End of workshops

16:40-16:55 Final traditional Māori dance performance

Location: Outdoor park area near the Centre In case of rain: performance will be cancelled

This event agenda has been developed collaboratively by UNESCO-IOC and AGA and may be subject to change. Follow @oceanliteracy_unescoioc on Instagram for updates.