Special Event on 16 September: Māori Ocean Culture in Venice

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

Venice, Verona, 16 September 2025 – An international event celebrating the encounter between the ancient Māori culture of Aotearoa-New Zealand and the Venice lagoon will take place 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.

The project forms part of the international cooperation pathway promoted by Tocatì, a Programme for the Safeguarding of Traditional Games and Sports, inscribed since 2022 in the UNESCO Register of Good Practices for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and of which AGA is the lead organizatio, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture and the respective Ministries of Culture of France, Belgium, Cyprus and Croatia.

The 16 September Event

The day will open with a visit to the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, where Māori delegates, UNESCO representatives, AGA and participating institutions will be welcomed by a traditional Māori dance performance in the island's park.

View the full event agenda here

Book your place for the afternoon workshops here

Note: the workshops will be held with Italian interpretation available

The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre is the first and only centre in Italy dedicated to ocean education. Co-designed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and UNESCO-IOC, the initiative is promoted by the Prada Group and UNESCO-IOC within the framework of the SEA BEYOND project, active since 2019 to raise awareness about ocean sustainability and preservation among younger generations.

The heart of the initiative will consist of afternoon workshops, open to the public, that explore the profound connection between Māori culture and the ocean: "Tangaroa, god of the ocean", a journey into Māori cosmogony, discovering marine deities and the relationship between humanity and the sea; "Waka, the ancestral vessel", focusing on the traditional construction of Māori canoes, symbols of identity and instruments of migration and memory. Ocean music will further enrich the implementation of the two workshops with the presentation and participatory construction of ancestral instruments such as the Pūtātara, a ceremonial shell of profound cultural and environmental significance.

The island of San Servolo, a bridge between land and sea, will be transformed into a meeting place between cultures united by the centrality of the ocean in the vision of the relationship between humanity and nature. Through this initiative, UNESCO and AGA strengthen their commitment to promoting inclusive ocean education and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

Associazione Giochi Antichi (Association for Ancient Games) – Communication Office
mediamk@associazionegiochiantichi.it  
www.associazionegiochiantichi.it  

UNESCO-IOC Ocean Literacy project office
j.coulton@unesco.org
oceanliteracy.unesco.org  

Event organized with the support of the UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Culture in Europe, the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, San Servolo Servizi, Venezia da Vivere and under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Culture.