THE SWING
The Swing
Theatre Marae that seeks to unravel the shame and hurt that clouds and distorts the subjects of ngau whiore (sexual abuse) and whakamomori (suicide).
Therapeutic origins
Writer Helen Pearse-Otene (PhD) is a registered and practising psychologist and Jim Moriarty MNZM is a registered psychiatric nurse.
For the past 20 years Jim and Helen have been working with survivors, perpetrators and family members affected by trauma as a programme facilitators, group therapists, researchers and registered mental health professionals.
As part of a kaupapa Māori community research project hosted by Massey University and Kōkiri Marae, Jim and Helen worked with a group of men, women and whānau members who were sexually harmed by family members, in response-based practices, to explore ways of moving forward.
Jim and Helen have brought this work to the rehearsal room floor as directors with Te Rākau Theatre. The Swing is the creative outcome of the group's work together.
Video of The Swing
Kaupapa Māori services
Through the story of one whānau dealing with incest and suicide, mirrored by the the pūrakau of Tāne Mahuta and Hine Nui Te Po, The Swing takes a detailed, researched and caring account of one family’s attempt to manage ngau whiore and navigate a process of restoration.
Jim and Helen have found many people not getting successful treatment in one to one therapeutic settings, with some reporting being retraumatised and the lack of cultural knowledge is a hindrance.
Kaupapa Māori group-based therapies and holistic services that are provided in Māori communities - such as Iwi social services - are effective but underfunded (or not funded at all), and do not meet the standards for ACC sensitive claims services.
We have knowledge of applying the healing and educational potential of pūrākau in the context of the whare tapere (customary house of entertainment).
Presentation
The initial development of The Swing attracted positive feedback about the value and necessity of such a project.
Te Rākau has worked with the whānau with lived experience and other communities to present The Swing.
The Swing weaves the pūrākau of Tānemahuta and Hinetītama to portray a whānau and their journey of recovering from the shadow of ngau whiore and whakamomori.
As an event it opens a public space for communities to connect with the wider community, organisations, policy makers, support services, and experts tasked with addressing incest, child abuse, family violence and suicide in Aotearoa-NZ.
As a development experience it offers a way to strengthen whānau and people’s understanding of complex issues in our community, creating a safe and enriching space to grow cultural capability and responsiveness. It offers support services a different lens and framework to use when working with whānau.
As a community based rangahau project it brings community members together to process their lived experiences and research the resonance of the pūrākau through a Māori performance practice.
Work with us
We would like to work with communities who need this kōrero brought into the light – prisons, marae, social services, hauora providers, Government agencies and training institutions, mental health hui and regional festivals to name a few.
We believe there is an urgent need for strategies, resources, and hands-on engagement to address these issues. Get in touch with us now to discuss how The Swing can help open a conversation for your community.
The Swing weaves the ancestral pūrākau of Tānemahuta - atua of light and Hinetītama - daughter of dawn, into a contemporary portrayal of whānau struggling to recover from the shadow of ngau whiore (sexual abuse) and whakamomori (suicide).
This work is the creative outcome of a community kaupapa Māori research project hosted by Kōkiri Marae and Massey University that started in 2018. Since then, it has been developed into a theatre play with a quality filmed version created in 2023.
Audiences have said The Swing is “engaging at every level,” “life-changing,” and “filled with wairua, power, grace, healing and truth.”
Kōrero
JIM MORIARTY,
KAITOHU (DIRECTOR)
Our theatre’s intent has always been to bring these korero into the world of light because when we keep them locked up in a cupboard or push them under a carpet, that’s when they can continue to fester or have a negative impact on our people.
LYNDA CHANWAI-EARLE,
REVIEW - THEATREVIEW
The Swing is a powerful and profound call for meaningful action; haunting and healing.
FIONA MCNAMARA,
REVIEW (2023)
A carefully considered and expertly crafted experience that has real potential to be an instigator of change.
MARAMA DAVIDSON,
CHAIR OF MINSTERIAL GROUP (2022)
This raw theatre performance tells the story of the intergenerational trauma of sexual abuse, and the hurt and shame that unravels people’s lives, families and whole communities. It was beautiful, painful and necessary storytelling.
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