A group of Māori game developers and creatives are heading to China hoping to get an insight into the country’s booming tech scene.
We spoke to some of the participants before their upcoming trip.
One of the participants, Manawa Udy (Te Arawa, Mataatua, Tainui) from Ngahere Communities said she is looking forward to building business relationships during the trip.
“We’ve got a really cool schedule visiting a lot of spaces and like technology, creative technology, game development, we’re going to a gaming expo and will be talking about things like IP and protecting culture and place.
“It’s a packed out schedule going to three different cities. And yeah, we’ve got our foot in the door, some pretty amazing companies. So I’m excited.”
Ngahere communities has been running for six years focused on providing co-working spaces for creatives from the community.
Udy said the itinerary is packed with meetings and events which will be an eye-opener for her.
“The technology in China is so much more advanced and to be able to experience that alongside other Māori creative businesses, I’m excited for what going to create in the future.”
She said her goal is to come away with having built connections with her fellow creatives.
“I think as much as the experiences and the learnings in China are going to be amazing. I think the goal always comes in the connections that we’ve built with those from back home.”
Amber Taylor (Ngāti Whātua,Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi) is another participant heading to China and co-founded a digital technology company ARA Journeys.
It is Taylor’s second business trip to China and hopes to formalise some of the partnerships she made prior.
“It’s really about formalising our partnerships as well as creating and forming some new partnerships. But really cementing the work that I had put in last year to be able to look at transitioning into the China market.”
ARA Journeys was established in 2018 to bring indigenous stories to life through augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
The company has seen success with some of its games like ‘Journeys of Manu’ and ‘Tuwhiri’.
Pita Taylor-Heke (Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) is the founder of Aoerit Games and Productions, and works and lives in Whanganui.
“I really feel like I’m representing my iwi here so I’m really wanting to bring back a lot of the knowledge about how China does business in the gaming sector.”
Taylor-Heke will be one of the teina of the delegation and hopes to represent the younger generation.
“Basically share the Māori spirit, our mauri. I really want to communicate how our people conduct business and our processes.”
He is currently working on a project creating mini-games aimed at promoting health and well-being through the Te Whare Tapa Whā framework.
In terms of his own business, he wants to tap into the Chinese market to understand their audiences better.
“Sort of to get an understanding of what sort of games the Asian market is looking for. I’ve got a fair idea for myself but I would like to hear from these businesses and how they navigate that.”
The trip is sponsored by Asia New Zealand Foundation and is taking place between July 21 to 29.