Toa – It’s time to talk
By Hud Rapata, in conjunction with the Toa Whānau community
Toa is a not-for-profit stage play with a theme of Suicide Awareness, created for the community, by the community.
Our tagline is: It’s time to talk. Toa started off as a play that I wrote over 30 years ago, it came to light again recently due to conversation with the many friends who have lost loved ones to suicide. Since then, it’s grown into two evening productions of performing arts, inspiring speakers, kai and conversation – a time to connect, and more. This is all in response to our community telling us ‘We need to talk about this, to remove the stigma and help people reach out (both those suffering and their whanau), we need to connect and support one another – it’s time to talk. Actor and well-known Māori Healer Dion B Raniuia Freeman coined the phrase during the rehearsals, ‘a community that feels together, heals together’ and that’s certainly been the case with everyone involved in this project.
We can’t hide from this forever, and pretend it’s not happening, almost everyone we’ve spoken to (and we’ve talked to a lot of people in our community – thank you everyone for your feedback) has had direct experience of suicide at some point, with either close friends, family members, or through their own struggles, and we are making a move towards open and honest conversation so we can all help each other, and know it’s okay to reach out.
The play sits in Te Ao Māori with a strong focus on the healing principles of Te Whare Tapa Whā – we know to focus on our physical, and more recently also on our mental health, but this also includes our whānau connections (our sense of belonging, which is difficult in Queenstown with so many people living far from their families), and wairua – the spiritual. The play has been carefully produced and directed with sensitivity, vulnerability and compassion, in conjunction with those who have lost loved ones - the bereaved families, who we refer to as Whānau Aroha.
The play is dynamic, emotional, and thought-provoking, from a cast and crew who have this experience held within their being, who know what it’s like to go through this. We invite the audience to sit with this, as the second part of the evening brings inspirational speakers, who speak with experience of transforming grief into hope, and learning to live again. For those who need to step out, we have a private safe space organised, with help on hand. The third part of the evening is our kai and connect time, where our audience is invited to have a bite to eat and a cuppa, talk to local services, find out more about what is available locally, talk to cast and crew and others who have been through this, talk to each other, and take away information for follow-up support. We are also currently developing a website to further promote these services, as well as share stories, and create a space for people to connect.
Life isn’t easy for anyone right now; our struggles are numerous and our services are stretched. We are all doing our best. The feedback we’ve received is that this isn’t enough, the narrative must change, and it’s time for us to do something about it, in the most compassionate and connected way possible. The taboo needs to be lifted, the conversation to start, and - to create a supportive future for our town. When we suffer with our mental wellbeing, it’s our bodies’ way of telling us that something is very wrong – our inner spirit telling us that something is not well within. Often though, we are too busy, too stretched, too noisy within ourselves to reach out, and sometimes we live in the antiquated ideas of mental health, of shame, blame and embarrassment. There are many organisations out there looking to rewrite the script, and for us we bring this to reality with our play, Toa.
We are a community willing to stand up and be counted and bring critical attention to the facts. Feeling suicidal is a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to be the end of life. Come and share these precious evenings with us, this topic can affect anyone, no matter your background, if you’re human, this is for you. Stand with us and make a difference to liberate ourselves from outdated mindsets – it’s time to help each other, it’s time to talk.
Toa - The Play. It’s Time to Talk.
When: 11th and 12th of July, 7pm – 9pm
Where: Athenaeum Hall, Arrowtown
With Special thanks to Body Sanctum, Blue Kanu, QPACT, Warehouse Stationery, Healling Aotearoa, Check In and Rā Designs.
