People of KarangahapeAll projects

People of Karangahape

Karangahape Road is one of the most important hubs of human activity and celebration in Aotearoa, and has been since well before Europeans appeared in Tāmaki Makaurau. As one of the busiest thoroughfares in the country, K’ Road has truly seen it all, writing itself into the history books for having housed some of the most notable and notorious individuals in Aotearoa. Karangahape Road has always been the tūrangawaewae for Takatāpui Māori and a cultural home and safespace for Auckland’s queer and gender diverse communities.

People of Karangahape

Project brief

Challenges

Currently, there is no place online, or elsewhere, for queer and Takatāpui people to learn of their heritage, stories and struggles of those in the community who came before. These stories are in danger of slipping into the past and being lost forever.

Solutions

We needed to create an anchor point to bind important stories from Tāmaki Makaurau’s cultural heritage that are currently in danger of being lost. This website provides a safe online platform to showcase these stories, and protect them for generations of queer and takatāpui people to come.

Results

The digital series has improved public access to vital information. Providing the space for young LGBTQI+ people to learn about and experience their cultural heritage. As well as a place for older LGBTQI+ people to reconnect with their own cultural identity.