Te Kura Maninirau

Te Kura Maninirau is Aotearoa’s (New Zealand’s) first kaupapa (values-based) Māori circus school, developed by Te Pou Theatre and Dust Palace. The programme creates new learning pathways for tamariki Māori (Māori children) into the circus art form, grounded in culture, movement and joy. They partnered with us to develop a visual identity that expressed their kaupapa (guiding principles) in a contemporary, playful way, one that resonated with tamariki (children) while reflecting the physicality and energy of circus. The identity needed to feel bold and joyful, without relying on familiar circus clichés. Moving away from traditional primary circus colours, the palette was inspired by the whenua (land). Drawing on the long whakapapa (lineage) of Māori arts, we built a flexible visual system rooted in form, rhythm and movement, supported by a suite of modular shapes. The identity was designed to be easily used and evolved by the client across their own communications, retaining mana (integrity) while allowing space for expression that is playful, powerful and unmistakably on-brand.