Te Matatini highlights the profound importance of staying in touch with culture, community and history.

It's a perspective shared by Te Tuinga Whanau chief imagination officer Tommy 'Kapai' Wilson, who is deeply invested in researching this topic.

He says struggling youth who are in need of help are very rarely connected to their tikanga, whakapapa and local history.

Te Matatini, a kapa haka festival held every two years, provides an opportunity to connect to their culture, which often transforms those struggling for the better, according to Tommy.

The well known community leader is also part of an ongoing investigation into this topic, along with I Am Hope mental health advocate Mike King.

"I've been here for 10 years at Te Tuinga Whanau. We do about 4000 interventions every year for struggling youth. That's about 40,000 in total since I've started," says Tommy.

Te Tuinga Whanau chief imagination officer Tommy 'Kapai' Wilson. Photo: File/SunLive.

"Out of those 40,000 interventions we've had, the number of kids who are fluent in Te Reo, are connected to kapa haka, who they are and where they belong, could fit on one hand.

"Why Matatini is like the Olympics of kapa haka, is because it showcases another avenue for our kids to explore their identity, and to anchor themselves to wear they belong. Their Tūrangawaewae.

"Once you understand where you're from and where you belong. You're never going to become a statistic.

"We've got senior police with us. When they look back on young offenders, very few of them have come from a background where they are connected with their marae, can speak Te Reo, or connected to Kapa Haka groups."

Tommy says he is confident the research he is conducting with Mike King will show struggling youth will benefit "hugely" from learning kapa haka, waiata, poi, carving and local history.

"That's the real story of Matatini."

Visitors to The Strand may have heard the waiata coming from the Te Tuinga Whanau building, as they have been gearing up for the festival with the Ngāti Ranginui and Tutarawānanga kapa haka groups.

Te Matatini is a kapa haka competition which has undergone a four year hiatus due to Covid-19. It is hosted by a different iwi every time, with this year's competition being hosted by Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei in Auckland.

The event runs from Thursday, February 22, to Saturday, February 25. To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster. To watch the festival on demand, visit the TVNZ+ website.