The Turner Centre is inviting the community to help shape its future identity as it embarks on a new chapter as Toiwaka Turner Centre.
The invitation follows a period of consultation with trustees, staff, stakeholders, the Turner family and community members as part of the rebranding process.
What emerged was not a single personality, but many.
Some people described the Turner Centre as vibrant, energetic and social. Others saw it as thoughtful, reflective and inspiring. For some, it is a place for performance and creativity. For others, it is a community gathering place, a learning space, a venue for celebration, or a hub for cultural expression.
Rather than defining a single identity, the consultation highlighted the diversity of people, programmes and experiences that make up the Turner Centre community.
That insight became the starting point for the rebrand.
The new name is derived from Te Ranga Toi Waka, a vision that was workshopped with community and gifted through partnership with Ngāti Rēhia, meaning “the waka that weaves together all of the arts.” It reflects the centre’s role as a place where people, cultures, stories and creative experiences come together.
The Turner family, who were consulted throughout the process, welcomed the change, reflecting on the vision of founder Doug Turner. “We know that he would approve of ‘change’ if it meant the betterment of the Arts in Kerikeri, as it was his exceptional ability to think past the ‘here and now’ that gives us all – Toiwaka Turner Centre – today!”
This renaming is part of a broader cultural movement taking root in Kerikeri. Ngāti Rēhia and Far North District Council are leading Te Rauora – The Revitalisation, a collective commitment to normalising te reo Māori in everyday life across education, community spaces, and commerce – and the Toiwaka Turner Centre is proud to be part of that journey.
As part of the transition to Toiwaka Turner Centre, people of all ages and backgrounds are being invited to contribute their own interpretation of the letter “T”. These contributions will help inform a visual identity that reflects the many generations, cultures, interests and artforms that come together at the centre.
The project aims to create an identity that feels uniquely local and collectively owned – one shaped by the community that uses it.
A community workshop will be held at the Toiwaka Turner Centre on 17 July, with additional opportunities for schools, community groups, retirement villages and individuals to participate both in person and online.
The final identity will be developed over the coming months and unveiled alongside the new website in early 2027.
For more information, contact the Toiwaka Turner Centre General Manager, Gerry Paul: gerry.paul@turnercentre.co.nz / 027 600 3369
