Actor and director Jim Moriarty is calling for Te Papa to become the home of indigenous theatre.
He said Māori needed a base in the country's national museum where they could create works and perform for New Zealanders and tourists.
Moriarty, director of the Te Rākau theatre company, said ballet, opera, children's theatre and many other groups had dedicated space while Māori theatre was treated as the poor relation.
Te Papa spokesperson Kate Camp said the museum did not position itself as the home of Māori theatre but did work with iwi to bring New Zealand stories to a wide audience.
