Nu’u Newsletter: Issue Eight
Editor’s Note
Talofa lava!
Welcome to the seventh issue of Nu’u Newsletter.
I created this weekly publication with the intention of facilitating meaningful connections between Moana communities and creative opportunities for learning, collaboration and cultural nourishment. My hope is that Nu’u Newsletter draws you closer to the people, places and experiences that feed you. We eat better when we’re together.
Please email your Moana arts news to nuunewsletter@gmail.com.
Follow Nu’u Newsletter on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop.
Alofa tele,
Dani Kionasina
xx
See
- SUMMER ZINEFEST is here!
Bring your hats, your zine-loving energy & get ready for a day of DIY creativity at Summer Zinefest '25!
THIS Saturday - 1st March
Noon till 5pm
EMC & Freyberg Square
aucklandzinefest.com
60+ zinemakers selling zines, prints & crafts!
Zine Library - chill & read in the square!
Zine Making Station - create your own!
Badge Making - free & fun!
Live Poetry - soak in the vibes!
Come celebrate zine culture, small press & DIY creativity in the heart of the city!
- Inflection PointShannon Novak | Taja Vaetoru | Lucas Grogan | Rozana Lee | Ben McCook-Weir | Andy Leleisi'uao | Aaron Lassey
March 1 - 22
Bergman Gallery | Auckland
3/582 Karangahape Road
(Entrance via 2 Newton Road)
The post-pandemic world stands at a crucial inflection point, reshaping societies, economies, and cultural identities. As the dust settles, the collective consciousness grapples with themes of resilience, transformation, and redefinition. Artists, thinkers, and communities navigate the intersections of past trauma and future possibilities, using creativity as a tool for reflection and progress. This exhibition delves into the raw energy of change, presenting works that reflect powerful, personal experience.
Cook Islands digital artist Aaron Lassey merges technology with artistry, crafting captivating digital portraits that reimagine Pacific art. His work provides a fresh perspective on the region’s creative expression while celebrating the often-overlooked presence of queer Polynesian men. By seamlessly blending the physical and virtual realms, Lassey’s art challenges traditional boundaries and reflects the evolving social landscape of a small Pacific nation.
Read
- Rex Letoa Paget speaks to Archer Magazine about fa’afatama identity, healing through poetry and his brilliant debut collection of poetry, Manuali’i.
"A lot of people who are put in the margins are naturals at storytelling. I guess we have to be, in a way, otherwise who else would tell our history or our truths in a way that honours where we come from?"
- Don’t miss Tulia Thompson’s review of The Mires by Tina Makereti.
Listen
- Pride Makers Wiki at Basement Theatre
Friday, 28th Feb (1pm-3pm): DJ Basics w/ Blush.mp3 (She/Her)
- The Moanan: New podcast episode with Dr Sam Manuela OUT NOW!!
Sam speaks to the role of science within Pacific communities and how western science and indigenous knowledges can compliment, rather than compete, with one another to achieve the best outcomes for Pacific communities.
- Pacific Studies is hosting three exciting events in March, and we would love to see you there!
Thursday 6th March at 12:00-1:30pm - Talem Tat Yu Blo Olketa: Fieldwork Research Experience in Solomon Islands
Wednesday 26th March at 4:30pm-5:30pm - Mele on the Mauna: Perpetuating Genealogies of Hawaiian Musical Activism on Maunakea
Thursday 27th March at 11am - Noken / Men: String Bags of the Muyu Tribe of Southern West Papua
Learn
- PISA is thrilled to announce their next writers' room for 2025! They are honoured to host the esteemed Dana Ledoux Miller.
This is an opportunity you won't want to miss! If you are a writer, director, or producer of Pacific Islands descent and are eager to learn from Dana, register now!
Dana Ledoux Miller is a Samoan writer, producer, director, and showrunner. She is the director and co-writer of Walt Disney Animated Studios’MOANA 2. Following MOANA 2, Dana will be involved in Moana The Live Action film, coming to theatres on July 10, 2026, featuring Catherine Laga‘aia alongside Dwayne Johnson, who will return as the beloved Maui in this oceanic adventure.
Date: Tuesday, 11th March
Time: 0900 - 1200 NZST
Location: Online ZOOM
Places are limited - register here.
- Fangufangu Making Workshop
Saturday, March 1st
11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Māngere Arts Centre
“Join us for an exciting fangufangu (nose flute) making workshop with Saia and Sam Tu’itahi! This hands-on session invites you to craft your own fangufangu as part of a community memorial installation.”
- Join Fa’amele Etuala this Saturday the 1st of March to design and paint your first Pacific jewellery box. This workshop is supported and funded by the Mangere Otahuhu Local board.
Free event. All materials and light refreshments provided.
Please register by emailing samoanartist@gmail.com
Work
- Artistic Director
The New Zealand Film Festival Trust (NZFFT) invites applicants for the role of Artistic Director responsible for leading Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), its curation, programming and presentation, and for other “out of festival” NZIFF events.
- Assistant Collection & Exhibition Technician
The Arts House Trust is seeking a detail-oriented and collaborative Assistant Collection & Exhibition Technician
- Arts & Culture Programmer, Auckland Council
”We are seeking an energetic, creative and highly organised Programmer to work in the Creative Programming team.”
- Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Chamber Music New Zealand
”Join our fast-paced marketing team and help bring the magic of live chamber music to audiences across Aotearoa.”
Submit
- Calling all Pacific artists! In celebration of the new Pacific plan Matafatafa Aho (A New Dawn) for 2024-2029, Tāmaki Paenga Hira is excited to announce its new Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency programme.
This year is the first of an annual residency done in partnership with Creative NZ and we are thrilled to invite Pacific artists to seize a remarkable opportunity to create a fresh new artwork inspired by a dynamic three-month journey starting in March 2025.
This initiative supports the development of new work inspired by our Museum’s Documentary Heritage collections. These collections are diverse in both format and time- period, consisting of manuscript, ephemera, oral history, photographic and works on paper from the 18th century to today. The heart of the Documentary Heritage collections beats strongest in the stories of Māori and the Pacific, the history of the greater Auckland region, and experiences in global conflicts and explorations.
Whether your passion lies in crafting a powerful play, weaving together a compelling poetry collection, penning a mesmerising short story, producing powerful visual art, scripting an impactful film, or developing an unforgettable performance, we want to support your creativity.
Applications are open now!
Closing date: Sunday, 2 March, 2025
- Tautai is inviting Tagata Moana artists living in Aotearoa to apply for a series of Fale-ship residencies from their homes or creative centres. There are three places available for experienced visual arts practitioners who are looking for support as they embark on a new body of work to be exhibited at Tautai.
Residency Dates: 2 June – 1 September 2025
Support Provided: $6000 fee, mentorship, critique sessions, professional development, exhibition at Tautai, and materials fee.
We welcome applications from experienced visual arts practitioners specialising in Painting, Sculpture, Performance Art, Printmaking, Photography, and Film. Artists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives are encouraged to apply.
Deadline for submissions: Thursday 17 April 2025-12pm
- Tagata Atamai is seeking submissions for a collection of poetry/prose about the Moana!
“Kia orana!
I am in love with the ocean. And I write about her all the time. Do you?
I am going to publish a collection of upu (words) that speaks to our moana online and beyond. If you would like to join me on this literary voyage, please submit your writing (poetry/prose) to daniellekionasina@gmail.com.
Haere mai. Afio mai. Welcome.
Meitaki ma’ata,
Dani Kionasina
Founder/Director of Tagata Atamai”