Nu’u Newsletter: Issue Nine
Editor’s Note
Talofa lava!
Welcome to the ninth 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
- ‘LOVE; MUM’ BRINGS A POWERFUL AND HEARTWARMING TALE OF MOTHERHOOD TO THE STAGE FOR NZ TOUR
The struggles, joys, and unbreakable bonds of motherhood take centre stage in the new and compelling play, Love; Mum. Following a sold-out development season last year, Sela Faletolu-Fasi (writer / director / producer / actor) hits the road with an all-female Pacific cast from Christchurch to tour New Zealand; hitting the NZ Fringe Festival in Wellington, Little Andromeda Theatre in Christchurch and Basement Theatre in Auckland.
Inspired by a goodbye letter that Faletolu-Fasi wrote to her six children, the story follows five Pacific women - Joy, Finau, Racheal, Judah, and Lalelei - who meet at Mums Anonymous, a self-help group for new mothers. As they confront their individual struggles - abusive relationships, career pressures, insecurities, and anxiety - they form a sisterhood that becomes their sanctuary. Through laughter, tears, and confrontations, they discover that love has the power to heal the deepest of wounds.
"Love; Mum is more than a play; it's a celebration of the shared experiences of mothers everywhere," says Faletolu-Fasi, "It's raw, honest, and unapologetically real. Audiences will see themselves and their loved ones in these characters and leave inspired by their resilience."
Bringing a message of forgiveness and restoration, Love; Mum captures the complexities of navigating life as a mother in the modern world with authenticity and grace, leaving audiences with a powerful reminder of the importance of love and community.
- Talaucaka by Emele Ugavule
Set in a future dystopian England after ecological collapse due to the climate crisis, Talaucaka by Emele Ugavule follows four women navigating a haunting reality inside the ruins of the British Museum, now an e-waste processing facility. Memory is currency. Questions are forbidden. Time belongs to King George. But as they perform their seemingly vital tasks, disturbing inconsistencies emerge. An exploration of temporal sovereignty, cultural identity, and the power of collective memory in an age where everything you know lives in the cloud.
26th & 27th April, Te Whaea Theatre, 11 Hutchison Road, Pōneke
Read
- @abigaildellavo catches up with artist, storyteller and 'indigenerd' @rosannaraymond to talk about the potential in the re-Moanafication of Aotearoa. From Metro N°445, and available online now at metromag.co.nz.
Listen
- Step into My World Tour+⋆✧ NZ & AUS
Lou’ana Whitney
- Lady Shaka in Tāmaki Makaurau
The Whaea Show series begins tonight!
21.03.25 - Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland)
22.03.25 - Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland)
28.03.25 - Ōtautahi (Christchurch)
- Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art
Ockham NZ Book Awards shortlisted Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art is the landmark work by Deidre Brown (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) and Ngarino Ellis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) along with the late art historian Jonathan Mane-Wheoki (1943–2014; Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī).
Presenting a history of Māori art through an indigenous lens, it combines Kaupapa Māori with art history methodologies to rebalance a traditionally Eurocentric canon. The result is 600 pages spanning over 800 years of art practice, including whatu (weaving), moko (tattoo), whakairo (carving), whare (architecture), painting, photography and sculpture.
They join Nigel Borell (Pirirākau, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea) for a richly illustrated conversation, using ten taonga carefully selected from the book to guide audiences through this expansive history of Māori art’s rich and varied practices.
Learn
- Hibiscus Coast Cook Islands community ura dance performance & workshop
Whangaparāoa Library, 9 Main Street, Stanmore Bay, Auckland
Saturday 22 March 2025
11am-12pm
Free Bookings: WhangaparaoaLibraryEvents@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Work
- ACTORS IN AUCKLAND WANTED
We are on the search for the right actors to bring 'Takahoa' to life!
If any of these characters sound like you, flick us your CV, headshot, and a 30-second intro to: overwhelmedproduction@gmail.com
- Auckland Writers' Festival STREETSIDE 2025 Community Call-out
Auckland Writers' Festival STREETSIDE tīma seek community/artist expressions of interest for STREETSIDE 2025. This year, STREETSIDE will take place from 6-8pm on Friday May 9th.
A free, community kaupapa preceding the Auckland Writers Festival from May 13th to 18th, STREETSIDE brings an eclectic mix of Tāmaki Makaurau emerging writers, performers, and mixed-medium artists to the streets of Britomart.
Thank you for your interest in Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki STREETSIDE 2025. Please complete this form for event pitches you wish to be considered for this year's STREETSIDE.
Ngā manaakitanga,
The Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki Team
Submit
- Last week for submissions!
Awa Wahine Magazine is back with its seventh issue — Whitu! This time, we’re diving into the theme Whakamanawa – Confidence & Encouragement.
Got a story to tell? A perspective to share? Whether it's a draft piece, a pitch, or an article idea, we want to hear from you!
Deadline: Monday, March 24
Submit now & be part of the kaupapa!
- Creative Residency Applications Now Open!
“We have an exciting new opportunity for Māori practitioners and independent Māori-led arts companies to come and create new mahi whakaari at Te Pou Theatre.
We’re offering two residencies in 2025 and it looks a little like this...
10 Days in Tāhū Studio, Te Pou Theatre
$5K Stipend
$1K Technical Budget
Venue kaimahi support
Applications close 11.59pm, Sunday 30 March. So head to our website to check out all the details and to apply! We want to hear from you.”
- 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”