Creator: Students at PASS, Christopher Tuuga-Stevenson, Selu Iloahefaiva, Samuel Kamu and Antonia Kamu
Artform: Performing Arts / Theatre Show
Timeframe: Production end of November (postponed, rescheduled to a date tbc)
Location: Pacific Advance Secondary School in P.A.S.S, Otahuhu
Projects Summary
Support for the writing, directing and producing of a theatre show about the Dawn Raids for the students of Pacific Advance Secondary School (PASS). The story will entail the events leading up to the Dawn Raids and the experiences Pasifika people faced during this time through Pacific dance, song and languages.
This project begins in the hopes that the Pasifika youth in our community are able to educate themselves on our own history here in New Zealand; to understand the difficulties their parents/grandparents had and to give Pasifika youth the opportunity to formulate their own opinions on the events of the Dawn Raids and the wider world.
Seluvaia Iloahefaiva is a current teacher at PASS, born and raised in Otahuhu. Seluvaia heads the Performing Arts Faculty for the junior school at PASS and will be running this performance project. The students will include the entire junior syndicate.
The performing arts program at P.A.S.S has enabled students to tell their own stories through song, dance and acting. P.A.S.S productions have also built a good rapport with the Mangere Arts Centre, who have hosted a number of school plays, and also Auckland’s Theatre Company who have continued to support their junior school projects.
“Support for this production will ensure that we are providing our performers and audience the experience of watching a well-resourced stage performance and having the right equipment for a safe and workable environment. It will mean a lot to our P.A.S.S community that we have your support in building our performing-arts academy through funding this project. We hope that this can open up doors to opportunities that our kids have never experienced before in the industry.” – Seluvaia Iloahefaiva.
