Auckland’s First Puawai Festival

Auckland’s First Puawai Festival

Raising the Spirits & Breaking Down Barriers For Those Living With HIV or AIDS

Te Pou, Auckland’s Maori Theatre will play host to the first ‘Puawai Festival’ from 26 November to raise the spirits and break down barriers about AIDS and HIV.

For six days, the whare will be home to a high energy and entertaining medley of dance, comedy, cabaret, art installations and performance poetry.

“Puawai translated means to bloom, come to fruition or to open out” explains organiser, Borni Tukiwaho who has honoured this Maori philosophy by empowering five courageous Aucklanders such as Sophie Jayawardene to find their voice and perform for the first time at the Festival.

These artists-in-the-making currently living with HIV have crafted their own poignant performance pieces that will feature on Sunday and Monday evening alongside other professional dancers, singers and actors.

Audio stories will be showcased alongside ten handmade AIDS Memorial quilts that will be specially installed for the entire week to build public awareness, respectful understanding and a more compassionate environment.

In addition to the annual street appeal seeking donations for World AIDS Day, advocate organisations Body Positive and Positive Women added a new initiative this year. They decided to collaborate with Tukiwaho to find a creative way to engage the community and those living with HIV or AIDS.

They decided to collaborate with Tukiwaho to find a creative way to engage the community about those living with HIV/AIDS.

“I’ve worked with stigmatised communities in the past and seen the healing power of art with my own eyes. It can change perceptions and break stigmas. Puawai is all about aroha (love) which is a guiding principle of Te Pou’s kaupapa alongside manaakitanga (care for others) and whānau (family group)” he says.

In 2014, 217 people were diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand, with 108 of those having been infected domestically and not offshore according to reports by the NZ AIDS Epidemiology Group. This brings the total number of people living with HIV in New Zealand to 3000.

“Nowadays with the advances in medicine, HIV is a manageable condition. It’s important that you educate yourself about HIV, get tested and live the best life that you deserve. Puawai is a great opportunity to engage with people through art and generate conversation and support those touched by HIV” adds Body Positive spokesperson, Mark Fisher.

The six day celebration will showcase:

Spoken word and performance poetry headed up and supported by Michelle Drurey the original creator of Auckland’s poetry slam circuit.

Okareka Dance Company an all-male queer cast back from performing at the Edinburgh Festival who’ve donated a six minute recorded performance piece.

A roll-call of talented comedians such as New Yorker, Neil Thornton who was a Best Stand-Up Comedy nominee at the NZ International Comedy Festival show.

Eli Matthewson a 2015 Billy T Award nominee and regular performer in New Zealand theatre's longest running comedy show, 'Scared Scriptless'.

James Malcolm a 2016 Billy T Award Nominee.

Freya Desmarais who critics say is "one to watch" on the New Zealand comedy scene and a semi-finalist in the 2015 Raw Comedy Quest.

Funky percussionist, Josie Tuck a previous winner of the inaugural Auckland University Songwriter of the Year contest in 2009 performing rhythms that have been described as “a fun filled, circus train wreck jumble of eclectic instrumentation!”

The Street Candee Dance Company who are best known in dance circles as the “Kiwi version of the Pussy Cat Dolls” given their sultry signature HipHop, Burlesque and Jazz Funk moves.

A senior student dance troupe (tutored by Hayz Rowe ) from the Auckland Academy of Dance (located upstairs from Te Pou) who is supporting the revue shows with performances.

Loud and proud choristers GALS (Gay and Lesbian Singers) who celebrated their 20th anniversary last year.

And an assortment of cabaret singers; Bryony Skillington, Alexandra Grice, Cheree Moore, Paul Fagamalo, Edwin Beats, Amanda Grace Leo, Lane Twigden, Romy Hoper, Hamish Mc Gregor, Becky Kuek and accompanist George Bonner.

Festival tickets are available at https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2015/nov/puawai-festival. For more information go to http://tepoutheatre.nz or https://www.facebook.com/tepoutheatre.

ENDS

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