Auckland Pride Celebrates Growth And Announces New Team For 2025

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU, AUCKLAND (Thursday 24 October): The Auckland Pride Festival is back for the entire month of February 2025, providing an expanded opportunity for Takatāpui and Rainbow communities to come together. The festival has today announced a newly established organisational structure, brought together to affirm the Auckland Pride’s role in the creative and rainbow sectors.

Auckland Pride has expanded its team, marking the first time in its 11-year history that the organisation has had more than three full-time staff members. This shift was essential to ensure Auckland Pride remains effective in supporting its membership and the communities they belong to. By bringing together a team with unique strengths, Auckland Pride are able to engage more intentionally with their membership and build on the legacy of those who have fought for Takatāpui and Rainbow rights. As a result of increased capacity, Auckland Pride is strengthening its programming to more effectively serve Takatāpui and Rainbow communities through advocacy, creativity, and community-building.

With more than 20 years combined rainbow and arts sector experience, the new Auckland Pride team includes Partnership Manager, Blaise Clotworthy - (they/them - Pākehā); Executive Producer, Katharine Atafu-Mayo (she/her - Malie, Falelatai, Sāmoa; Scotland); Operations Manager, Vic Walsh (she/her - Tauiwi); Digital Producer, Bunty Bou (he/him - Cambodia); and Executive Director, Hāmiora Bailey (Ngāti Porou Ki Harataunga, Ngāti Huarere).

“We’re excited to take Auckland Pride into this next phase, where we can hold our membership in greater confidence and serve the communities they belong to safely. Through this, Auckland Pride embraces art as a powerful form of activism—one that both envisions and drives liberation. Through the festival, we create vital spaces for our communities to gather, express, and celebrate belonging. Art has a unique ability to connect us, to spark conversations, and to challenge the status quo. Every performance, exhibition, and gathering during Pride is an act of resistance and community-building, forging bonds that strengthen our resilience and solidarity. As we come together throughout the month, to share stories, we’re actively shaping a future rooted in equity—a future where the pursuit of liberation is sustained by the creative power of our collective voices, and shared action” says Hāmiora Bailey, Auckland Pride Executive Director

Auckland Pride is reinforcing its existing approach, with a renewed focus on deepening engagement with their members and audiences through their owned programming within the Festival. They will continue to foster long-term relationships and strengthen the creative pathways the organisation offers to emerging artists and advocates.

Auckland Pride’s owned programming, including Proud Centres, Pride Empowerment, Pride Develops, Pride Elevates, and Te Tīmatanga, builds creative pathways and continuous cycles of growth and opportunity. First-time event organisers, future advocates, and emerging artists can register their events in the Open Access festival and receive support through Proud Centres. From there, they can go on to apply for Pride Empowerment for seed funding and support, progress their craft through Pride Develops, and eventually become Pride Elevates artists or senior artists within the Festival.

“At the core of Auckland Pride’s philosophy is the belief that art is activism. Grounded in a Kaupapa Māori approach, we see the arts as a powerful tool for both personal and social transformation. On the marae, art and activism are not separate, and Auckland Pride draws on this to create spaces where Takatāpui and Rainbow people have the means to express who they are, demand their rights, and build stronger, more cohesive communities. This approach not only celebrates creativity but also actively contributes to better social and health outcomes for our people,” says Bailey.

To achieve their vision of an Aotearoa where Takatāpui and Rainbow Communities are liberated, thriving, and connected, Auckland Pride requires the ongoing support of members and donors. Auckland Pride Membership is free for unwaged audience members, artists, and event organisers, ensuring that everyone can take part in shaping the future of the organisation. A strong and engaged membership gives Auckland Pride the confidence to deliver impactful events, create lasting change and run successful fundraising initiatives.

Every member and donor helps Auckland Pride build a better future for their local neighbourhoods. In this way, the organisation is working to amplify a sense of belonging, enhancing public spaces for community engagement, and supporting the arts throughout Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Additionally, Pride's emphasis on grassroots activism and advocacy reflects an enduring commitment to supporting communities to address social inequities.

“Auckland Pride is a unique, community-led movement powered by the voices and vision of those it serves—our team can’t do it alone, our strength comes from the membership who support us. We’re calling on you, our artists, allies, advocates, and supporters, to join us. Every membership and donation strengthens our ability to drive change, create vital spaces, and uplift our communities through collective action. By becoming a member or donating, you’re fortifying a future where identity is celebrated, justice is pursued, and people are connected. Together, we can build something lasting and transformative. Join us today and help future-proof our movement and contribute to this journey towards liberation.”

Auckland Pride invites you to become a member and donate today to be part of this ongoing movement to create an equitable Aotearoa where Takatāpui and Rainbow Communities are empowered, thriving, and connected.

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