New Pacific-Led Toolkit Strengthens Identity and Confidence in Early Childhood Education
A new Pacific-led resource, has been designed to nurture identity, well-being, and cultural confidence among four-five year olds in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in New Zealand.
Research Fellow Dr Analosa Veukiso-Ulugia and a team of ECE teachers will launch the Nesian Narratives Toolkit at the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) Conference at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland on 18 November.
Dr Veukiso-Ulugia is a leading Pacific researcher and educator whose work bridges health, education and cultural identity. Her research focuses on culturally responsive pedagogy, well-being and equity for Pacific learners.
A recipient of the Sir Thomas Davis Kite Rangi Ariki Health Research Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, she has led projects integrating Pacific values and worldviews into curriculum design.
Her expertise lies in relationship and sexuality education, social work, and community-led research, making her a powerful advocate for systemic change in education.…more
The Pasifika take over of the NZ Screen Awards!
Pasifika creatives, craft and producers appear across nearly every major category at the 2025 New Zealand Television Awards, shining a light on the incredible growth for Islanders in the industry.
From feature films to children’s shows, comedy, sport, factual programming and performance categories, our outstanding Pasifika talent is represented in different sectors throughout the finalist list.
For the nominees, the significance of that visibility runs deeper than individual achievement. Tongan Emmy Winning Costume designer Liz McGregor, a 2025 finalist for her work on The Convert, spoke about the long road to this moment:
“I’m really proud of what we achieved… And I absolutely love that there is so much Pasifika talent being recognised in this year’s awards. The talent pool has always been there, but the opportunities to be able to rise to positions that allow us to be recognised haven’t been.”
Her experience reflects the reality for many Pacific creatives - years of work, often behind the scenes, now reaching the wider frame of the industry.…more
Documenting South Auckland through Photo's: South Auckland Photo Club
A group of photographers are working to immortalise our hometowns - the places we all know and love. With gentrification on the rise and the landscape shifting faster than many realise, they’re determined to keep these places alive, if not in reality, then in memory, through their work.
“Together, those images form a growing collective archive of South Auckland, shaped not by one viewpoint but by many.”
That’s how South Auckland Photo Club founder, Geoff Matautia, describes the heart of the project. What began as a simple invitation for locals to take photos has grown into a community-led movement determined to preserve the everyday: the shops we grew up visiting, the parks we learned to ride bikes in, the streets that shaped our childhoods.
Geoff says the club is “grounded in participation,” created for anyone - complete beginners with phones, seasoned hobbyists, and everyone in between. The goal was always bigger than photography.…more
Moana | Official Teaser
The first official teaser of Disney’s live-action adaptation of the beloved animated adventure, Moana has just dropped!
Moana (played by Samoan actress Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Seiuli Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.
The live-action film will also star Tongan actor John Tui as Moana's father Chief Tui, Samoan actress Frankie Adams as Moana's mother Sina, with legendary Maori actress Rena Owen playing Gramma Tala.
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In cinemas worldwide, July 2026!
IKUNA: The Aganu’u-Based Programme Guiding Pacific Youth Back to Their Culture
“For Pacific Islanders raised outside our homelands, culture is not just heritage — it's navigation.”
The aganu’u based education programme helping US islanders connect with their culture.
In Oakland, IKUNA is helping Pacific Islander youth reconnect to their identity through culture, education, and wellbeing.
Founded by brothers Taimani and Sione Lauti, both raised in Oakland, the programme runs year-round for students from elementary to high school. During the school year, sessions run for up to 30 weeks, with students meeting once or twice a week for literacy, cultural learning, mentorship, and leadership workshops.
Each June, IKUNA hosts a full-day summer programme with classes, sports, storytelling, and college preparation. The high school group ends the summer with a cultural and college-access trip most recently to Hawai‘i - where they lived on a university campus, met community elders, and explored ancestral knowledge and connection to land and water.
The Lauti brothers describe IKUNA as a community effort built on culture, education, and lived experience.…more
Creative New Zealand Pasifika Arts Awards 2025
Pacific artists were honoured at last night’s annual Creative New Zealand Pasifika Arts Awards 2025.
Creatives across all disciplines were celebrated in a night dedicated to Pacific excellence.
Award recipients included:
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Senior Pacific Artist Award: Anapela Polataivao
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Pacific Arts Business Award: The Coconet / Tikilounge Productions
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Pacific Heritage Arts Award: The Veiqia Project
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Pacific Toa Award: Tejit Records
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Pacific Contemporary Artist Award: Sofia Tekela-Smith
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Special Recognition Award: Anapela Polataivao
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Iosefa Enari Memorial Award: Alfred Fonoti-Fuimaono
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Emerging Pacific Artist Award: Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson
Arts Pasifika Awards 2025: Celebrating Pacific Creativity Across Generations
The Arts Pasifika Awards 2025 honoured a dynamic lineup of Pasifika artists, recognising excellence across theatre, music, visual arts, and community leadership.
Each recipient embodies the spirit of Pacific creativity, storytelling, and cultural pride.
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Senior Pacific Artist Award — Anapela Polataivao ONZM
A proud Samoan from Manurewa, Anapela Polataivao is an award-winning director and actress known for Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, The Savage Coloniser Show, and Red, White and Brass. A Toi Whakaari graduate and founding member of Kila Kokonut Krew, she was appointed an ONZM in 2023 for her contribution to Pacific arts.…more
'Predator: Badlands' Star Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi Talks Rugby, Film Role & Family
Coco Correspondent Krit chats with 'Predator: Badlands' star Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi about training like a warrior, his rugby roots, and which part of Auckland really earns the title “the Badlands” 😂
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'Predator: Badlands' is in cinemas in New Zealand from November 6th! 🎬
Wantok Stori Miting Marks a New Chapter for Melanesian Arts in Aotearoa
“Pacific Arts includes our whole village.”
Those words came to life in Auckland last Friday, as artists, cultural leaders, and community members from across Aotearoa gathered for the first-ever Wantok Stori Miting - Aucklands first Melanesian focused arts meeting.
Held as part of Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Strategy 2023–2028, the Miting marked the launch of the Melanesian Arts Development Initiative, a new chapter in strengthening the visibility and representation of Melanesian creatives in Aotearoa’s wider Pacific arts landscape.
Makerita Urale, Senior Manager Pacific Arts at Creative New Zealand, said:
“The miting will serve as space to share stories, celebrate creativity, and strengthen connections across the Melanesian arts community... The initiative aims to strategically focus on strengthening the Melanesian arts community and the visibility of their diverse voices within the wider Pacific arts ecosystem in Aotearoa.”
“These miting are important because they create opportunities for Melanesian creatives to come together and exchange ideas in a way that strengthens their collective presence,” she said.…more
Katoa out for 2026 NRL season as recovery continues after severe head impacts
Melbourne Storm have confirmed that backrower Eliesa Katoa has been ruled out of the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues to recover at home in Victoria, following brain surgery after suffering multiple head knocks during Tonga’s Pacific Championship match against the Kiwis on November 2nd.
The 25-year-old only recently returned to Melbourne after a prolonged stay in Auckland, where he was initially unable to travel due to bleeding on the brain and seizures suffered on the sideline.
“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” Storm CEO Justin Rodski said.
“It is great to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and local specialists.
“He is improving each day and looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation from home.”
Rodski confirmed that Katoa will not return to training and that his recovery has no set timeline.…more