Tapili le Afi - Performing Arts Projects

Telling ancestral, historical, and family stories of Oceania through the arts.

Drama, dance, music and visual art are fun ways for children to learn and are strongly linked to literacy. Our arts projects enable young people to share stories from their cultures and families using a variety of art forms.

This helps them develop deeper understandings of language and the ways we communicate with each other.

TapiIli le afi means “fan the flames” and is inspired by the Bible verse, “Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you…” (2 Timothy 1:6) The gifts of God in this sense are the stories in the DNA of the young people we work with. As fire brings light and warmth, these stories will also bring light and warmth to those who create, perform and experience them.

 

Lead Coordinators

Enter a description for this item

Lauano Sulufaleese Deborah Riley

Lauano has held various arts positions in primary and intermediate schools in South Auckland including:

  • Drama and dance teacher 
  • Arts coordinator and arts curriculum leader
  • Supervising teacher for Project Lightbulb in partnership with Markham Arts and the Vodafone Events Centre schools programme
  • Member of the Vodafone Events Centre Arts Committee
  • Holiday programmes coordinator in Ōtara and Manurewa 

Some of the organisations and people Lauano has worked with include Atamira Dance Company, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Massive Theatre Company, Jackie van Beek, Mia Blake, and Beulah Koale.

Lauano has lead community arts projects with arts practitioners and schools in Manurewa to celebrate Māori and Pacific cultures and traditions, and to unify young people of different cultural backgrounds.

Lauano's masters study specialised in how an arts-integrated curriculum can improve Pasifika engagement in education.

Project Lightbulb

 

Project Lightbulb was a long term arts residency programme that actively engaged students and teachers in arts processes. The programme worked from a strong partnership base, matching artists and arts companies with schools and teachers to deliver projects which supported and enriched The Arts learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum. David and Lauano were involved in nine Project Lightbulb programmes.

 

Stuart Myers - Arts Research linked to Project Lightbulb

 

 

Student voice from Project Lightbulb in a Manurewa School

 

 

 

 

Enter a description for this item

David Riley

David was the Head of Dance and Drama at Tangaroa College in Ōtara for ten years. David’s passion is helping students to perform their own cultural and family stories, especially for children and young people. His students created a number of theatre shows that were performed for children at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau (now the Due Drop Events Centre).

Some of the organisations David has worked with include Atamira Dance Company, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the Auckland Theatre Company, Black Grace, Indian Ink Theatre Company, Massive Theatre Company, the New Zealand Dance Company, and Red Leap Theatre.

David completed a theatre writing course with respected Kiwi playwright, Gary Henderson, at Unitec School of Performing Arts. David’s own play, Rock Bottom, was shortlisted in Playmarket’s Plays for the Young Awards. 

David was also a member of the New Zealand contingent who attended the First International Festival of Young Playwrights in Sydney, Australia.