(Picture caption: New Year’s Honours recipient Tupe Lualua is part of the Aotearoa delegation attending the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts.)
This year, dreams will become reality for Tupe Lualua – named in the 2024 New Year’s Honours and selected as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand delegation to the upcoming 13th Festival of Pacific Arts (FestPAC), in June 2024.
The Wellington-based artist of Samoan heritage specialises in dance and theatre for live performance, and is currently the director for Le Moana, an arts company established as a pathway for cultural exchange and the development of storytelling by Pacific artists.
She says her success to date can be attributed to those in the industry who have led the way, the support of her family, and simple hard work and dedication.
Reflecting on being named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2024 New Year’s Honours, Tupe says the first thing that comes to mind is when her tutors Tuaine Robati and Gaylene Sciascia were announced as Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).
“So, I picture giants, legends, the pillars and foundations of our communities that made it possible for others to flourish and prosper,” Tupe says.
“Had it not been for them, their passion, their knowledge, and their commitment to building better futures, I would not be where I am today.
“It may take me a while to come to terms with the fact I have been appointed as an MNZM.”
“My aiga are tremendously proud of this achievement and we all deeply miss my parents in these moments of celebration - the accolades are humbling, and I am very grateful there is still so much work for me to do.”
While she processes her recent accolade, Tupe’s attention is on what is coming up this year, including the spectacle that is FestPAC, to be staged in Honolulu, Hawai’i from 6-16 June.
It is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific peoples, created to halt the erosion of traditional practices through ongoing cultural exchange.
Ho‘oulu Lāhui: Regenerating Oceania will serve as the theme of FestPAC Hawaiʻi 2024, honouring traditions that FestPAC exists to perpetuate with an eye toward the future.
Aotearoa New Zealand is one of 28 Pacific nations participating at FestPAC, and will be represented by 85 artists and performers, exploring 11 art forms, representing various iwi from across the country and six Pacific nations.
Tupe says it is an absolute privilege to be selected for the Aotearoa delegation to the apex of Pacific festivals.
“As a student at Whitireia Performing Arts, I watched videos of our senior students who travelled to the festival in New Caledonia in 2000,” she says.
“They collaborated with one of our graduate choreographers Ioane Leota and created a work specifically for that festival on location.
“It was one of the most moving and inspirational works I had ever seen and they were making it in response to the environment they were in and using what they had around them in Noumea…I have been dreaming about this festival for some time.”
Tupe adds her work is inspired by the Pacific region.
“To be exposed to the artisans of Oceania and immersed in their diverse cultures, is the activation of what I know has inherently been with me since birth.
“This is all a part of my purpose; these are the things that wake me up every day.”
Leading up to FestPAC, Tupe will focus on building connections and “sharing story” with the artists in the Aotearoa delegation.
“I am in the process of preparing my own creative contributions to the festival and keen to connect and collaborate with the other artists on the delegation.
“In Hawai'i, I think my most important role is to listen, respond truthfully and be helpful - this may include dancing with dancers, listening to writers, singing with musicians and sharing story.”
Additionally, Le Moana is preparing for two live performances of Ciggy Butts In The Sand - by Tupua Tigafua, at Auckland’s TAPAC in Western Springs on March 5-6, and the Measina Festival in Wellington during November.
“In between our work for Le Moana and preparing for FestPAC, I’ll be researching towards a contemporary theatre festival in Samoa, which we would like to realise in 2025-2026.”
It is a busy time for Tupe - there is a lot of mahi to be done when you are turning dreams into possibilities.