Declaration: Setting the Agenda Symposium
9.30am — 7pm
Event Details
The exhibition Declaration: A Pacific Feminist Agenda claims a feminist future for the Pacific. Bringing together preeminent Māori and Pacific artists, writers and thinkers in a day of individual talks and panel discussions, the free symposium Declaration: Setting the Agenda will powerfully amplify the kōrero reverberating throughout the exhibition. Embodying the exhibition’s declaration for the power of collective leadership, vision and radical hope, the symposium’s talanoa will proclaim a feminist agenda for the Pacific.
The launch of the exhibition book, Declaration: A Pacific Feminist Agenda, edited by exhibition curator Ane Tonga, will take place at the symposium. Gathering together some of the Pacific’s leading activists, scholars and critical thinkers in a dynamic kōrero about Pacific feminisms in the visual arts, shared histories, literature, cosmologies and everyday experiences, this publication is the first of its kind. Distinguished contributors include: Phylesha Brown-Acton, Dr Emalani Case, Professor Selina Tusitala Marsh, Coco Solid, J C Sturm, Lisa Taouma, Dr Melenaite Taumoefolau, Associate Professor Teresia Teaiwa, Luisa Tora, Manuha‘apai Vaeatangitau, Dr Caroline Vercoe and Matariki Williams. The catalogue is published by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki with generous support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Symposium attendees have exclusive first access to signed copies of this ground-breaking publication.
Places for in-person attendance are limited, please register below to avoid disappointment.
Co-convenors: Ane Tonga and Dr Caroline Vercoe
- Date
- Location
- Auditorium
- Cost
- Free - bookings essential
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Ngā kaupapa ki reira | What to expect
A free one day event with the chance to hear from international keynote speakers, including Phylesha Brown-Acton, Hinaleimoana Kwan Wong-Kalu, and Joey Joleen Mataele, in conversations and formal and informal talanoa opportunities.
At the end of day, participants are invited to a book launch of Declaration: A Pacific Feminist Agenda (5.30–7pm), with the chance to enjoy drinks, and further conversation, along with exclusive after-hours access to Declaration: A Pacific Feminist Agenda.
The book will be formally launched by Louisa Wall, Pacific gender Equality Ambassador on behalf of the Gallery and artists.
Ngā kaikōrero | Speakers
Phylesha Brown-Acton, MNZM
Phylesha Brown-Acton hails from the village of Fineone Hakupu Atua, Niue. She is the Executive Director of F‘INE Pasifika Aotearoa Trust, a charitable entity that serves the needs and aspirations of MVPFAFF+/Pasifika LGBTQIA+, Rainbow and Queer peoples and their families by providing Whānau Ora support and care.
Brown-Acton is a human rights defender and trans activist. She has extensive governance experience and is a world champion netball player, a retired professional dancer, an award-winning Polynesian costume designer and a baker. Brown-Acton is an avid weaver (lalaga Niue) and enjoys the reciprocal communication and collective knowledge transfer concepts that weaving practices embody and gift onto others
Image credit: Phylesha Brown-Acton
Joey Joleen Mataele
Joey Joleen Mataele is from the Kingdom of Tonga and as well as running her own business is a professional singer, entertainer, event planner and a single parent of three adopted children. Mataele is the founder and director of the Miss Galaxy Queen Pageant, which raises the awareness and visibility of leitī as well as providing support to the leitī community in Tonga. Mataele is currently Executive Director of the Tonga Leitī Association (TLA) and co-founder and acting co-chairperson of the Pacific Sexual Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN).
In 1996 Mataele was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal by His Late Majesty King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV for her humanitarian work with disability and sexual-minority groups. In 2008, she was awarded the Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III by His Late Majesty King George Tupou V for services to the Royal Family. Mataele continues to be recognised for her service: she was nominated for the International Women of Courage Award in 2016 and the APCOM HERO Transgender Award in 2017.
Image credit: Joey Joleen Mataele
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is from the former Kingdom of Hawaiʻi/currently the State of Hawaiʻi under continued illegal occupation by the United States of America. She is the current ambassador of culture for The Council of Native Hawaiian Advancement and engages both the Kanaka (Hawaiian) and larger (non-Hawaiian) community as an educator and spokesperson for matters of Hawaiian language, history and culture. She is a staunch advocate and leader for her people and currently has ongoing classes teaching Hawaiian men in the Hawaiʻi incarceration system. She also educates different branches of the US American military onboarding to their Hawaiʻi post assignments on cultural sensitivity and awareness. Wong-Kalu is a Hawaiian composer and is credited with having written the song ‘Ku Haʻaheo E Kuʻu Hawaiʻi’ that unites her people in the pursuit of justice for land struggles in Hawaiʻi. Her film work earned an American Oscar award Top 10 Nomination for Best Animated Short Film and she has featured/produced/directed other award-winning films such as Kumu HIna, A Place in the Middle, Leitis in Waiting, Lady Eva and Kapaemahu, an animated short and full-length documentary. She is a caregiver for her mother, and remains active not only in Hawaiian circles, but also in the Tongan community as a member of the Siasi o Tonga Tauataina (Free Church of Tonga). Wong-Kalu is a founding member and board president for Kulia Na Mamo NGO serving Mahu/LGBTQI+ and People of Colour in Hawaiʻi.
Image credit: Courtesy of Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Taloi Havini
Born in Arawa, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Taloi Havini currently lives and works in Brisbane, Australia. Havini's work is often a personal response to the politics of location exploring contested sites and histories connected within Oceania, employing photography, sculpture, immersive video and mixed-media installations. Working with living contemporary practitioners she is actively involved in community projects in Bougainville and Australia, such as the Women’s Wealth project exhibition.
Her artwork is held in public and private collections including the Sharjah Art Foundation, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, National Gallery of Victoria, KADIST, San Francisco, CA, USA. Taloi holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the Canberra School of Art, Australian National University and has exhibited with Artspace, Sydney, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, Sharjah Biennial 13, UAE, 3rd Aichi Triennial, Nagoya, 8th & 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art Queensland Art Gallery | GoMA, Brisbane, and was recently commissioned by TBA21–Academy with Schmidt Ocean Institute at Ocean Space, Campo S. Lorenzo, Venezia for her solo at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, 2021.
Image credit: Zan Wimberly, courtesy of Artspace
Elisapeta Heta
(Ngātiwai, Waikato Tainui)
Principal and leader of Waka Māia at Jasmax, Elisapeta Heta is helping to guide Jasmax on an inter-generational journey towards becoming an authentically bicultural design practice. Waka Māia was founded in 2015 to provide a Māori design voice within Jasmax and Elisapeta is one of its founding members. Elisapeta has not only contributed significantly to cultural design outcomes for major projects at Jasmax, but she is also an advocate for change, speaking internationally to provide Māori and Pasifika perspectives on the importance of place to both design and cultural identity. Elisapeta draws on her lived experiences to create opportunities for future generations of indigenous designers, and importantly, to demonstrate to young Māori and Pasifika that it’s possible to achieve equal commitment to career and community. As a key member of design teams, and the facilitator of mana whenua consultation processes, her impressive project portfolio includes the New Zealand Pavilion at Expo 2020, Ngā Puna o Waiōrea Western Springs College and City Rail Link. Her career trajectory reflects the influence she has had not since joining Jasmax in 2015, but also as a changemaker in the design industry. Her industry work includes roles as Co-Chair (2017-2018) and core team member of Architecture+Women between 2013 - 2018. Between 2016 and 2019 she was a Director on the Board of New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) representing Ngā Aho – Aotearoa’s national network of Māori design professionals, during which time she helped implement Te Kawenata o Rata (a covenant) between Ngā Aho and the NZIA, recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Coco Solid
Coco Solid is a Ngāpuhi, Samoan and German creative from Auckland who loves all dark arts and storytelling preferably in collaboration with her communities. She is a Fulbright scholar and the 2018 CNZ Pacific writer in residence at the University of Hawai’i. A 2019 New Zealand Art Laureate, Coco is an established musician and creative director kaupapa-driven record label and blog Kuini Qontrol. As a screenwriter/director/part-time performer for TV and film, she is the creator of the animated sitcom series Aroha Bridge and upcoming science fiction series Jupiter Park. Coco has an MFA in Creative Writing from Victoria University and recently released her debut novel ‘How To Loiter In A Turf War’ with Penguin Random House.
Image credit: Todd Karehana
Manuha’apai Vaeatangitau
Manuha’apai Vaeatangitau is an interdisciplinary artist whose work often responds to themes of gentrification and cultural transformation and seeks to assert queer Pacific identities into social and cultural visibility. Working across mediums of illustration, poetry, performance and music, Vaeatangitau’s power as an orator and performer was recognised as the recipient of the Creative New Zealand and Massey University Arts and Creativity category at the Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Awards in 2019. Naturally drawn to artistic collectives, Vaeatangitau is part of Fanau Spa, a 9-piece collective of musicians, rappers, artists and performers based in Tamaki Makaurau whose self-titled debut mixtape was released in 2018 to wide acclaim. Collaborations with celebrated artist Coco Solid, such as The Manu & Coco Podcast, cultivates Vaeatangitatau’s reputation as an exciting critical thinker and writer.
Credit: Sione Monū
