14 Nov 2024
Following a successful season at the FITU Festival in Mexico City, the award-winning theatre production UPU from Aotearoa, New Zealand, will captivate audiences at the global CINARS Biennale 2024 in Montreal, Canada this week.
The New Zealand production brings the wealth and power of Pacific poetry and literature to the stage.
CINARS is attended by over 400 international delegates, presenters and producers and cited as the Olympics of the performing arts world. UPU is the first ever Pacific work to be selected for a full showcase in CINARS’ 40-year history, a milestone for New Zealand arts. (CINARS stands for International Conference and Networking Organization for the Performing Arts.)
UPU’s international success is made possible by a strategic co-investment and partnership through Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Strategy, aimed at delivering global opportunities for Kiwi creatives and companies. After its triumph in Mexico, UPU is set to tour the Sydney Opera House in Australia in 2025, a significant and rare opportunity for a New Zealand work.
“We are thrilled to support stunning New Zealand productions touring globally,” says Makerita Urale, Senior Manager Pacific Arts (Global & NZ).
“Canada has been a significant overseas market for many years and touring creates jobs, work, new audiences, new skills development for the teams, and new partners around the world. In our strategic approach to this partnership, we are not the only ‘funder’ or investor in these opportunities. We are pro-actively co-investing with other stakeholders to increase the value of every dollar in New Zealand works that are tour-ready for overseas audiences. We all have limited budgets and this collaborative way of working, and co-investing with clear strategic goals and shared value is great for everyone.”
In Samoan, “upu” means “word.” The theatrical work is crafted from the words of over 20 poets from across Te-Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean), performed by a seasoned cast of Aotearoa’s finest Pacific talent, including acclaimed actor Maiava Nathaniel Lees, and directed by Fasitua Amosa.
As a co-investor in UPU’s overseas presentations, Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts is excited to partner and co-invest with Performing Arts Network New Zealand (PANNZ) and CEO Louise Gallagher to open new markets for excellent Pasifika works with universal themes and appeal for global audiences. This strategic investment strengthens artists and production teams in building sustainable careers worldwide, a major focus of the Pacific Arts Strategy.
“This opportunity at CINARS, has been a long time in the making for the company,” Louise says.
“CINARS is an esteemed international gathering point. To be selected as an official programme is a really big deal - it’s the Olympics of the performing arts world, and UPU are going for Gold! Producer Ana Corbett and director Fasitua Amosa have had a clear long-term strategy for this work, and their years of hard work and investment are bearing fruit now. It has been our delight and privilege to work alongside the CNZ Pacific Arts team, to collectively fund and support UPU. This is yet another example of how co-investing ensures successful outcomes for us all.”
Director Fasitua Amosa is an award-winning actor in theatre, film and television.
“It’s exciting to take works to other countries to share our unique New Zealand stories through poetry and performance. Language is not a barrier for overseas audiences. We are thrilled to be in Canada this week, and grateful for the opportunity to explore more touring and more work,” he says.
Acclaimed New Zealand actor Maiava Nathaniel Lees is passionate about UPU and its global appeal for further touring opportunities.
“We used sur-titles in Spanish for the show in Mexico, and it worked really well, making it accessible for other overseas festivals and touring opportunities in other countries, such as Asia.”
Ali Foa’i, Manager Pacific Arts (Global, NZ) is attending CINARS and says he’s already had meetings with other potential international producers and presenters.
“These meetings are important, as we actively strive to build our Pacific Va, economic outcomes and networking relationships across the world, to open new long-term reciprocal strategic partnerships and exchanges of our stories, culture and art,” Ali says.
Creative New Zealand is also aiming to support UPU to be enjoyed at home and is working with the PANNZ team for the show to tour to other parts of New Zealand in 2025.
UPU Creative Team:
- Artistic Director & Co-Creator: Fasitua Amosa
- Curator, Co-Creator & Producer: Grace Iwashita-Taylor
- Producer: Ana Corbett
- Executive Producer: Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ)
- Lighting & Projection Design: Rowan Pierce
- Soundscape Design / Original Composition: Faiumu Matthew Salapu
- Set Design: Michael McCabe
- Artist / Cultural Design Elements: Mamanu Design Tyla Vaeau
- Movement / Choreographer: Joash Fahitua
- Costume Design: Kristen Seth
- Performance: Maiava Nathaniel Lees, Mia Blake, Fasitua Amosa, Nicola Kawana, Shadon Meredith, Ana Corbett
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