01 May 2025
Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts is proud to announce the recipients of the Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific Fellowship 2025 – Ana Corbett, Sasha Gibb, and James Wasmer.
The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific Fellowship, in partnership with Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Strategy, gives three mid-career Pacific arts leaders from Aotearoa three years of access to ISPA’s global network.
Recipients will become ISPA members and attend ISPA Congresses, where they connect with industry leaders, exchange ideas, and undertake initiative to expand their practice. The new strategic opportunities aligns with the Pacific Arts Strategy 2023 – 2028 priorities to growing global Pacific arts, strengthening strategic partnerships and collaborations, and supporting leadership and skills development.
Ana Corbett
Ana is a New Zealand-born actor and emerging creative producer of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa and Irish descent (Kolovai, ʻEua, Ahau, Fuaʻamotu–Tonga; Lakeba–Fiji; Sapapaliʻi–Sāmoa; Cora Chaitlín, Cork–Ireland). A Toi Whakaari graduate, Ana works across stage and screen, with recent credits including Shortland Street, UPU, and Totally Completely Fine. She is widely recognised as one of Aotearoa’s leading voice-over artists.
Ana is also the Producer and Co-founder of the UPU Collective—an award-winning NZ Pacific-led organisation dedicated to creating space for Moana artists to tell stories from our Sea of Islands. UPU has toured to major international festivals including the Sydney Opera House, FITU Festival (Mexico), and CINARS Biennale (Canada). Ana’s practice is rooted in work that reflects, challenges, and uplifts Pacific communities, and in creating global opportunities for Pacific voices to thrive on their own terms.
Sasha Gibb
Sasha has worked in theatre and dance in Aotearoa for over 15 years, producing for companies across the motu and supporting their work on international stages. She is passionate about uplifting Māori and Pacific artists and amplifying stories that centre Indigenous worldviews. Her creative roles include Narrative Director for Tiki Taane Mahuta by Taki Rua and Creative Producer for a new work in development by musician and disability advocate Pati Umaga.
Sasha’s commitment to community-led storytelling is grounded in her work with rangatahi in care and her time managing the Wellington City Mission’s Drop-in Centre. She is currently Head of Programming at Tāwhiri, producer of major events including the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts, Wellington Jazz Festival, Lexus Song Quest, and Te Hui Ahurei Reo Māori.
James Wasmer
James is of Tongan and German descent., James blends business acumen with artistic excellence in the performing arts. Raised in Germany, he returned to Aotearoa to begin Commerce studies before pivoting to train in Contemporary Dance at the New Zealand School of Dance. He joined Black Grace in 2014, touring internationally, and completed his Bachelor of Commerce in 2016.
Now Manager of Black Grace, James also returned to the stage in 2021 and 2022 for major productions. He is passionate about building international platforms for Moana Oceania performing arts and strengthening global connections for Pacific creatives.
Ali Foa’i, Manager Cultivation, Pacific Arts led the development of this partnership.
“To grow Global Pacific arts and world-wide opportunities for sustainability, we need to invest in skills and leadership development as well as grow our industry networks and communities around the world,’ says Ali.
“We also want to thank our new partners ISPA for coming on board and beginning this conversation at CINARS in Canada last year, and the ongoing support of our wonderful collaborators at Performing Arts Network New Zealand (PANNZ),” he says.
“It was a very high calibre of applicants for this opportunity which showed a need for this leadership skills development in our Pacific arts community.”
David Baile, ISPA Chief Executive, is thrilled with this new partnership.
“We are honoured to partner with Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Strategy to welcome a new cohort of arts leaders to ISPA’s Fellowship Program. Creative New Zealand joins eleven other funding partners from around the world that have demonstrated a sincere commitment to supporting the next generation of global arts leaders,” says David.
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