Launching the Tusitala Creatives Collective - A New Wave of Young Pacific Creatives

What happens when a collective of young Pasifika creatives begin reclaiming sovereignty over Pacific storytelling?A space emerges where young people strengthen their voices, deepen cultural identity, and contribute to collective change through storytelling grounded in relationship, care, and indigeneity.

In 2025, Tapasā officially launched the Tusitala Collective, bringing together 35 Pasifika youth aged 16–25 from Auckland. Guided by the kaupapa “How creatives use their work to uplift, centre, and give back to their communities,” the events created a culturally grounded entry point into creative industries - as one that centred Pasifika ways of knowing, being, and creating.

Through intentional talanoa, hands-on lei making, and shared kai, young people engaged in deep conversations exploring the “I’m not a creative” mindset, challenging tall-poppy narratives, recognising creative practice as a form of healing, and expanding what opportunity can look like for Pasifika youth in creative spaces. These moments were not incidental; they were designed to lower barriers, build trust, and create conditions where youth could show up fully as themselves.

The space was held by Pasifika creatives and facilitators who are already extablished in their creative industries; Alyssa Verner Pula - podcaster and researcher, Mariner Fagaiava-Muller - Niu FM radio host and journalist, Hele Ikimotu - photographer and content creator, Niko Adams Sefo - model and lei artist, Katira Jackson - artist and storyteller, and Danielle Kionasina Dilys Thomson - poet and journalist.

Their leadership fostered openness, learning, and collective care. The talanoa was vibrant and energetic, grounded in laughter, lived experience, and reflection with our young people asking many questions about what it is like for them to work as a Pacific creative. More than conversation, talanoa served as a culturally affirming practice - reconnecting youth to Pacific knowledge, collective ways of being, and a deeper sense of belonging.

The impact was immediate and clear. Many participants expressed renewed confidence in their creative identity and a strong desire to continue their creative journeys.

A key need emerged from the gathering: young Pasifika creatives are seeking accessible pathways to mentorship, skills development, and creative opportunities that honour cultural context and lived experience.

This event demonstrated the power of intentional, Pacific-led creative spaces to begin shifting long-standing mental and structural barriers that have limited Pacific storytelling. By centring relationships and the vā, Tusitala supports youth to recognise themselves as storytellers, cultural leaders, and future changemakers capable of shaping narratives on their own terms.

For the Tusitala Collective, this is just the beginning. The insights and relationships formed through this launch now inform the next phase of programming, ensuring future workshops, mentorship, and platforms are directly shaped by youth voice. This work reflects Tapasā’s commitment to investing in long-term, community-led impact — where Pasifika stories are not only told, but held with care, sovereignty, and vision for generations to come.

Event 1

Event 2