Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Art Creatives Ensemble (ACE) is the brainchild of Harmony Siaea, an Ōtara creative and community worker.
“When I started doing theatre I had to go outside of South Auckland to receive the training and experience I wanted. There wasn’t anything here in Ōtara.”
The ensemble is all locals including Siaea who is tutoring theatre acting, David Saotupe aka Tha Movement on rap, high schooler Tumua Lole teaching dance, and Noah Tauti known as A.R.K, mentoring spoken word.
ACE will take young people from the ages of 15 to 22 through once-a-week after-school sessions at the Arts Centre to learn, express, and hone their craft in preparation for a display of their talent each school holiday.
Siaea found her feet in theatre when she joined Massive, a fusion company of emerging and professional artists whose work comes from real stories, reflecting the rich diversity of Aotearoa.
“They took me out of my comfort zone. They trained and moulded me to become this performer I didn’t know I was.”
She says even though Islanders are natural performers Massive took her passion and technical skill to the next level.
In her early 20s now, Siaea has become a familiar face in Ōtara working with young adults through STATUS Youth Collective, WOW Women of Worth, her church, and The Ōtara Kai Village.
She still sees a need for a safe space for young people to express themselves constructively, not just as students but as mentors too.
The youngest of the tutors is Tumua Lole, a 15-year-old dancer who dreams of becoming a choreographer.
Lole says her family is excited to see her grow and achieve new heights.
She believes her age is her strength, being able to connect with her peers to convert their stories into physical expression using dance.
“ACE will help me get out into the community and let everyone know that us youth are also capable of doing huge things.”
Like many grassroots initiatives, ACE is currently running off pure love from the community, with no financial support yet, and each tutor is giving their time voluntarily.
The team is gearing up for their first session next Tuesday from 5:30pm at OMAC.
