TuTagata Poly Festival

30 July 2019

Nine schools in the Wellington region are taking part in this year’s 41st anniversary for the annual TuTagata Secondary schools Poly Festival. This will be held Tuesday 30 July 6.30pm at the Michael Fowler Centre. TuTagata is an event that celebrates Pacific youth leadership and excellence in Pacific performance.

“It is a specialised Pacific event where students perform their choice of Pacific performance to their parents, family and school community as the audience. They have developed the performance and led the group,” says TuTagata Komiti Chair 2019 Vienna Masoe of Wellington East Girls College.

“The festival is an incredibly popular event due to its history and tradition. It has huge support from our Wellington Pacific community and from TuTagata alumni.”

TuTagata has been a great Pacific platform for the Capital to showcase the cultural and linguistic diversity of participating schools. It also foster leadership roles for Pacific students, building on a growing momentum of Pacific academic success, strong Pacific identities, languages and culture and the importance of recognising Pacific people’s history and place in New Zealand.

“TuTagata has a long history and many of the region's children, now parents, have been involved. These strong TuTagata alumni ensure it continues to showcase Pacific tradition but also innovation.”

"It's been 41 years running and it’s good for the Pacific community, and a huge milestone for Wellington as a historical event.”

Schools will take part in the 2018 TuTagata Poly Festival of dance, songs, and a variety of Pacific performances, consisting of 7 original TuTagata schools (St Catherine’s College, Rongotai College, Wellington East Girls College, Wellington Girls College, Wellington Boys College, St Patricks Wellington, and St Marys), with the addition of Taita College and Scots College as Included schools.

Over 2000 spectators are expected with about 800 students.

The festival is run by a TuTagata komiti made up of participating schools, students and teachers, which brings together students, teachers and the wider public in an exploration of a Pacific Youth Wellington. Wellington East College is the host school for 2019.

The TuTagata komiti acknowledges Wellington City Council, USO Bikes, Teach NZ, Pacific PowerUP, Ministry of Education, Victoria University Wellington, and Ministry for Pacific Peoples, and Pacific Futures for their support. Fa’afetai le lagolago mai.

For more information visit https://www.tutagatapolyfest.org/

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