Kava Club Talks Sexuality And Gender through Art

Kava Club Talks Sexuality And Gender through Art

Wellington based Pacific and Māori arts collective Kava Club are excited to announce their upcoming event: ‘In the ‘Gay’zeebo: A Māori Pasifika Response to the Gay Narrative’ - 19 March 2016.

Following the 30th Anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform, and regional Pride events, Kava Club are organising a unique event bringing together sexuality and gender diverse people who whakapapa tangata whenua, tagata Pasifika, indigenous and people of colour, as well as their whānau/family and loved ones.

Based at the idyllic Mokai Kainga community gardens, the event will host a free afternoon of workshops centred around Māori and Pasifika art forms and will encourage intergenerational kōrero within the local community.

Leilani Visesio, Kava Club member says that the idea began from a conversation with a young lesbian Māori woman who raised questions about safety for young Māori and Pasifika people.

“This has been an event I’ve been thinking about for years – it’s about bringing together culture, sexuality and identity in a supportive space. As an older queer person, I realised we need to listen to what is important to young people, and link them with older role models who have fought hard to be where they are now. Indigenous art is the conduit for this conversation.”

Kassie Hartendorp, Kava Club member says she hopes this inspires other Māori and Pasifika people to share their stories around sexuality and gender, although acknowledges this isn’t easy for everyone.

“We are starting to see change for LGBTIQ people in Western countries around the world, but we want to ask what this means for our ‘rainbow’ identities here in the Pacific. It shouldn’t be so rare to see events organised from an indigenous perspective that open up discussion around what gives us hope and what we are still fighting for.”

Kava Club is an independent arts collective established in 2014 for emerging and established artists that hosts Chop Suey Hui a monthly programme of events and art forums around the city of Wellington.

The collective thanks their sponsors, Creative NZ, Tautai Pacific Arts Trust and the Wellington Gay Welfare Group.

In the ‘Gay’zeebo: A Māori Pasifika Response to the Gay Narrative, 19th March, from 12pm – 7pm, Mokai Kainga, 72 Happy Valley Road.

All ages are welcome. The event hosts will provide a kids area and free hangi.

For updates, see the Facebook event or email: kavaclublove@gmail.com.

https://www.facebook.com/events/495202057336874/

ENDS

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