Aotearoa Festival Of Black Arts Celebrates African And Caribbean Creativity In NZ

This November, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will come alive with the first-ever Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts (AFoBA) - a vibrant, month-long celebration of Afro Kiwi creativity and excellence.

Curated and presented by Black Creatives Aotearoa (BCA), a community group empowering and uplifting Black creative artists, the festival showcases a programme of theatre, film, music, movement, visual arts, literature, and community events - shining a spotlight on Black artistic voices from across Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The festival was born from a desire to create a space where Afro-Kiwi artists can be seen, celebrated, and supported in ways that push beyond traditional boundaries of representation,” says festival founder and BCA director Dione Joseph.

“We have extraordinary Afro-Kiwi talent in this country, and it’s time for those voices and stories to be centred, visible, and valued - and to do so with joy.”

Developed over the past 18 months, this groundbreaking festival is the first of its kind in Aotearoa - a platform celebrating the depth, diversity, and creativity of the African diaspora in New Zealand.

Headlining the festival is the play Po’ Boys and Oysters, a sharp and soulful Caribbean family drama-comedy set in Auckland, directed by Dione and written by Estelle Chout, returning for its second season at the Herald Theatre. In NYEGE – A Festive Wellness Carnival, Afro-diasporic DJ sets and music collide in a joyful open-air celebration at Aotea Square, while JingleBeatz! Siyaya reimagines Christmas classics through an Afro-fusion lens, featuring electrifying performances from The Wowlive Band and guest vocalists.

Creative exploration continues with FutureTense, featuring an innovative two-day workshop series led by acclaimed author Sonya Renee Taylor and Junauda Petrus, inviting BIPOC and queer creatives to imagine futures grounded in justice. The visual arts programme includes Beyond the Frame: Black Abstraction and the Politics of Joy, a thought-provoking panel at the Auckland Art Gallery exploring how Black artists have redefined abstraction through imagination, defiance, and celebration.

“The Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts is grounded in the desire to shift the dial,” Dione adds. “It’s about building a sustainable ecosystem that nurtures Afro-Kiwi artists, fosters intergenerational exchange, and reminds us that visibility and creative expression are powerful tools for transformation.”

The Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts will run from 22 November - 22 December in various locations across Tamaki Makaurau.

Here is a list of events:

THEATRE

Po’ Boys and Oysters

Presented by Black Creatives Aotearoa in partnership with Auckland Live

A sharp and funny family queer drama/comedy about love, class, and belonging.

When a Black lesbian couple of Haitian descent settle in Tāmaki Makaurau with dreams of adopting a child, they quickly discover that family—chosen and biological—comes with rivalries, secrets, and the occasional plate of oysters.

Written by Estelle Chout and directed by Dione Joseph, Po’ Boys and Oysters brings Caribbean flair to Aotearoa’s stage, weaving together biting humour, intimate truths, and the everyday politics of love and survival. With a stellar cast including Sonya Renee Taylor, Sandra Zvenyika, and Estelle Chout, this acclaimed work serves up a delicious feast of passion, identity, and the hunger to create home.

Back for its highly anticipated second season, this story brims with heart, laughter, and the fire of community.

Herald Theatre

Sat 22 – Sat 29 Nov 2025

TICKETS: afoba.nz

MOVEMENT

NYEGE – A Festive Wellness Carnival

Part of Auckland Live’s Christmas in the Square

NYEGE is Black Creatives Aotearoa’s open-air summer celebration — a vibrant fusion of Afro-diasporic rhythm, wellness, and joy in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau. The word nyege speaks to irresistible rhythm and joyful energy — the kind that calls you to dance, move, and celebrate life.

Guided by yoga teacher and MC Wendy Douglas, alongside Celeste Botha, Alvie McKree, Sharl Fynn and DJ ORIKoL, the day flows between high-energy DJ sets, live drumming, yoga, playful movement, and creative expression. Designed as a wholesome, family-friendly experience, NYEGE brings together culture, connection, and community in celebration of summer and self-expression.

Whether you come for the music, the movement, or simply the good vibes, NYEGE invites everyone to embrace the season with joy, wellness, and shared spirit.

Aotea Square, Central Tāmaki Makaurau

Sunday 7 Dec 2025, 11am – 9pm

FREE EVENT: afoba.nz

MUSIC

JingleBeatz! Siyaya — Bringing the heart of Africa to your holidays.

The festive season gets a bold new sound with JingleBeatz! 2025, a dazzling holiday concert re-imagining traditional Christmas classics with African rhythm and flair.

Featuring Wow Live Band alongside powerhouse vocalists from across the African diaspora, this third iteration of JingleBeatz! SIYAYA transforms carols you know into irresistible Afro-fusion anthems melding the sounds of Afro-Jazz, Amapiano, Souk, Woro, Sungura, Mbaqanga (South African Township Jive), Maqat from North Africa, Sebene and more. With vibrant percussion, soaring harmonies, and the warmth of community celebration, JingleBeatz! SIYAYA is a joyful holiday tradition in the making — uplifting, unforgettable, and proudly Afro-Kiwi.

Tuning Fork

20 December 2025

TICKETS: afoba.nz

LITERATURE & WORKSHOPS

FutureTense Creating tomorrow. Together

Presented by Black Creatives Aotearoa

(in collaboration with Design Futures Aotearoa & Auckland Council)

FutureTense is a bold new platform for visionary storytelling, gathering Black and BIPOC artists in Aotearoa to imagine futures rooted in creativity, justice, and joy.

Across multiple events, acclaimed African-American artists Sonya Renee Taylor and Junauda Petrus, come together with artists across disciplines, to explore speculative worlds, experiment with form, and seed new work.

Including a design talk, futuristic writing workshops & an intimate community dinner, this event marks the beginning of a multi-year journey toward the Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts in 2027.

FutureTense is both a workshop series and a movement — building community, sparking collaboration, and envisioning what’s possible when we create tomorrow, together.

Decolonising Futures with Afro-Futurism (in collaboration with Design Futures Aotearoa) Academy Ex

Wed 3 Dec 2025

Writing Workshops

Central Auckland Venue (TBC)

Sun 7 & Sat 13 Dec 2025

Community Dinner (in collaboration with Auckland Council)

Ellen Melville Centre

Fri 12 Dec 2025

afoba.nz

FILM:

Obsidian&Seen: Black Films in Aotearoa

Presented as part of the Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts

Join us for an 80-minute cinematic journey showcasing twelve stunning works from our talented Black creatives and allies across Aotearoa. From short films and documentaries to music videos and animations, this curated collection explores themes of love, hope, race, grief, celebration, relationships, identity, sexuality, and more.

Expect a rich tapestry of vicarious vision, sweet sounds, and amazing animation—each piece a testament to the depth and diversity of Black storytelling in New Zealand.

The evening concludes with a short Q&A session, offering you the chance to hear directly from some of the brilliant minds behind the screen.

Tickets: $25 Online / $30 Door Sales

Doors open: 1:00pm

Screening Starts: 2:00pm

The Capitol Theatre:

Sunday 14 December 2025

Doors open: 1:00pm

Screening Starts: 2:00pm

Tickets: $25 Online / $30 Door Sales

afoba.nz

VISUAL ARTS & PANEL

Beyond the Frame: Black Abstraction and the Politics of Joy

Presented by Black Creatives Aotearoa in partnership with Auckland Art Gallery

As part of Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, this special conversation brings together three dynamic Black artists and scholars — Elizabeth Freeman, Kainee Simone, and Erykah Jennette — in dialogue with Curator Kenneth Brummel, facilitated by Dione Joseph.

Together, they examine how Black artists have shaped and expanded post-war movements through acts of imagination, defiance, and joy. From the politics of form to the poetics of colour, the kōrero delves into how abstraction becomes a site of freedom - a space where new futures, identities, and communities are continually being remade.

An inspiring exchange at the intersection of art, history, and radical possibility, Beyond the Frame invites audiences to look deeper, listen differently, and witness how Black creativity redefines the canvas — and the world beyond it.

Auckland Art Gallery

Saturday 29 November 2025, 1:30pm

afoba.nz

About

The Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts (AFOBA) is a biennial celebration of Black creativity in Aotearoa, developed over 18 months by Black Creatives Aotearoa (BCA). Its kaupapa is to centre Black joy, connection, and excellence through performance, visual art, music, film, and literature. Led by a collective of artists and producers, AFOBA builds partnerships, community engagement, and pathways for Black creatives across four streams: Visibility, Capability Building, Outreach, and Ambassadorship. The festival honours Afro-diasporic artistry while strengthening relationships with Tangata Whenua and wider communities, creating a lasting legacy of representation, empowerment, and belonging in Aotearoa.

www.afoba.nz

Black Creatives Aotearoa (BCA) is a pioneering arts organisation dedicated to uplifting, connecting, and celebrating Black artists and stories in Aotearoa. Founded by Dione Joseph, BCA has championed groundbreaking theatre, film, and community projects that centre Black perspectives and redefine the creative landscape.

www.blackcreativesaotearoa.com

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