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TUSIATA
AVIA - RESIDENCY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I |
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Courtesy Creative New Zealand |
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Poet and performer Tusiata
Avia, who has just returned home to New Zealand after participating in
international poetry festivals in the Netherlands, Belgium, Moscow and
Morocco, has been awarded this year’s $40,000 Fulbright-Creative New
Zealand Pacific Writers’ Residency at the University of Hawai’i.
Avia, who is of Samoan descent but was born and grew up in
Christchurch, has spent many years travelling overseas. Now, she’s
looking forward to taking up the three-month residency in Hawai’i in
late August and focussing on her latest projects: a collection of
poetry and a new theatre work.
“I thrive on new environments and enjoy new challenges as a writer and
performer,” Avia says. “The opportunity to have a multicultural
experience within a Pacific context and work in a community of writers,
academics, students, artists and publishers is potent. I can’t think of
a more creatively fertile place for me to write.”
The residency, based at the University’s Centre for Pacific Studies, is
a partnership between Creative New Zealand, Fulbright New Zealand and
the University of Hawai’i.
Marilyn Kohlhase, a member of Creative New Zealand’s Arts Board and the
Chair of its Pacific Arts Committee, says the residency will provide
Avia with a stimulating environment and a sustained period of time to
work on her two projects.
“Tusiata is an exciting, emerging Pacific voice who made her mark with
the performances and then publication of Wild Dogs Under My Skirt,” Ms
Kohlhase says. “This residency is a wonderful career development
opportunity to enhance her growing reputation, build valuable
international networks and strengthen ties with other Pacific artists.”
Fulbright New Zealand’s Executive Director, Mele Wendt, says that
Hawai’i is a hub for Pacific artists and also has important links to
mainland United States.
“Tusiata writes about issues of identity, culture and the universality
of human experience in a fresh, distinctive voice,” Ms Wendt says.
“Through this residency, she will enhance the profile of Pacific women
artists, and of Pacific writing within New Zealand and the Pacific
region.”
The name Tusiata means both “word painter” and “artist”. Avia describes
herself as a “poetry ambassador”, making people feel good about poetry. |
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Avia is of Samoan descent & Christchurch born and raised; just
returned after participating in international poetry festivals
in the Netherlands, Belgium, Moscow and Morocco. (Photo:
Courtesy of Creative NZ)
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The residency, based at the University’s Centre for Pacific
Studies, is a partnership between Creative New Zealand,
Fulbright New Zealand and the University of Hawai’i.
(Photo: Courtesy of Creative NZ)
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Poet and performer Tusiata Avia of Samoan descent, awarded
Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writers’ Residency at the
University of Hawai’i for three months.
(Photo: Courtesy of Creative NZ) |
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“Poetry is expressing where and who you are. A lot of people
don’t have positive connections with poetry and it’s my mission to
present it as relevant, accessible and dynamic. As much as my poetry
is for the page, it also belongs to the stage. It’s there that
people can experience poetry as something living and dynamic,
something they can relate to.”
In 2003, she gained her Masters of Arts (Distinction) in Creative
Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at
Victoria University of Wellington. She has performed her one-woman
show, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, throughout New Zealand and in
American Samoa, Germany, Austria and Hawai’i.
In 2004, her first book of poetry, taking its title from her
one-woman show, was published by Victoria University Press to
critical acclaim. Bill Manhire, poet and director of the
International Institute of Modern Letters, is quoted on the back
cover of the collection, saying: “Tusiata is likely to be a major
figure in our literature and in our performance culture.”
Her radio drama, You Say Hawai’i, was broadcast in 2002 and her
radio documentary, Which Way to Paradise, was broadcast on National
Radio in 2003 and 2004. She has also had two children’s books
published by Learning Media.
Earlier this year, Avia was an artist-in-residence at the Macmillan
Brown Centre for Pacific
Studies in Christchurch – a residency that’s received funding
support from the Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New Zealand
since it was established in 1996.
“In Hawai’i, I’ll be developing new material and reworking existing
material that I began in Russia and worked on in Christchurch,” Avia
says. “This geographical, cultural and linguistic triangle of
writing will, I think, yield exciting results.”
For further information, please contact Undine Marshfield, Senior
Media and Communications Advisor, Creative New Zealand. Email:
undinem@creativenz.govt.nz or Ann Thomson at Fulbright New Zealand.
Email: ann@fulbright.org.nz
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