The Pacifica Mamas Arts and Cultural Trust is an arts collective based in Auckland, New Zealand, with the mission to pass on traditional Pacific arts. The arts collective are based at the Pacifica Arts Centre, located in the

Corban Estate Arts Centre Corban Estate Arts Centre is an arts precinct in West Auckland, New Zealand. Established in 2002 at the site of the Mt Lebanon Vineyard and Winery, the arts centre provides creative production, theatre and gallery space to New Zealand artists. ...

Establishment

Established in the late 1980s, the centre's vision is to develop and support Pacific arts and cultural projects, with a focus on Pacific heritage art practices. They are known as the Pacifica Mamas and also as the Pacifica Mamas and Papas. Mary Ama and Teuke Malaga were two of the founders. The collective was formed from first-generation Pacific immigrants to New Zealand. There are many Pacific Island nations represented amongst the collective including the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tonga, Tokelau, Kiribati and Niue. The collective were based in a single room shed at the

until 2004, when the shed caught fire.

Activities

The collective has a home base called the Pacifica Arts Centre at Corban Estate Art Centre in West Auckland. The collective provides 'guidance and support' to other Pacific arts collectives and artists. Regular workshops are held by the Pacifica Mamas at their Pacifica Arts Centre. This includes a schools programme where students learn some Pacific weaving, drumming and dance. The centre's director is Jarcinda Stowers-Ama. The Pacifica Mamas Trust governs the annual Pacifica Living Arts Festival held at Corban Estate that consists of arts, crafts, traditional food and school groups performing. Pacifica Mamas Arts and Cultural Trust and the Pacifica Arts Centre receive funding from Creative New Zealand as part of the 2020 Toi Uru Kahikatea programme. Some members of the collective are Maria Fastnidge ( Samoan/Chinese descent), Mary Ama (

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

), Mata Smith ( Niue) and Tiana Epati (Samoa).

Awards

2012 - Pacific Heritage Art Award, Arts Pasifika Awards (awarded to Mary Ama and the Pacifica Mamas) 2015 - Arts Access Corrections Community Award (awarded to Mary Ama and the Pacifica Mamas)

References

External links

Pacifica Mamas documentary on The Coconet TV
Arts organisations based in New Zealand New Zealand artist groups and collectives {{NewZealand-stub