As part of Kia Mau Festival’s He Ngaru Nui programme, AIGA represents the big dreams and heart-felt reflections of disabled, award-winning, performing artist, Lusi Faiva – performed by an ensemble of women, non-binary, disabled, non-disabled, Pasifika and Māori creatives.

Exploring identity, family, and desire, AIGA is a show that ebbs, flows, dips forward into the wicked and tilts back toward the heavenly as we traverse through the experience of Lusi’s beautiful and complex life story. Using music, movement and dramedy, AIGA captures Lusi’s life from youth into adulthood, from 1960s Samoa to the warrior that we bear witness to today.

AIGA is a three-year “crip time and c r i p s p a c e” devised work that has not only drawn on the life history of Lusi, but also the experiences of co-collaborators and performers including Iana Grace Pauga, Forest V Kapo (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Raukawa), Alex Medland (Kāi Tahu), Jake Arona and Fiona Collins. This collective creative ensemble gives this work its proud identity.

With a powerhouse creative team, this work features a story that will make you laugh, cry, think and feel – one that needs to be heard.

A Premiere Season in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington, AIGA is presented by Touch Compass Aotearoa New Zealand’s disability-led professional arts organisation. Touch Compass delivers high-quality performances, inclusive education, and arts activations

Content Warnings include PG Rated, strong language, sexual references, sexual assault themes, flashing images & lights, and loud music.

He Ngaru Nui is more than just a collection of performances—it is a bold statement about the value and significance of Indigenous narratives. These shows take stories that sometimes feel small, intimate, or unheard, and amplify them on the grand stages they deserve. This programming strand honours the storytelling traditions of Māori, Pasifika and global indigenous cultures, while pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance. It’s about taking stories from our communities and sharing them with the world in a way that is both respectful and revolutionary.

Kia Mau Festival is at the forefront of contemporary Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous arts in Aotearoa and beyond. We are innovators—pushing boundaries, redefining forms, and forging new paths with creative risk-taking at every step.Right here, right now, we bring together local, national, and international artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. We find the intersection where our stories intertwine, creating an experience that is uniquely 'local' yet unparalleled in Pōneke throughout the year.

Kia Mau Festival offers a truly unique experience, led by Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous voices at every level—from our leadership to our artists and audiences. Unlike any other festival, we are not just a platform for presentations; we are a hub for kōrero and whanaungatanga.

AIGA

Ticketing. Events. People. Love.

Support

Legal

Links