A Master of None

I’m bringing together a live band and an ensemble of singers to create a transmedia project that explores the beauty and strength of collective voices. This work spans music, theatre, and film, presenting powerful stories of Samoan culture, community, and activism.  Help me in making this happen by contributing to my fundraiser, which will support artists’ fees and help us bring this vision to life. Your support ensures that these voices and stories can be heard and shared with the world.

My name is Lila Lj Crichton, and I’m a Samoan vocalist, composer, and director based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. My creative practice draws heavily from my upbringing in Aotearoa as a Samoan artist, blending choral, gospel, opera, and R&B influences with Pasifika storytelling traditions. My goal here is to create art that is hopeful, radical, and rooted in community, exploring themes of identity, culture, and connection.

This project brings together a talented team of performers, musicians, and creatives, each bringing their unique artistry to the work. It includes a live band, an ensemble of powerful singers, and collaborators who specialise in music, movement, and visual storytelling. Together, we share a passion for creating work that reflects the beauty, depth, and complexity of my beautiful culture while addressing universal themes of unity and hope.

Our team is dedicated to crafting a project that is not only artistically compelling but also deeply meaningful—a celebration of collective voices and a call to action for change.

Artists fees

- Rehearsal fees

- Performance fees

- Photographer/videographer

- Lighting designer/technician

Hire 

- Venue hire (rehearsals)

- Venue hire (performances)

- Set pieces (ie toga, fala, siapo)

This project is a multidisciplinary body of work driven by a deep desire to inspire awareness, love, and dialogue in the face of global and local challenges. The music was created in response to the genocide in Palestine, reflecting my feelings of helplessness and the realization that I could contribute through art. It’s a way to bring awareness to the importance of peace and unity, spreading the message that love can truly conquer all.

The theatrical show was inspired by Brianna Fruean’s call to action during the 2024 Miss Samoa pageant, where she spoke about peace, governance, and the courage needed to address the uncomfortable truths within our communities. Her words led me to explore silence as both a strength and a danger. Using traditional Samoan woven mats (fala) as a metaphor, the show invites audiences to a space of dialogue, challenging the silence around the ugly truths in our culture. It’s about breaking cycles of avoidance so we can collectively move forward.
 

Another critical kaupapa of this project is to highlight the inherent multidisciplinary nature of Samoan and Pasifika artists. For generations, our people have been jacks of all trades, seamlessly wearing many hats and excelling across disciplines. This work celebrates that legacy—our ability to navigate and create across multiple art forms with strength, adaptability, and ingenuity.
 

Additionally, this project seeks to confront the misogynistic foundations laid during colonization and the violence and silence that persist in their wake. It’s about breaking through these harmful legacies by fostering dialogue and using art as a tool for liberation and healing. At its heart, this work is a celebration of Samoan culture, a reflection of our collective strength, and a call to action for love, justice, and transformation.

This project is more than art—it’s a platform for truth, healing, and transformation. It speaks to the urgent need for dialogue about the challenges faced by our communities, from the silence around systemic violence and misogyny to the impact of colonisation on our cultural values. These are stories that have been swept under the mat for too long, and this work creates a safe space to lift that mat, have real conversations, and imagine a better future together.
 

It’s also a celebration of who we are as Samoan and Pasifika people: multidisciplinary, adaptable, and resilient. For generations, our communities have embodied the ability to wear many hats, excelling across roles as leaders, artists, and innovators. This project honours that legacy, showing the world the brilliance and depth of our culture while inspiring pride and connection within our own people.

I’m calling on my community to back this project because it represents all of us. It’s about amplifying our collective voice, celebrating our inherent strengths, and addressing the issues we need to face together. By supporting this work, you’re not just funding an artistic project—you’re helping to build a platform for change, a celebration of culture, and a call for unity and love in a world that desperately needs it.