Pride Elevates

Auckland Pride wants to deepen our relationships and partnerships in Tāmaki Makaurau's arts sector - empowering a more authentic and abundant queer arts ecosystems that nurtures emerging talent and elevates excellence.

As one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, we believe it is our responsibility to provide space to showcase that. That means giving artists the resources they need. As we emerge from the challenges of Covid-19 and enter an arts funding crisis, finding alternate solutions is more important than ever. Traditional streams of funding cannot sustain our arts sector, and are not accessible to many.

We’re running this crowdfunding campaign to raise $60,000, supported by generous match donors, to put money right into the hands of artists we believe embody the core values of Auckland Pride’s 2023 theme: Elevate. Elevate describes artists who we feel are developing their practices in unique or exciting ways, and are radically contributing to their communities or disciplines.

With the reach of our platform, we are enlisting the help of our community to meet this funding goal. This will ensure artists can thrive and are paid for their hard work and creativity, rather than relying on resilience alone.

Pride Elevates is more than a campaign. It’s a celebration of our present and future queer and Takatāpui artists and their work, to acknowledge their place in our society. With these nine supported projects, the landscape of Aotearoa's creative soul will be shaped for a prouder and more political tomorrow:

F.O.L.A [AKL] - Festival of Live Art [Auckland]

A brand new Festival of Live Art that celebrates the ambitious, experimental, uncoventional and challengig art of Tāmaki Makaurau. Pride will support F.O.L.A. [AKL] in particular with bringing over the queer works SADBOI (Panos Malactos & Elias Adam) & Takatāpui (Daley Rangi) from Belgium and Australia.

Show Ponies

Show Ponies has sold out multiple venues in Aotearoa and beyond - and now finally makes its Auckland debut. If you haven't heard of Show Ponies, the concept is simple: poets are pop stars now. It's poetry with the volume right up, more gig than reading. MC'd by Show Ponies ringleader Freya Daly Sadgrove, this is an electrifying poetic extravaganza that you won't want to miss.

A highly anticipated work by Honey, Mother of the NZ ballroom house of Givenchy. A movement diary over 3 years exploring the ever evolving relationship with divine femininity. A middle finger to censorship and the policing of non-binary bodies. Fusing the five elements of vogue with elements of contemporary movement.

She’s Crowning: Rebirth

After sell out shows and a nationwide tour in 2022, the royal satire spectacular She's Crowning by Peter Burman and Murdoch Keane makes its triumphant return. The wigs have been steamed, the horses have been fed, the guillotine is being sharpened and Dame Maggie Smith is defrosting as we speak. Because Liz may be gone...But these Queens are back. Rehabilitated, Reincarnated, Remixed, Reborn.

BTM Live

Sung Hwan walks in the room in a full leather get-up. He is a sculptor and he is about to undertake a beginning process of a sculpture making process, creating the cavity of the clay. This way of making ceramics is called kurinuki. The usual convention is to use tools to make interesting angled surfaces. And this idea of “digging out” is similar to the sexual practice of fisting.

Jez & Jace: Lads on Tour

Toxic masculinity has never looked this hot. Jez & Jace is an improvised comedy by Megan Connolly and Nina Hogg which provides social commentary on the friendship between the two rural bogan lads as they grapple with their queer identity.

Art Chemist

Art Chemist is an interactive performance and visual arts installation by Ōtautahi-based performance artist and community activator Audrey Baldwin, here to support mental wellbeing and a thriving community. Just like your local pharmacy, you’ll be prescribed with creative means to tackle everyday woes and gripes.

Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt Roskill, Auckland

Performer Reon Bell and director Sean Dioneda Rivera are creating a devised work that explores the life and perspective of Dana, an office worker for an insurance company and spends most of his days answering phones. But his life and perspective on the world starts to crumble after an encounter with a UFO late one night while out cruising at a local park.

Pride Slam

JAFA Poetry’s first ever Pride Poetry Slam, where eight of the city’s best queer slam poets battle it out for bragging rights and a cash prize to the charity of their choice.

These incredible projects need your help to make them possible. Back the arts and back the queer community. We can't wait to share Auckland Pride 2023 with all of you!