Tau Tahi To Tahiti!

TAU TAHI TO TAHITI! 

TAU TAHI is a talented group of Tongan Creative/Performing Artists based in Sydney, Australia. Under the leadership of renowned Tongan choreographer, Sisi'uno Helu - TAU TAHI have been invited to perform at Matari‘i i Ni‘a in Tahiti, a vibrant celebration of the Polynesian New Year. This project is an exciting collaboration with 4 New Zealand based Tongan performers. 

We’re calling on our wider fāmili and all our peeps to support our NZ-based artists Leki Jackson-Bourke & Saale Ilaua (from Strictly Brown), ‘Uluaki Kaivelata, and Lolo Filiai to join this important journey. This campaign will help us get them to the festival where our stories, dance and the spirit of Tongan Māfana will be represented proudly on the world stage. The boys will perform a Tongan repertoire of ancient items alongside the Australian based performers. They will also deliver some one-off cultural and art specific workshops for the local community. 
 

Every bit counts and every dollar goes towards assisting their travels across the Moana. Let’s show the world what Tongan excellence looks like in 2025, through the next generation of Tongan artists. 

Malo 'Aupito
Tu'a Ofa Atu. 

#BackOurBoys #TonganMafana #BoostedNZ #TauTahiToTahiti 

TAU TAHI was originally formed by Sisi'uno as a dance platform for Sydney based dancers to learn ancient Tongan faiva. For the purposes of this Tahiti Trip, Sisi'uno has opened the collective to collaborate with Tongan artists from NZ. 
 

CHOREOGRAPHER AND DIRECTOR
Sisi'uno Helu (AUS) is a renowned Tongan choreographer, academic, film producer and performer currently based in Sydney, Australia. Sisi'uno specialises in the revival of the ancient forms of Tongan dance. 

PRODUCER & LEAD DANCER
Leki Jackson-Bourke (NZ) is a multi-disciplinary artist, and an award-winning playwright of Tongan, Niuean and Samoan descent. Leki is currently based in Auckland, New Zealand and is one half of the theatre collective, Strictly Brown. 

RESEARCHER / ORATOR / CARVER 
Elijah Lemusuifeauali'i (AUS) is a fierce advocate for Pacific cultures and is an experienced orator and carver currently based in Sydney, Australia. Elijah currently works at the and is a known researcher in the Pacific academic space. 

DANCER / FANGUFANGU ARTIST
'Uluaki Kaivelata (NZ) is a freelance Tongan artist, musician and choreographer based in Auckland, NZ. 'Uluaki's specialty lies in the work he does alongside his father, Tu'i Kaivelata and their mission to reawaken the art of the Tongan Fangufangu. 

DANCER / TONGAN NGATU ARTIST
Ruha Fifita (AUS) is a Tongan interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Yugambeh/Logan, Australia. Ruha will join the group as a dancer. 

ACTOR / SINGER
Saale Ilaua (NZ) is a Tongan performer based in Auckland, NZ specialising in drama and music. Saale is the other half of the theatre collective, Strictly Brown. 

SINGER/DANCER
Lolo Filiai (NZ) is an emerging Tongan dancer currently studying at Auckland University. Lolo was the former headboy of Manurewa High School and is a developing talent from South Auckland. 

EMERGING DANCERS & TALENT- Ilaivaha Finefeuiaki (Sydney, Australia), Lillian Lolomana'ia (Sydney, Australia). 

Funding is needed to help support the costumes, accomodation, travel and per-diems for our NZ based artists and performers. 

• Producer/Lead Dancer - Leki (travel cost $2,500.00)
• Singer/Musician/Performer - Saale (travel cost $2,500.00)
• Musician/Dancer - 'Uluaki Kaivelata (travel cost $2,500.00)
• Emerging Dancer/Performer - Lolo Filiai (travel cost $2,500.00) 

TAU TAHI is travelling to Tahiti this November to take part in Matari‘i Ni‘a which is a significant cultural celebration marking the rising of the Pleiades constellation and the beginning of the Polynesian new year. 

As cliché as it sounds - our journey is actually more than a performance. Our journey as TAU TAHI is underpinned by the Tongan cultural values of Faka'apa'apa (respect), Tauhi Vā (maintaining relationships), Loto to (humility and generosity), and Feveitokai'aki (reciprocity and sharing). The journey is a cultural offering, a showcase of Tongan Mafana and a celebration of the unity of contemporary and traditional Tongan art forms. 

By bringing together Tongan artists from both Aotearoa and Australia, we are creating a powerful platform that unites our voices and honours our ancestors from the Kingdom of Tonga. For many of our young and emerging artists, this is a once in a life time opportunity to deepen cultural practice in a collective space that is dedicated to excellence, tradition and innovation. 

In a world that often dilutes our Indigenous expression, TAU TAHI stands proudly as a vaka for cultural strengthening. We take our traditional stories with our contemporary practice to find the unique blend of our story as Tongans in today's society. Through this journey, we aim to inspire a new wave of Tongan creatives, grounded in their roots and connected through the discipline and transformative power of Faiva Fakatonga. 

"It is time to create things for ourselves to create established standards of excellence that matches those of our ancestors.” – Epeli Hau'ofa. 

TAU TAHI aims to do exactly this. To go above and beyond the aesthetic of stage performance to enhance our practice as artists and hold ourselves to an international standard of excellence. This kaupapa will provide a vital opportunity for young Tongan artists to show that we are multi-faceted, versatile performers - grounded in protecting ancient faiva whilst allowing for innovation and contemporary exploration in our arts practice. 

By taking TAU TAHI to an international stage, we are engaging in a deeper connection to identity, language, and ancestral knowledge. Faiva Fakatonga is the traditional Tongan artform that weaves together dance, song, storytelling, and ceremony. The songs, lyrics & movements empower the next generation to carry forward cultural legacy with pride and purpose. 

For our Aotearoa-based artists, the journey to Matari‘i Ni‘a offers not only an artistic exchange but also a spiritual homecoming, strengthening their ties to the wider Moana Nui ā Kiwa. In collaboration with our Sydney fāmili, we hope to instill confidence, leadership, and cross-cultural collaborative skills that ripple out into the wider Tongan arts communities. If the Samoans can do it, if the Hawaiians can do it, if the Māori can do it - then so can we! 

We are descendants of the world's greatest navigators who traversed the world's largest ocean. We come from greatness and greatness is in our DNA. As Tongan children of the diaspora, we take pride in any opportunity for visibility and representation. This is more than a trip - it’s an investment into the future of tomorrow, an investment into artistic excellence and a contribution from us to the future of Tongan performing arts.