Six artists from a variety of disciplines have been invited into this year's Creative New Zealand Pasifika Internships Programme.
CNZ Pasifika Internship recipients 2019 (L-R) Daedae Tekorongo-Waka, Amberley Aumua, Serval Fandango, Joshua Iosefa, Gloriana Meyers, and Zandra Ah Jay-Maepu. Photo: Tautai/CNZ
The director of Tautai, the organisation which runs the Creative New Zealand funded programme, Courtney Sina Meredith said the situation was unique.
"There is no other paid internship programme like this in Aotearoa New Zealand for rising stars in Oceanic arts," she said.
Internships are available to Pasifika artists across all disciplines and provide 20 weeks paid placements.
One of this year's recipients, the Cook Island Maori performance artist Daedae Tekoronga-Waka, said she will spend six months in Wellington at Bats theatre.
The Aucklander said she will develop her skills in theatre management and production, festival programming and the business side of the arts.
"I'm hella-excited you know cos I've just graduated with my bachelor's and I'm at a point now where I'm like, 'okay cool, what's the next step I've gotta take in order to branch my career?'
"And I believe that in New Zealand, in this industry, especially if you want to make it, you have to wear as much hats as possible and be as versatile as you can as an artist, and this internship is going to do that for me."
Other recipients this year include the Samoan/Māori filmmaker Amberley Aumua, the Tongan artist and designer Serval Fandango, the Samoan theatre-maker Joshua Iosefa, the Tongan Pacific art historian Gloria Meyers, and the Samoan performance artist Zandra Ah Jay-Maepu.