12 YEARS OF WORD – The Front Line! Another massive year for WORD and we are officially wrapped! Every year continues to blow us away, the absolute power, grace, and life from our poets is second to none and we are truly humbled to share space every year with you all. To our 2025 WORD Whānau, THANK YOU for your voices that continue to uplift us all and change the fabric of the very world we live in. Thank you for stepping up to your front lines to speak your truth and holding each other so well in the process. This year’s Grand Slam was beyond special, and we are truly grateful to everyone in our village who upholds WTFL and makes this possible. Big mihi to all our funders Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Auckland Regional Council, New Zealand Lotteries Commission, J R McKenzie Trust, MAS Foundation, and The Tindall Foundation for generously supporting us, for investing in young artists and supporting communities to creatively thrive. Your support means so much, to so many. Ngā mihi nui! Shoutout to our top six teams for repping hard! Diocesan School for Girls, Wesley College, Zayed College for Girls, Waitākere College, Dilworth College, and your 2025 WORD Champions, Nga Puna o Waiorea! Congratulations again to you all! Thank you to Elaine and the team at Auckland Live for hosting us and providing professional stages, sound, and lighting for our poets. To our judging panel, Sara Qasem, Onehou Strickland, Zech Soakai, and Tom Scott! An all-star lineup that held down the hardest job of the night! Thank you! Massive shoutout to our back-to-back champs of WORD Otautahi, Cashmere High School. Special thanks to all our teachers, coaches, alumni, and staff for the hard mahi put in throughout the year to support our poets and amplify their voices. Thank you to Peniel Fa’amausili, Sole Photography, Reuben Fietje, and SEV Agency for capturing lifelong memories for our poets and programme. – Be sure to keep an eye on our YouTube channel! Shoutout to DJ Nualan for holding down the beats! Huge thank you to Daisy Lavea-Timo for supporting us with some very generous prizes for our packs! A reminder to all our poets that Word – The Front Line is but a launching

✨ Celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori ✨ Mauri ora! Nau mai haere mai this Wednesday for an evening of Spoken Word Poetry — where local Māori poet voices rise in power, truth, and beauty to honour our reo rangatira. WE RUNNING IT BACK! 🗓 Date: 17th September, 2025 📍 Location: OMAC, Otara Shopping Centre, 46 Fair Mall Auckland 2023 ⏰ Time: 8pm - 9pm If you enjoyed Word - The Front Line Grand Slam, you're gonna enjoy this! Kia kaha te reo Māori! 🖤🤍❤️

Hey, you there 🫵🏽 It’s like the night before Christmas because Word - The Front Line Grand Slam is happening TOMORROW! Dilworth School is the gift that keeps on giving and we want to see you cheering them on. Tickets are going quick so get’’em now 🏃‍♀️ 📆 Saturday 13th September 🕰️ 7pm 📍 Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre 🎫 link in bio!

3️⃣ more sleeps until the Grand Slam 🎤 Diocesan School For Girls will be competing this Saturday at Word - The Front Line Grand Slam 2025! Over 5 months of preparation comes down to one night. Will you miss out on a once in a lifetime experience? Because we sure won’t and you shouldn’t either 🫵🏽 📅 Saturday 13th September ⏰ 7pm 📍 Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre 🎫 link in bio (and they’re going quick!)

✨ JUDGING PANEL 2025 ✨ We are proud to introduce WTFL Grand Slam 2025 Judges ⭐️ Tom Scott, born of the blood, sweat, and tears shed with Homebrew, @Peace, Average Rap Band, and Avantdale Bowling Club, Scott’s craft as a music maker and performer is second to none. He has released nine albums (two of which debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 album chart) and built a loyal live following throughout Aotearoa, Australia, and as far afield as Europe and the United Kingdom. In recognition of his considerable talents and cultural impact, he’s been awarded Album of the Year, Single of the Year, and Best Hip Hop Album at the Aotearoa Music Awards, as well as the coveted Taite Music Prize (2019) and multiple APRA Silver Scroll Award nominations. Sara Qasem is a Palestinian poet, community advocate and educator living in Ōtautahi. Her writing threads memory and loss with resilience, holding space for her people’s grief and hope. She has shared her work on many stages and in print, and is guided by the belief that as a diasporic and Muslim woman, telling our stories is an act of resistance against erasure, and a way to open pathways toward change. Zech Soakai is a poet, writer, educator, scholar, activist and producer. He has been in and around spoken word since 2011 and has in the past been a proud mentor / coach to seven different teams over a 10 year period. He believes wholeheartedly in the voices and stories of our young people and is so amped to listen, learn and show some love to young & hungry orators in Word the Frontline this year.  Onehou Strickland is a poet and facilitator from the heart of South Auckland. She now finds herself in the world of film and TV as a writer, editor, media operator and director. She has been a member of the South Auckland Poets Collective since 2012 which has seen her travel the country performing and leading workshops in Spoken Word. 📅 Saturday 13th September ⌚️ 7pm 📍 Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre 🎫 link in bio!

Have you seen these people? 🤔 They’re wearing exclusive Action Ed merchandise designed by award winning Khalewasn! We are continuing to raise funds to keep our life changing programmes moving forward and we would love your support by copping some fire merch. We have 6️⃣ different designs that can be found on our website. $75 for a shirt 👕 $130 for a full set 👖 You also might see these featured this Saturday at Word - The Front Line Grand Slam 👀 get your tickets in our bio!

Have you heard? 👀 Waitākere College is in Word - The Front Line Grand Slam 2025! They’ll be bringing everything they’ve got, so we expect that of you too! Bring all the signs, flags and vibes to support Waitākere this weekend 🥳 📅 Saturday 13th September 📍Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre ⏰ 7pm 🎫 Link in bio, get’em now before they’re gone 🏃

Word - The Front Line Grand Slam is happening in 5 days and we want you there! We are highlighting some of our champions this week and throwing it back to 2022 with Papakura High School. This is a glimpse into the magic of what goes down at the Grand Slam which will sell out, so get your tickets in our bio today! When: Saturday 13th September Time: 7pm Where: Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre Tickets: link in bio. See you, a friend and family member on the frontline!

Plans next weekend? 🤔 Ngā Puna o Waiōrea are one of six teams in Word - The Front Line Grand Slam 2025! ⭐️ We will be there (and so should you!) Get barricade for WORD via. 🎟️ on Ticketmaster. 🗓️ Saturday 13th September 🕰️ 7pm 📍 Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre 🎟️ Link in bio!

Auckland Girls' Grammar School took the championship last year so who will they pass it on to for 2025? Word - The Front Line Grand Slam is happening next weekend and we want a full room for our rangatahi! Get your tickets today via. the link in our bio (and bring a few friends!) When: Saturday 13th September Time: 7.00pm Where: Hunua Room, Level 1, Aotea Centre

Is it loud? It is for WETEWETE 🏁 Wesley College is on deck for WORD - The Front Line Grand Slam 2025 and you need to be there to experience the hype 🎤 Six teams, three rounds, one champion team. Come support our rangatahi next weekend! 📅 Saturday 13th September 📍 Hunua Room, Aotea Centre 🕰️ 7pm 🎫 LINK IN BIO

NEXT WEEK 🏆 Action Education is proud to present the twelfth year of WORD - The Front Front Line and now we’re on ways to the finals, The Grand Slam ⭐️ Zayed College For Girls is one of the six finalist teams who will be stepping up to their frontline and they want to see you front row! 📅 Saturday 13th September ⏰ 7.00pm 📍 Hunua Room, Aotea Centre 🎫 LINK IN BIO

🎤 IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR 🎤 The six top teams from across Tāmaki Makaurau are getting ready to compete for the 2025 Grand Slam title! But are you? ⭐️ Zayed College For Girls ⭐️ Dilworth School ⭐️ Wesley College ⭐️ Waitākere College ⭐️ Diocesan School For Girls ⭐️ Ngā Puna o Waiōrea Who will take the trophy? And who will be our special guest performers? 👀 📅 Saturday 13th Sept 🕰️ 7pm 📍 Hunua Room, Aotea Centre 🎫 LINK IN BIO https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/word-the-front-line-grand-slam-auckland-13-09-2025/event/240063147EB409AF #AucklandEvents #Poetry #Youth #Voices

Hear the next generation of truth talkers share their stories in an explosion of youth expression as they battle it out to be Grand Slam Champions. Word – The Front Line is Ōtautahi Christchurch’s inter-High School Poetry Slam. More than a poetry slam, Word – The Front Line is a celebration of the future artists, leaders, and legends of Aotearoa New Zealand. In partnership with Action Education. This event is proudly supported by The Piano’s Next Generation Fund. 📅 Wednesday 27th August ⏰ 7pm 📍 The Piano, 156 Armagh St 🎟️ $15/$20 link in bio! https://nz.patronbase.com/_WORDChristchurch/Productions/2505/Performances

WORD - THE FRONT LINE SEMI-FINALS 2025 ⭐️ Through months of breaking the glass ceilings and spoken word poetry, our top 14 teams left it all on the stage with two sold out back to back weekends. Each year our rangatahi continue to raise the bar and we are still buzzing from level of growth, talent and truth our poets shared. To all our WORD whānau ‘25, we are endlessly proud of you. Thank you all so much for stepping beyond your frontlines and holding not only yourselves, but each other in every space and stage. We are blessed to have experienced your creativity and journey’s. In no particular order, these will be your top 6 teams moving on to the Grand Slam: Zayed College For Girls Diocesan School For Girls Dilworth School Waitākere College Ngā Puna o Waiōrea Wesley College These events would not exist without a village! Thank you to our coaches and alumni for being the pillars in our communities and to your teams! Special shoutout and thank you to our two legendary judging panels and Aotearoa’s leading artists featuring Bloody Samoan, Matilda Clack, Big Sima, Onehou Strickland, Marcus Mackenzie, Manaia Tuwhare-Hoani, Mama Seebz and Mark Esekielu. Thank you to DJ Nualan on the decks! Keeping the energy on for both days and in all our spaces. Huge thank you to Peniel Fa’amausili (Sole Photography) and Reuben Fietje (SEV Agency) for creating visuals for us to treasure forever. We appreciate you! Thank you so much to Auckland Live for having us. We value and appreciate everything your team has done to make these events run smoothly and an overall success. Big mihi to our funders, Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Auckland Council Regional Arts and Culture, the Tindall Foundation and Next Gen for your continuous and generous support. Word - The Front Line Grand Slam is happening in a few weeks‼️ Details coming TOMORROW…

OUR WTFL SEMI FINAL #2 JUDGING PANEL: Seba Dilaimi, known online as @mama.seebz, is a vibrant content creator, dedicated primary school teacher, and proud solo mum with a following of over 500,000. A plus-size, positivity-driven hijabi, Seba celebrates her Iraqi heritage while embracing life as a Kiwi, having immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 14. After studying maths at university, she pursued her passion for education, completing her teaching degree in 2013. Since 2014, Seba has been inspiring young minds and now leads the junior team at Oranga School. Mark Esekielu, Senior Manager for Mental Health and Addictions at Le Va, brings over 29 years of dedicated experience to his role, encompassing community, social services, and mental health sectors. He holds qualifications in Psychology, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Social Work, and Business, blending his cultural, clinical and strategic insight.  Manaia Tuwhare-Hoani (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai) is a young wahine Māori spoken word poet with a passion for storytelling. She does this as part of the poetry collective, Ngā Hinepūkōrero. Together, Ngā Hinepūkōrero participated in WORD - The Front Line 2018 in Auckland, the Trans-Tasman Slam in Melbourne and came out champions. They were the first team from Aotearoa to represent at the 2019 Brave New Voices, the largest international youth poetry slam in the world. She has appeared in media such as Te Karere, The Hui, RNZ and many others. In 2021 NHP did a writer’s residency at the Auckland Art Gallery as part of the Toi Tū, Toi Ora exhibition. Marcus Mackenzie (he/him) is a Tāmaki Makaurau based writer, performer, and lawyer. He is the 2023 National Poetry Slam champion and since finding an affinity for spoken word in 2017 has been lucky enough to perform his work all across Aotearoa. He is a coach for the inter-high school competition WORD - The Front Line and is a member of the JAFA Poetry Slam executive team. Recently he was published by Auckland University Press in the performance poetry anthology Rapture. 📅 Saturday 16th August ⏰ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio! We only have a handful left 🏃‍♀️

Have you seen De La Salle College? We have and we will, this weekend at WORD - The Front Line Semi Final Heat #2! Tickets are moving quickly so get yours today to witness La Salle on stage 🎤 📅 Saturday 16th August 🕰️ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio!

2️⃣ DAYS UNTIL SEMI’S! Mount Roskill Grammar School is taking the stage this weekend and they’d love to have you there 👏🏻 We sold out last weekend so get your tickets today! 📅 Saturday 16th August 🕰️ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio!

Did someone say WETEWETE? Wesley College returns to WORD - The Front Line Semi Finals Heat #2! They have an incredible support crew who in previous years has brought signs and flags, will that be you too? Get your tickets today! 📅 Saturday 16th August 🕰️ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio!

3️⃣ DAYS TILL SEMI’S 🥳 Glendowie College will be stepping up to their frontline this weekend and we want you to come support them! They’ve been working hard over the past few months and it will all be shown on Saturday at WORD - The Front Line Semi Final Heat #2. 📅 Saturday 16th August ⏰1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio!

You know what beats a Jet2 Holiday? Kelston Girls’ College 🔥 They’ll be competing against six teams for a spot at the Grand Slam this weekend! Get your tickets now before they sell out 🏃‍♀️ 🗓️ Saturday 16th August ⏰ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio!

4️⃣ MORE SLEEPS TILL SEMI’S 🎤 If you missed out last weekend, this will be your final chance to clock in! Dilworth School is standing on business but are you? 🗓️ Saturday 16th August ⌚️1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎟️ $5/$10 link in bio!

You thought it was over? WORD - The Front Line Heat #2 is the second and last Semi Final for 2025! Zayed College For Girls will be there and so should you 🫵🏽 📅 Saturday 16th August ⌚️ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎫 $5/$10 link in bio!

TODAY IS THE DAY ⭐️ WORD - The Front Line Semi Finals Heat #1 is happening this afternoon and our last school stepping up to the mic will be Waitākere College! We have a few tickets left and you won’t want to miss out on their poems. Grab’em while you can! 📅 Saturday 9th August (TODAY) ⏰ 1pm 📍 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre 🎟️ $5/$10 link in bio!