IT'S BACK! Our He Reo Rangatahi programme is back for round two! This is a spoken word incubator programme with a one-day poetry event and SLAM! With workshops led by Aoteroa’s leading poets and artists, and only participants from He Reo Rangatahi are invited to enter. An incredible opportunity to hone your craft, amplify your voice, receive quality mentoring and many platforms to flex your pen and rock the mic. We will be releasing the full programme with details soon so stay posted! In no particular order the schools we are inviting onto this programme are as follows: Glendowie College A/B Alfriston College B Diocesan School for Girls A Ormiston Junior College Ngā Puna o Waiōrea Northcote College B McAuley High School Henderson High School B Marcellin College A Wesley College B Mount Albert Grammar School A Epsom Girls Grammar School Rosmini College #actioned #HRR

IT'S BACK! Our He Reo Rangatahi programme is back for round two! This is a spoken word incubator programme with a one-day poetry event and SLAM! With workshops led by Aoteroa’s leading poets and artists, and only participants from He Reo Rangatahi are invited to enter. An incredible opportunity to hone your craft, amplify your voice, receive quality mentoring and many platforms to flex your pen and rock the mic. We will be releasing the full programme with details soon so stay posted! In no particular order the schools we are inviting onto this programme are as follows: Glendowie College A/B Alfriston College B Diocesan School for Girls A Ormiston Junior College Ngā Puna o Waiōrea Northcote College B McAuley High School Henderson High School B Alfriston College B Marcellin College A Wesley College B Mount Albert Grammar School A Epsom Girls Grammar School Rosmini College #actioned #HRR

Congratulations to all of the students who took part in Word - The Front Line North/West, Central, and South & East Regional Heats over the past two weeks. We send out a huge mihi to all the poets who stepped up to their front lines and spoke truth to power into this space! Massive shout out to all of our incredible teachers and whanau who came out to support, this truly is not possible without you. What a privilege to witness so many new teams and poets come through alongside some familiar faces, and without a doubt you all represented yourself, your schools and your communities so strongly, you should all be so proud! All four heats were incredibly fierce! Thank you for allowing us into your world, both judging panels felt incredibly humbled, privileged and inspired to hear your voices and stories. We are blown away by the courage, strength and talent that has been displayed by all the teams in all the regions. Every year the bar gets raised but this year in particular was an extremely tough decision and the judges certainly had their work cut out for them. If you do not see your name below, please make sure you check out the post for our He Reo Rangatahi invitational programme. Your voice, your story, your place is so important, we see you, we hear you. We will make sure that we build as many quality spaces as possible for your voices to be amplified. We will be in touch to talk about the next steps and what other opportunities we have for you. So in no particular order, here are the 14 teams who will advance to the next stage of Word - The Front Line 2026: Tangaroa College De La Salle College Diocesan School for Girls B Dilworth College Northcote College A Manurewa High School Henderson High School A Selwyn College Alfriston College A Marcellin College B Zayed College for Girls Wesley College A Mount Albert Grammar School B Avondale College #actioned #WTFL

A huge mihi to the Ministry of Youth Development (Te Manatū Whakahiato Taiohi) and Foundation North. Through their support we have the opportunity to bring life-changing programmes to rangatahi from Tāmaki Makaurau in 2026. The programmes, running from January to December 2026, are designed to walk alongside young people aged 12 to 24 providing them with the tools, confidence, and connections to thrive in education, work, and life. Word -The Front Line curates safe spaces where young people explore and find their voice. Through spoken word, rangatahi are given a powerful outlet to name their experiences, tell their stories, and step into their identity with confidence. For many, it's the first time they've felt truly heard, and for us as community to hear them. That sense of being seen ripples outward — into how they show up at school, in their communities, and in life. The Employment Incubator takes that foundation further, offering structured mentoring, paid and unpaid work experience, and hands-on skills development. Its focus? Preparing rangatahi for meaningful employment, further study, or leadership roles — especially in the creative and youth sectors where their voices and perspectives are needed most. “We're incredibly grateful to the Ministry of Youth Development and Foundation North for believing in what we do, for believing in our rangatahi and supporting us to provide spaces to see them thrive! Thank you! At this moment in time it is absolutely crucial to bring together these diverse young people, wrap around them and witness their collective solidarity and strength! He reo rangatahi, he ao hurihuri – the voices of youth keep the world turning” — Ramon Narayan, Chief Executive Officer, Action Ed. Together, the two programmes take a holistic approach: building the inner confidence young people need while opening the outer doors of opportunity. With the backing of the Ministry of Youth Development's Youth Development Partnership and Innovation Fund and the generous co-investment from Foundation North, Action Education can deliver this work at scale — reaching many more young people across our rohe. #actioned

JOIN THE ACTION ED WAKA! 🌺🔥 We have an open position for a Poet/Facilitator to join the team, if that sounds like a bit of you and you want to help shape the future, hit the link in our bio NOW! 👀 #actioned

Action Ed Community Spotlight 🔦 BIG UP @dreaddieriddims! Our CEO and absolute pillar for the community, Ramon is one of one with the "Best Laugh in the Southern Hemisphere". We are privileged to mahi alongside you bro, you elevate us all with your light. Be sure to wish him a massive happy birthday today! 🎂 Fav poet: "Yasiin Bey @yasiinbey - Fav poet for today" Highlight of your '26 so far: "Waitangi Day, being up on the whenua surrounded by beautiful people and mean vibe" Word of advice: "Embrace the JOMO! (Joy of missing out)" #AE #spotlight #community

AOTEAROA'S BIGGEST YOUTH POETRY SLAM IS BACK! 🗣 Word - The Front Line '26 registrations closing soon! Get your teams in TODAY! Link in bio #WTFL #poetryslam

SUP OPEN MIC - SAVE UR PETROL edition⛽ We understand being outside can be a real hassle right now, so we're going live and bringing SUP to you, with none other than our guest feature @forever_vincent 🔥 Vincent Nathan is a storyteller forged in fire and memory; a writer, poet, and spoken word artist whose voice carries both the weight of whakapapa and the pulse of the present. With over two decades immersed in theatre, performance, and the art of language, his work does not simply speak… it summons. Whether on stage or page, his work is an offering… and a challenge: to listen closer, to see clearer, and to stand in the discomfort of truth. 📅: May 6th ⏰: 7pm Start 📍: IG Live - TAP IN OPEN MIC SPOTS ARE LIMITED! DM us to sign up #SUP #openmic #actioned

SUP APRIL ⭐️ A few weeks ago we kick started our April with @fynixsun.art for Stand Up Poetry Central! Thank you to everyone who showed up and shared on the mic, we are blessed to have a vast community that is willing to share their stories. Shoutout to our feature, who has recently landed here in Aotearoa, Phoenix! We appreciate your energy and presence here and hope to continue to learn from you and hear more incredible poetry and music. Thank you for sharing your world with us! Big mihi to Studio One Toi Tū for hosting us in your beautiful space. We hope everyone is having a restful school holidays and we will see you for the next SUP soon ☀️

@fynixsun.art is gracing our stage for SUP Central tonight! Come along with your friends and whanau to enjoy a night of beautiful poetry 👏 📅 Wednesday 1st April (tonight!) ⏰ 7pm 📍 Studio One Toi Tū, 1 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn 🎟️ FREE EVENT Open mid signs up on the night! All ages. Uncensored space but hate speech free.

Welcoming FYNIX to Tāmaki Makaurau! Trust us, BE THERE! 🔥🙌🏽 An absolute powerhouse creative force and we are honoured to host! fynix (aka sun | 장선미) is the Founder and Executive Director of Voice of Purpose. She is a catalyst and creator, a systems-thinker who believes in the importance of integrating the sacred into our lives and work - that the most powerful act of making change in the world is to embody it ourselves. As an artist, she is multi-modal. Spoken word is home - it’s the one that saved her in a time when she was struggling with the most. fynix has spent the last 6 months focused on cultivating an acoustic fusion band in Costa Rica called Kymeras, as lead singer and songwriter. Brazilian Zouk is her most cherished danceform, and visual art was her very first artform. Somatic Psychotherapist by training. International by default. Paying homage to her ancestors and birthland of Corea, and her community arts roots that sprouted in Jane-Finch, Toronto Canada - fynix’s true calling is to be a catalyst of transformation and to embody a new imprint, for collective liberation. 🗓: April 1st ⏰️: 7pm Start 📍: @studioone.toitu Sign up on the night for the open mic! 🎤 #SUP #openmic #actioned

REGISTRATIONS ARE OPEN‼️ Aotearoa’s largest youth poetry programme returns for 2026! Going strong for thirteen years, WORD – The Front Line is more than a slam, it is a community of poets, leaders and artists connecting through the power of spoken word poetry with a one of a kind creative experience. High schools based in Tāmaki Makaurau can enter up to two teams, with 4 – 6 members per team. https://form.jotform.com/253355458084867 Registrations close Friday 8th May ✍️ For more information, please email hannah@actioneducation.co.nz or visit our website www.actioneducation.co.nz “He reo rangtahi, He ao hurihuri – The voices of youth keep the world turning.”

SUP SOUTH 👏 Shoutout to our communities for coming together last night for Stand Up Poetry South! We had a beautiful space so thank you to all of our poets for sharing on the open mic. Big mihi to our feature, Jai Selkirk! We’ve had the privilege of having you on our stages and in our lives for a while now and it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and watch you grow. Thank you to Youthline Manukau for hosting us and DJ Nualān for the vibes! SUP happens each month, alternating between Central and South so follow us to know where we are landing next 🏃

HAPPY MARCH 😎 And we are celebrating by having Takiwira’s finest gracing our stage and your ears for Stand Up Poetry Open Mic, Jai Selkirk ⚡️ Born and raised in Dargaville, coming through from Mangere. Not quite 6 ft tall poet/forklift operator Jai Selkirk!! is not one to miss. Offering personal stories from me to you everyone is safe in this space. Join us in laughter and in grief. I look forward to welcoming you home. 🗓️ Wednesday 11th March ⏰ 7pm 📍 Youthline Manukau, 145 Saint George Street, Papatoetoe FREE Sign up on the night for the open mic 🎤

WORD – THE FRONT LINE 2026! Action Ed is BACK with Aotearoa’s first Inter High School Youth Poetry Slam, want to get involved? Join us as we host an evening of professional development and world class performances, held exclusively for English teachers across the motu. All attendees will be introduced to free resources to help bring the art of spoken word poetry to your classrooms, along with the official WTFL 2026 Programme. Free to all! Food and drinks provided! Please REGISTER via link in bio See you March 3rd!

JOY by Eric Soakai 🫂 The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! A final poem from the team, ngā mihi and thank you for having us🌱

HOWL by Eric Soakai 🌅 The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

DAY 8 by Leo Tetele (Logan and Xavier) 🌊 The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

PITCH IM PERFECT by Leo Tetele (Mark, Jesse, Logan, & Xavier) ☀️ The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

KORO by Matariki Bennett 🤎 The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

WHAT AM I TO A STAR by Matariki Bennett 💫 The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

LUXON by Patua te Whakamā (Valerie) 🌪️ The Action Ed team were at Summer in the square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

LOST by Patua Te Whakamā (Milan and Deyton) 🏙️ The Action Ed team were at Summer in the Square for a Poetry Takeover yesterday! Thank you for having us🌱

🎤 Stand Up Poetry is BACK at Grey Lynn Library 🔥 Kick off the year with SUP Central at 7pm, Wednesday 25 February featuring slam champion Billy Reynolds McCarthy. Free entry, open mic for all styles and ages, uncensored but hate speech free. Bring a poem, bring your crew or just pull up for the energy. Sign up on the night.