tōiri Showcase ✅️💐 ABSOLUTE BANGER OF AN EVENING! Huge mihiz to all who popped out to support our local toi Māori artists, the room filled with mana, whānau, and the smell of fry bread 🙂‍↕️🤌🏽 To all our lineup, we are so grateful to you for sharing your taonga with us! SLAYED it! We can't wait to do it again sometime Thank you @tepunahub for housing us, we'll be back for sure! TOI MĀORI FOREVER! 😤 Captured by @solephotographynz #tōiri

SUP OPEN MIC | @zayedcollegeforgirls_nz💯 STAND UP POETRY OPEN MIC IS BACK WITH OUR FINAL ONE OF THE YEAR!!! Featuring the freshly crowned 2026 Word - The Front Line Champions from Zayed College for Girls. Come along and witness the raw delivery and refined poetry that this championship pedigree team has to offer. Known for their hard-hitting truths, and dynamic performances their feature will be one you do not want to miss out on. SUP Open Mic nights make spoken word poetry relevant and accessible by providing a public platform for emerging spoken word poets. Open mic is open to all styles, ages and backgrounds. This is an uncensored space but hate speech free, no cost to come thru, but a poem or thing to perform is always welcomed. GRAB A FRIEND AND PULL UP 📍: 9 Dunnotar Road, Papatoetoe @taropatchcreative 🗓: Nov 4 ⏰️: 7pm 💵: Free Sign up on the night! #SUP

PEN PROMPT 003: 1000 Word Pictures: Count 10 images back from your most recent in your gallery, and write a poem using that as the theme. If you’re feeling extra brave, post it on your story! We'll be sure to post up ours too.. #actioned #penprompt

PEN PROMPT 002: The Room Introduction 🏠 Write a poem explaining what someone would experience if they opened the door to your room and walked into right now. The sights, sounds, smells etc. Don't forget to post up and tag us! And if you have a prompt for us to try send us a DM! 👀 Lessgo poets! #actioned #penprompt

tōiri x Te Kahu Rolleston MULTIVERSAL LEVEL THREAT INBOUND! 💥 Te Kahu Rolleston is a descendant of Tauranga Moana. He is widely regarded as the taniwha of poetry. "Ko te kupu te kai" NUFF SAID! COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKETS IN BIO

tōiri x Kate Laughter BEYOND EXCITED! KATE DELIVERS WITH SO MUCH AROHA! Kate Laughter (she/her) is a ringatohu, kaituhi, spoken word poet and WTFL alumni born in Amerika, descending from Ngāti Porou and Te Arawa. She creates poetry and films about reclaiming whakapapa, language and her tuakiri as an urban Māori. She is currently studying in Rumaki Reo at Te Wānanga Takiura. FULL OF HEART! COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x AJ Honeysuckle HOLDING THE ORO RIGHT DEOOWWNNN! THEE ONE! 🍯 HE PIKO HE TANIWHA RAU! AJ Honeysuckle is an artist (Tainui/Samoa) based in Tāmaki Makaurau whose practice orbits explorations of mana motuhaketanga, pacific-punk and pūrakau through the medium of airbrush painting, sound and installation. Spinning us through the night, and an absolute blessing to have with us at tōiri EVERY TRACK BOUT TO SLAP SO COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x llampstands art. motion. service. WE ARE SAT. 😭 llampstands is the intersection and meeting ground between two creative storytellers, Sheldon Rua (Waikato/Tainui, Sapapali'i) and Ehetere Rua (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Cornwall). With professional backgrounds in Street Dance, Youth Work and Mental Health, they are weaving their practices in mediums such as dance, poetry, painting, music and design - to generate work and creative offerings that speak to them and their communities, with the hope that these offerings would serve as ‘a lamp unto your feet’. As active members of Aotearoa’s street dance community, Sheldon and Ehetere have represented Aotearoa in some of the biggest Street Dance events in the world. Choreographing and dancing for Aotearoa Hip-Hop royalty such as Ladi6 and Tom Scott and emerging into the local theatre and film communities. They co-facilitate community spaces such as ‘Faleheddz’ a south-pacific house dance movement, lead art productions under the vehicle ‘Triple Violet Arts‘, and work with Tāmaki Makaurau arts organizations such as Action Education and Te Pou Theatre. YOU LOVE DANCE? SAME! COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x CashRouteGumz STRAIGHT FROM $A! THIS ROUTE IS THE ONLY ROUTE! 3 words, 1 name, No spaces. Artist, Rapper, and Creative from Ōtara South Auckland. Pairing Strong and Real Lyrics with Gritty, and Raw beats to accompany it. Representing a wave of new age Narrators from the Southside. Young, hungry and undeniable. CELEBRATE THE NEW AGE AND COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKETS IN BIO

tōiri x Lex Shoemark LEX TOO HARTY! We love to see ittttt! Lex (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) is a South Auckland based creative with roots in spoken word and acting whose talent has seen him perform across the country. He is a Word - The Front Line alumni, coach, and muti-slam champion. His style focuses on the use of layered rhyme/flow patterns to portray complex personal stories of grief, hardship, culture, and more. GOATED LINEUP SO COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x Netana BIG SOUND! BIG BASS! BIG NETANA DROPPING IN! 😤 Netana is a bass music producer from Waipoua in the heart Te Roroa. Currently based in Waitakere, his sound combines pūoro Māori with bass heavy electronica and an uncompromising kaupapa of indigenous empowerment. His music has found a home on the SRN charts, George FM playlists, and underground dancefloors throughout Aotearoa. With a high rotate remix for Mokotron and Rubi Du under his belt, and a collaboration with Samara Alofa currently camped up on the SRN charts, Netana continues to push his unique take on Māori bass music. TOMORROW! COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKETS IN BIO

tōiri x Jai Selkirk BIG DAWG FROM THE NORTH ONWAYS! 😤 Jai Selkirk (he/him) aka Tākiwira’s finest was born and raised in Dargaville, Northland (home of the Ranfurly Shield) before being adopted by South Auckland, where he currently resides in the 275. A forklift driver, performer and coach. His dynamic poetry mixes hard, gritty truths with light-hearted, playful humor. Winner of some slams, robbed of more, the peoples champion wherever he goes. Jai speaks from the heart, and his words resonate with the soul. YOU STILL WAITING? COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x Giulia Mattioli TAONGA PŪORO KI TE AO! 🐚 Born in Italy, Giulia’s journey with sound and vibration began through travelling and exploring the sounds and instruments of different cultures, following the threads of connection that sound weaves across the world. Three years ago, a shell found at the beach called her into a new pathway when she began to play it, opening a doorway of remembering through Taonga Pūoro. This encounter deepened her connection with Te Taiao and herself, awakening a sense of belonging and reconnection with the natural world. Since then, Taonga Pūoro has become an integral part of her daily life and mahi, weaving sound, presence, and connection into the way she moves through the world. PAY WHAT YOU CAN, COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x Rehekōrero Poetry is not new to Māori and is DEFINITELY NOT NEW TO THESE GUYS! 🚨 Rehekōrero is a spoken word poetry group hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau. The members include Koromiko Jacob-Williams, Piremina Ngapera, Milan Moala, and Billy Reynolds McCarthy. Rehekōrero was founded upon the idea of expressing our people's stories through the form of performance poetry! Rehekōrero is dedicated to preserving their language and uplifting their Māoritanga. They celebrate the rich cultural heritage of their tupuna through the power of spoken word poetry. With a deep connection to their roots, whanau and iwi, Rehekōrero members draw inspiration from the stories, traditions, and struggles of their people. FEW MORE DAYS, COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKET LINK IN BIO

tōiri x Nganeko And it just gets BETTER!? GIVE IT UP FOR NGANEKO! 🌺 Nganeko is a born and raised Tāmaki singer-songwritter from Waikato Tainui within Ngāti Haua hapū and Ngāpuhi within Te Hikutu hapū. Her roots are at Kapa Haka, then in high school she started posting covers on the web which since has organically gotten her a string of singles with some of the best and most talented producers in Aotearoa (High Hoops, Whoiswells*, Parks & BHaru) and a mesh of features (Noah Slee, Troy Kingi, Ayaluna, Leaping Tiger, Izik) too. DON'T SLEEP AND COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKETS IN BIO

tōiri x MELODOWNZ WE KICKING THE LINEUP OFF HEAVY! ADs GREATEST! 🕷 MELODOWNZ is an award-winning rapper, songwriter and creative hailing from Avondale, West Auckland. Proudly representing his Māori and Samoan roots, MELODOWNZ has cemented himself as one of Aotearoa’s most distinctive voices in hip-hop. With 8 music awards under his belt, including Best Pacific Male Artist, Best Pacific Music Album and Best Pacific Music Video at the 2023 Pacific Music Awards, his critically acclaimed album LONE WOLF has helped solidify his place in the Aotearoa music scene. Having shared stages with international heavyweights including Anderson .Paak, Denzel Curry, Larry June, YG and Bas, MELODOWNZ continues to push boundaries through his music, storytelling and authentic connection to his community. Following the release of his latest album BRON in 2026, MELODOWNZ continues to build on his legacy, bringing his signature sound, energy and West Auckland flavour to the stage. SHOW SOME LOVE AND COP A TICKET! 🚨 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! You feel the resonance, nau mai ki tōiri! TICKETS IN BIO

Action Ed Community Spotlight🔦 Eric Soakai. Fully goated. An absolute champion for our poetry community, and a pillar to the mahi we do as Action Education. Humble as they come but never afraid to big dawg a slam if he needs too! 🐕 Fav Poet: All time dead or alive is Andre 3000! Highlight of your '26 so far: Getting to be a part of the New Zealand Young Writers Festival, was an amazing time to enrich my writing skin. Word of advice: Like life, writing never gets easier, it's just that we practice the art form more, our ability and capacity to participate in it grows larger (keep writing!!!) #AE #spotlight #community

Welcome to AE PEN PROMPTS! PEN PROMPT 001: The Screenshot Poem 🤳 Write a poem explaining why you took the last screenshot you did, where you were, and what you were doing, what does it say about you? Every Wednesday we'll be bringing you fresh writing prompts to keep the pen sharp and write you through the week. Feel free to post up and tag us! Or drop your piece in the comment section! We want to hear from you! 😍 #actioned #penprompt

tōiri. You feel the resonance. Nau mai ki Tōiri. Showcasing Tāmaki Makaurau's premier Māori talent in Music, Street Dance, and Spoken Word poetry, curated by Action Education. A multidisciplinary evening not to be missed! Open to all whānau! LINEUP: Melodownz Nganeko Rehekōrero llampstands Jai Selkirk Kate Laughter Lex Shoemark Te Kahu Rolleston Te Kauae Paraoa Giulia CASHROUTEGUMZ AJ Honeysuckle 📍: Te Puna Creative Hub @tepunahub 📆: October 22nd ⏰: 7PM Start 🎟️: Pay what you can from $5! TICKET LINK IN BIO #tooiri

SUP OPEN MIC | @rubyrma 🐙🌺 Stand Up Poetry open mic with our special feature Ruby! Ruby is a writer, editor, community criminal defence lawyer and aunty hailing from the flowers of Motusa and tentacles of Te Pū o te Wheke. Her writing features in journals and pukapuka nationally and internationally. In 2026, she attended the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Indigenous Story Sharing Residency and is currently writing a full-length essay-poetry collection exploring anti-carceral indigenous feminism in Aotearoa. New venue, new design, new vibes! GRAB A FRIEND AND PULL UP 📍: 9 Dunnotar Road, Papatoetoe @taropatchcreative 🗓: OCT 7 ⏰️: 7pm 💵: Free Sign up on the night! #SUP

WORD - THE FRONT LINE '26 | GRAND SLAM 🤯 We find ourselves at the end of yet another beautiful WTFL season. That's 13 years!? Yet every year continues to blow us away. The absolute power, grace, and life from our poets is an absolute privilege to behold. 2026 WORD Whānau, THANK YOU for your voices that continue to uplift us all and challenge our hearts to speak. Thank you for stepping up to your front lines to slay your giants whilst holding each other so strong in the process. This world is better, when you are at the forefront, pen in hand, truth in the other! Big mihi to all our funders Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Auckland Regional Arts and Culture, Ministry of Youth Development, J R McKenzie Trust, and MAS Foundation for generously supporting us, and investing in young artists and directly impacting the future of Aotearoa in a major way. Your support means so much, to so many. Ngā mihi nui! Shoutout to our top six teams for repping hard! Alfriston College, Diocesan School for Girls, Wesley College, De La Salle College, Marcellin College, and your 2026 WTFL Champions, Zayed College for Girls! Congratulations again to you all! Thank you to all the team at Auckland Live for hosting us and providing professional stages, sound, and lighting for our poets. Special shouts to Ngā Kōhine o te Kupu, Dilworth College, and Harper from Avondale College for gracing our stage, we are blessed to have you join us. To our judging panel, Koko Telfer, Tom Scott, Mama Seebs, and Vincent Nathan! A hefty lineup that held down the hardest job of the night! Absolute legends. 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, and Nathaniel Howe for capturing lifelong memories for our poets and programme. Shoutout to DJ Nualan for spinning the beats! Not just at Grand Slam, but the WHOLE YEAR! A reminder to all our poets that Word – The Front Line is but one platform. The power to change the world already exists within all of you. Keep writing! Action Ed got your back. See you in 2027 folks!

4 days out from Grand Slam, and it's Māori language week! Celebrate with us with 2025 Waitākere College poets Taipua and Delta! 🙌🏽 TOITŪ TE RANGATAHI! TOITŪ TE REO MĀORI! TOITŪ TE WORD - THE FRONT LINE! GET YA TICKETS NOW! LINK IN BIO! Hari Wiki o te Reo Māori ✨️

WTFL'26 GRAND SLAM JUDGES! 🔥 Stoked to introduce your judging panel this year! Koko is a proud queer Pasifika poet hailing from the lands of Upolu, Samoa and Niue. They are born and raised in South Auckland and strive to use their poetry as a tool to uplift their communities. WTFL alumni and Grand Slam finalist, performing on stages across Tamaki Makaurau, Koko tells tales of being afakasi, the struggles of diaspora, navigating grief, and highlighting the joy of their people. 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. 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. 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. 🗓: 19TH SEP ⏰️: 7PM 📍: Aotea Centre 🎟: Link in Bio #WTFL

It’s that time of year already! The fiercest poetry competition in Aotearoa is back in Tāmaki Makaurau! More than a poetry slam, THIS IS THE GRAND SLAM! Word - The Front Line is a community of leaders, storytellers, and changemakers from across the city that gather to connect and celebrate each other in a poetic battlefield unlike any other. Come along with your whānau and friends to celebrate the top 6 high school teams, across two semifinal heats as they battle for a chance to compete at the Grand Slam. We need to show up for our rangatahi so let’s pack the house out! Grand Slam 2026 Finalists! Diocesan School for Girls Wesley College Marcellin College Alfriston College Zayed School for Girls De La Salle College #actioned #WTFL