WE’RE BACK 🎤 And better than ever, with our Stand Up Poetry feature for April being the current New Zealand National Poetry Slam Champion, Talia Stanley! Stand Up Poetry 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. Bring a poem, verse or just yourself! This is an uncensored space but hate speech free. 🗓️ Wednesday 2nd April ⏰ 7pm 📍 Studio One Toi Tū, 1 Ponsonby Road FREE Sign up on the day. Feature: Talia Stanley is a Samoan youth development worker, writer, and spoken word artist from Tāmaki Makaurau. She is the 2024 New Zealand Poetry Slam Champion and has over 12 years of experience as a spoken word poetry facilitator, and currently works for Action Education running workshops across the country. She has performed at numerous festivals and theatres in Aotearoa.

Stand Up Poetry (SUP) March ✅ Thank you so much to everyone who came through to our first SUP of 2025! The mic was on and the vibes were up. We appreciate all the storytellers who took the stage from vets to fresh poets, and our communities for showing up for them. Shoutout to our DJ Big Music and Youthline Manukau for hosting us! Lastly, a huge thank you to our feature, Jesse Gibson! Your creativity continues to shine in all spaces. Thank you for sharing your craft with us. We are always excited to see what you’ll do next, and if ya’ll are too, make sure to give him a follow! Stay tuned for the next SUP with another fire feature 🔥

TONIGHT ⭐️ Stand Up Poetry is back for 2025 with a fire feature, Jesse Gibson! Jesse Gibson is a multidisciplinary creative from Otara, South Auckland, who blends his Samoan heritage with his passion for storytelling. A Unitec Performing and Screen Arts graduate, Jesse works as a filmmaker, videographer, contemporary artist, and spoken word poet. His projects include short films, various projects under Auckland Council, and multiple exhibitions as part of the SOUTH-VERSED arts collective. Known for his unorthodox approach, Jesse’s work is driven by curiosity, creativity and community. 📆 Wednesday 5th March (Tonight!) 📍 Youthline Manukau, 145 Saint George Street, Papatoetoe ⏰ 7pm Stand Up Poetry 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. Bring a poem, verse or just yourself! FREE Sign up on the day. This is an uncensored space but hate speech free. See you there 🫡

THROWBACK ⏮️ Teachers Night 2024 was a huge success and we look forward to seeing some fresh and familiar faces at the next one this March! If you are a teacher or an educator, we would love to see you there. This is a free event with drinks, kai and special guest performers 🎤 Attendees will be introduced to free resources to help your bring Spoken Word into the classroom as well as sharing the upcoming programme for Word - The Front Line 2025 ⭐️ 🗓️ Tuesday 11th March ⏰ 6.30pm 📍 Sustainable Coastlines, 55 Madden Street, Auckland Central We recommend using the Jellicoe Street Parking. If you’re interested, please register here: https://form.jotform.com/250417940030850

SUP 2025 is kicking off with one of Tamaki’s finest as our first feature! Stand Up Poetry 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. Bring a poem, verse or just yourself! Youthline Manukau 145 St. George St. Papatoetoe. 7PM. Wed. March 5. FREE! Sign up on the day. This is an uncensored space but hate speech free. Feature: Jesse Gibson is a multidisciplinary creative from Otara, South Auckland, who blends his Samoan heritage with his passion for storytelling. A Unitec Performing and Screen Arts graduate, Jesse works as a filmmaker, videographer, contemporary artist, and spoken word poet. His projects include short films, various projects under Auckland Council, and multiple exhibitions as part of the SOUTH-VERSED arts collective. Known for his unorthodox approach, Jesse’s work is driven by curiosity, creativity and community.

It’s happening again! Word – The Front Line, Aotearoa’s first Inter High School Youth Poetry Slam, is back for 2025! To help launch this year’s Slam, Action Education is hosting a professional development and performance evening held exclusively for English teachers. Attendees will be introduced to free resources to help you bring spoken word poetry into your classroom. And we will be sharing the upcoming Word- The Front-Line Programme. Reserve your spot and join us for free drinks and kai, as well as an incredible line up of live performances from WTFL Champions and world-renowned poets. And trust us when we say that the Teachers Nights Showcase is always one of the most powerful events of the year. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT! The event will take place at The Flagship Sustainable Coastlines Education Centre located @ 55 Madden St. in the Wynyard Quarter. 6:30 PM Tuesday March 11. To register your interest please click the Jotform link in our bio!

ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤 Action Education has undergone a lot of exciting changes including a brand new website! In collaboration with our friends at Spruik, we are proud to launch this beautiful rebrand for our organisation. Thank you to the team at Spruik for all your dedicated mahi! Check it out now: https://www.actioneducation.co.nz

REGISTRATIONS ARE LIVE ‼️ Aotearoa’s largest youth poetry programme returns for 2025! Going strong for twelve 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. Registrations close Monday 12th May ✍️ https://form.jotform.com/250338396758874 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.”

Action Education is proud to partner w/ Fonua Ola to bring our first ever South Summit! A free day-long event, this is a free Spoken Word Conference for Pasifika Secondary School Students in Tāmaki Makaurau featuring performances & workshops from some of the most celebrated poets & MC’s in Aotearoa. Kai/drinks will be provided. 🗓️ Friday 14th March 2025 📍Ngā Tohu o Uenuku / Māngere Arts Centre ⏰ 9.30am – 3.30pm Spots are limited so teachers must register. Please note teachers can only register students. Register today! https://form.jotform.com/242738069845873

Action Education is proud to partner w/ Fonua Ola to bring our first ever South Summit! A free day-long event, this is a free Spoken Word Conference for Pasifika Secondary School Students in Tāmaki Makaurau featuring performances & workshops from some of the most celebrated poets & MC’s in Aotearoa. Kai/drinks will be provided. 🗓️ Friday March 14th 📍Ngā Tohu o Uenuku / Māngere Arts Centre ⏰ 9.30am – 3.30pm Spots are limited so teachers must register via the Jotform in our bio. ONLY TEACHERS CAN REGISTER STUDENTS.

Our team is having an beautiful time here at Waitangi, soaking up the vibes, the mean kōrero, and feeling incredibly inspired after facilitating our Spoken Word Workshop. Massive mihi to @terauora for helping make this possible as we continue to dream and scheme about indigenous led governance, strategy and models ♥️🖤🤍 #toitūtetiriti

Awesome way to kick off the year! Feeling super excited and grateful for our incredible new board of super humans who met for the first time in person for a strategic direction session! Sending a huge mihi to @ezekiel_raui and @terourouoneaotearoa for hosting us and making us feel like VIPs! Another big shout out to our systems change guru and facilitator @jadett123 you were incredible and held the space with so much skill. If you are needing a facilitator for a similar kaupapa, look no further, we could not recommend Jade enough! #bawse We have some very exciting things on the horizon and so amped for 2025! #watchthisspace

Kia ora Whanau! What an incredible year. Despite the challenges, as we approach the end of the year, the team at Action Education wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous support throughout 2024. Young people and their healthy development is at centre of our mahi. Thanks to our funders and stakeholders, we were able to facilitate over 750 workshops, held over 25 events and worked with over 14000 young people working alongside 60 schools and over 30 community organisations throughout this year. This meant building youth voice, strengthening identity and connection, enhancing artistic development and self-determination. These accomplishments would not have been possible without your support, belief in our vision and your willingness to invest in our efforts. It certainly does take a village to see our rangatahi thrive! We have tried our best to tag everyone who made this possible, but apologies we were not able to tag you all, please just know we deeply appreciate you all! We also wanted to give everyone a special shout out who has donated or is donating to our end of year fundraiser which has been incredibly helpful to keep the fires burning. We know how tight things are this Christmas. We thank you so very much for your contributions and support. People have donated to us directly and with the merch sales we are well over halfway to reaching our target! Take a peak here https://action-ed-funding-drive.raiselysite.com Thank you once again for your incredible support! We wish you a safe and joyful holiday season, with community and whanau, good food, rest and nature, and whatever it is, that nurtures and rejuvenates you ♥️

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Action Education has been growing in many ways, moving into a new era. We will be unveiling some fresh changes up till the end of the year. First, we are proud and excited to introduce our new logo. The loop is a symbol reflecting the essence of our community, fostering a safe space where every voice is heard, respected and uplifted. Where individual talents are nurtured, and the legacies of past generations are honoured. Our watermark stands tall as a symbol of strength for current and future generations. “He reo rangatahi, he ao hurihuri”, this logo is a visual representation of how important the voices of rangatahi are, and the necessity of community and creativity to amplify those voices for the world to hear. Thank you to our friends at Spruik, for helping us communicate our kaupapa in new and exciting ways. We have so many more announcements to come, watch this space!

OUR HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER 2024 ☀️ Action Education’s safe spaces and programmes empower young people to connect, express themselves, and find the support they need to thrive! In 2024 we worked with 14,770 young people across the motu, changing lives and communities through spoken word poetry. We know this is a tough time for everyone, so we’ve put together a few ways that you can support our mahi — whether it’s through a donation, purchasing creative merch, or helping spread the word. Every contribution makes a difference! For every $25 you donate, you will receive one entry for a prize pack worth over $2,500! (Thanks to JB Hi-Fi NZ & others). All proceeds go directly to supporting our programmes. Copy this link for more information: https://action-ed-funding-drive.raiselysite.com

We were honoured to get to present today, alongside our friends from Youthline, at the law offices of Simpson Grierson. Alfriston College 2024 Word – The Front Line Finalist Ariel Hansen performed a poem for the entire team and absolutely smashed it. Thank you to Simpson Grierson for having us, your years of support for Youthline and Action Educations programmes is so necessary. Happy Holidays everyone!

OUT NOW 👚 We have over ten tee’s available with beautiful poetry written and performed from our incredible Word - The Front Line alumni, communities and artists. A perfect Christmas gift, extra shirt for the summer season and something hearty to wear all year round! All proceeds go directly to supporting our programmes and our young people. If you’re unable to cop some merch, visit the link in our bio to find out how you can support us and our rangatahi ⭐️

Action Education could not be more proud of our very own Talia Stanley for winning the 2024 New Zealand National Poetry Slam! Out of 14 adult poets from 9 regions Talia took the win. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when she lifted the trophy. Her poetic journey started with Word - The Front Line as part of our first ever co-hort in 2014. Not only is she a slam champion, she is also an incredible facilitator and friend, and we love that we get work with her every day. We know our young poets and community are so proud too. Shout out to WTFL alumni Lex and Abby who finished 2nd and 3rd. Go team!

🚨 Our Youth need you! 🚨 Action Education empowers rangatahi to express themselves through creativity, building confidence and community. This year, they’ve supported around 15,000 young people, with 91% reporting improved wellbeing. Sadly, Action Education is navigating one of the toughest funding climates ever, and they need your help to keep their life-changing mahi going. ❤️ Did you know that from 2012 to 2019, mental distress among young people in Aotearoa doubled? 😔 Action Ed creates safe spaces for youth to connect, express themselves, and thrive. 🌟 Here’s how you can help: 👉 Donate Directly: Just $25 could make a huge impact — plus, you’ll get entered into their prize draw (over $2500 in goodies, thanks to JB Hi-Fi & others). 👉 Grab Sweet Poet Merch: Perfect Christmas gifts featuring quotes from talented Action Ed alumni. 👉 Spread the Word: Every share brings us closer to the goal. Donate Here 👉 https://action-ed-funding-drive.raiselysite.com/ All proceeds go straight into supporting their vital programmes. Let’s help our young people thrive! ✊ 💬 Click the link in my bio to learn more or donate. Every little bit counts! 🙌 #YouthEmpowerment #ActionEducation #SupportOurRangatahi

All videos from the Slice Of Southside Ep 4 are live on our Youtube channel! Here's a sneak peek from Vitinia-Gabrielle with a beautiful original song, 'Only You'. Big mihi to Foundation North for the continuous support! Captured by the incredible, SEV Agency.

Like many other community organisations, we are navigating one of the most challenging funding climates we’ve ever experienced. For years, we have relied heavily on grants and trusts. However, to ensure our resilience and survival, we must adapt. This means turning to the incredible fans and supporters who believe in our vital mahi. From 2012 to 2019, rates of mental distress among young people in Aotearoa doubled. Our safe spaces and programmes empower young people to connect, express themselves, and find the support they need to thrive. In our most recent evaluation, 91% of participants reported a positive impact on their overall wellbeing. This year alone, we’ve worked with 14,770 young people across the motu, helping them and their communities to thrive! We know this is a tough time for everyone, so we’ve put together a few ways that you can support our mahi — whether it’s through a donation, purchasing creative Christmas swag, or helping spread the word. Every contribution makes a difference — all proceeds go directly to supporting our programmes. CLICK THE LINK IN OUR BIO FOR FULL DETAILS! 👕 Buy Sweet Poet Merch Featuring quotes from some of the most beloved poems by Action Ed alumni, we’ve got T-shirts, hats, mugs, and even vests. Perfect as holiday gifts or a treat for yourself! 🌻 Donate Directly The most impactful way to support youth voice and mental health in Aotearoa. For every $25 you donate, you’ll receive one entry into our prize draw! Thanks to JB Hi-Fi and our other supporters, we’ve got over $2500 worth of prizes to give away. With your support, whānau, we can meet our fundraising goals and continue this essential mahi into the future.

FOR THE FIRST TIME ‼️ The New Zealand National Poetry Slam representatives from Tāmaki are all Word - The Front Line alumni and we need to show up and out for them. Grab your tickets today to secure a spot for one of the most anticipated poetry finals of the year ⭐️ 🗓️ Saturday 30th November 📍 Ellen Melville Centre, 2 Freyberg Place, Auckland ⏰ 7pm 🎟️ LINK IN BIO 🏃

SLICE OF SOUTHSIDE EP 4 ⭐️ This time last week we held the fourth episode of Slice Of Southside, celebrating multidisciplinary artists from South Auckland! What an amazing event! Thank you so much to everyone who came through. These events rely heavily on our villages to make happen and having a room full of friends, whānau and community hit home for this space. We send a big mihi to Foundation North who made this evening possible. Thank you for your belief in us and supporting communities, young people and artists to thrive by continuing to provide them with platforms to share their stories, art, and truth. A special shoutout to all our artists for a successful showcase! We continue to be in awe of your necessary talent, stories and work. Thank you! Thank you to our incredible MC, Noah Brown and Nualān on the decks. Each year you both continue to be an integral part of this kaupapa. As you both grow, so does this showcase. We appreciate you! Shoutout to Reuben at SEV Agency and Peniel from Sole Photography for capturing the night beautifully. Thank you to Dominos NZ for keeping us fed and full! And lastly, a huge thank you to Reuben and the staff at C3 Manukau for hosting us and supporting Slice Of Southside! If you missed out, videos will be up on our YouTube soon! Keep posted for this announcement ☀️

‼️ IMPORTANT ‼️ Kia ora whanau, Unfortunately, we are announcing the postponement of our South Summit event. We have discussed things thoroughly with our partners at Fonua Ola and we believe this is the best option for our community. As you know, our Summit events are a massive success, and something that so many young people have loved being a part of over the years, but trying to do anything during this time of the school year is difficult. This is especially true in 2024 with curriculum changes and budget restraints, we don’t want to put you under any extra stress at this busy time. After listening to our community, we have decided to move the Summit to Term 1 next year. The exact date will be Friday March 14th, 2025. The Summit will include a professional development workshop for teachers, as well as a full programme designed for Paskfika students. Featuring performances & workshops from some of the most celebrated Pasifika poets & MC’s in Aotearoa. Registration link is available in our bio 🔗 Watch this space for more details when they come!

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