Creating an avenue for acknowledgement and healing .

The Conch production of A Boy Called Piano 2022. Photo Credit: Maeve O’Connell.

“The arts are so much more than performance,” says The Conch Charitable Trust Producer, Katherine Wyeth, “it provides valuable opportunities for acknowledgement, healing, and representation."

The internationally acclaimed company was founded 20 years ago by Artistic Director Nina Nawalowalo ONZM and Executive Producer Tom McCrory, and has created a platform for the telling of Pacific stories across the globe, presenting theatrical works at over 40 international festivals. Nina is renowned for her powerful visual and magical work exploring Pacific themes.

“It is vital for Aotearoa’s stories to be told," says Nina, "As Pacific storytellers, those are stories which are hidden by the dominant narrative."

A ground-breaking debut

The Conch's first production, Vula, which explored the physical and spiritual relationship between Pacifica women and the ocean, was brought alive by a stunning interplay of stage lights, 1.5 feet of water flooding the stage and dynamic movement. It toured for seven years and was met with critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally. This impressive debut was followed by Masi; a story of Nina's own parents, and Marama; a powerful showcase of the effects of deforestation in the performer's ancestral homelands.

The Conch's latest production, 'A boy called Piano' explores the journey of Fa'amoana John Luafutu and his experiences alongside thousands of others in state care in the 1960s.

"It is a survivor's story – told in Fa'amoana's own voice," says Katherine, "its kaupapa is to empower others to recapture their stories and to instigate positive change for children in state care today."

The live stage show, which has been developed over several years in close collaboration with Fa'amoana and his family, combines highly physical storytelling with stunning audio-visual design, and is complimented by a live music score by renowned New Zealand musician, Mark Vanilau. It is the show's third iteration; preceded by story series in collaboration with Radio New Zealand and a documentary premiered at the 2022 Whānau Mārama the New Zealand International Film Festival.

The Conch production of A Boy Called Piano 2022. Photo Credit: Ole Maiava.

The power of acknowledgement

As the credits rolled at the Auckland premiere of A boy called Piano, a poignant moment of mihi erupted. "This spoke not only to the success of the film but also the importance of Fa'amoana's story being told," says Katherine, "for many survivors in that room, it was the first time they felt acknowledged and seen."

The production is a platform for other stories to be told, says Katherine, to bring awareness to the importance of nurturing talented individuals in the system and to demonstrate the pathways out of the intergenerational trauma experienced by so many.

"We seek healing by bringing a hidden history into the light," says Nina, "By facing truth, the future may be rewritten. As a survivor of abuse in state care, Fa’amoana Luafutu is a courageous voice for the voiceless thousands of Māori and Pasifika children who suffered and continue to suffer in the system."

Nikau Foundation was delighted to support the Conch's live production with a grant of $2,500 from the Elma Coxon Fund to support operational expenses.