Funfest 2026
Funfest 2026: Bringing Health into Community Spaces https://villagecollective.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Funfest-2026-Reel.mp4 Village Collective kicked off 2026 with its first-ever activation at Funfest, connecting with whanau across four days of community celebration. Attendees had access to free health checks, wellness support, and opportunities to engage in conversations about their health in a welcoming and family-friendly environment. The activation demonstrated the value of bringing health services directly into trusted community spaces, helping to reduce barriers to care and creating pathways for people to access support when they need it.
Polyfest 2026
Polyfest 2026: Learning Through Play Village Collective engaged over 800 young people and their families at Polyfest 2026 through a Survivor-themed health activation focused on sexual and reproductive health and mental wellbein. Using interactive challenges and learning-through-play activities, participants explored how thoughts, feelings, and behaviours influence overall wellbeing. The activation created opportunities for open conversations about health in a way that was engaging, culturally relevant, and accessible, helping young people build confidence in making informed decisions about their wellbeing.
Pride Month 2026
Pride Month 2026: Celebrating Rainbow+ Pasifika Communities Throughout Pride Month 2026, Village Collective engaged with more than 300+ Rainbow+ Pasifika community members, whanau, and allies across a range of events and activations. From Big Gay Out and Auckland Pride Out the Gutter celebrations to a dedicated community day at Nathan Homestead Pukepuke, participants took part in health and wellbeing activities, meaningful talanoa, and opportunities to connect. Workshops including The Art of Lip Sync, Vogue Femme Workshop, and Siva Samoa created spaces for expression, confidence, and belonging, highlighting the importance of culturally affirming environments that support the wellbeing of Rainbow+ Pasifika communities.
Just SAYN 2026
Just SAYN Symposium 2026: Sharing Pacific Perspectives Village Collective was proud to contribute to the SAYN Symposium 2026, joining youth development leaders from across Aotearoa to explore the theme of ancestral intelligence. Tyson Pula represented Village Collective on the New Gen Panel, sharing reflections on how cultural knowledge and community values continue to shape effective youth work practice. Jordan Khan and Sisilia Fakalata also delivered a workshop on Pacific approaches to Rainbow allyship, encouraging participants to consider how cultural values and relationships can support safe, inclusive, and affirming environments for Rainbow+ Pacific communities.
Youth Week 2026
Youth Week 2026: Young Voices Leading the Way Village Collective partnered with Papakura High School’s Kura Moana Pacific Council to celebrate Youth Week 2026 through a series of youth-led events that amplified the voices and talents of young people. Echoes of the Village provided a platform for young people to share songs, spoken word, and reflections on the issues that matter most to them, creating a space for authentic expression and connection. The celebrations concluded with a Whānau Fun Day attended by more than 100 young people and their families. Alongside free kai, games, prizes, trivia, and bingo, attendees had access to immunisations and health checks, with young people leading by example in prioritising their health and wellbeing while encouraging their whānau to do the same.
Red Carpet Time
Thursday, 23 March 2023 – 11:21 Red Carpet Time Recently we held a red carpet event at Event Cinemas Manukau where we invited participants in Matua ma Talavou to come along and watch a short documentary of our journey to date. It was a highlight for many as they marvelled at seeing themselves on the big screen. It was great to have our partner in this project TOA Pacific share in the evening with staff along with CEO Malia Hamani in attendance. With over 130 guests present, it was a great night filled with laughter and joy. Check our some of our photos below. For more information, email infor@villagecollective.nz.
ASB Polyfest ’24 – A Celebration of Alofa & Pasifika Pride
Sat, 23/03/2024 – 12:00 ASB Polyfest ’24 – A Celebration of Alofa & Pasifika Pride Held at Manukau Sports Bowl, 20 – 23 March 2024 Village Collective had the exciting opportunity to attend Polyfest 2024, a vibrant celebration of Pacific culture and heritage. Our team set up a colorful and welcoming booth that served as a hub for sharing information about our initiatives, resources, and programs. Through interactive displays, and engaging talanoa, we connected with our Pasifika communities around the importance of health and wellbeing, inclusivity, and healthy relationships. We were proud to have the Teu Wardrobe active throughout the festival – providing accessible clothing that our talavou could utilize. The Teu Wardrobe first and foremost champions gender-affirming clothing for our Rainbow+ community, while also helping young people access good-quality outfits for job interviews, special events, or fashion exploration – all without breaking the bank. Our Rainbow Wall was a festival favorite – a creative space that invited everyone to give and express alofa loudly for all to see! Visitors were encouraged to leave messages of love, pride, and encouragement, turning the wall into a living tapestry of color and community spirit. We also teamed up with Samoan Sefa and Drink Da Milgy, adding to the fun with drink giveaways that kept everyone refreshed and smiling throughout the week. Across all four days, our team engaged with thousands of young people, kicking off Wednesday with interactive learning activities – pulled straight from Navig8 handbook – for our out-of-Auckland students, and continuing through the weekend with meaningful talanoa and connection. A highlight of the festival was when our Talavou Village Leadership Group (TVLG) had the special opportunity to sit and talanoa with Dr Claire Achmad, the Children’s Chief Commissioner and Mana Mokopuna. Over kai and laughter, our young leaders shared their lived experiences and walked away feeling heard, valued, and inspired – a moment that beautifully embodied the spirit of Polyfest. Fa’afetai tele lava to everyone who came through, shared their stories, and celebrated Pasifika pride with us. Until next year – alofa tele and see you at the next Polyfest 2025!
Matala
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 16:33 Matala Matala carries many beautiful meanings across the Pacific, in Tonga it speaks of blossoming, and in Samoa of opening. Flowers are gifts to the world, and so are we as Rainbow people. Like flowers, we grow, thrive, and flourish into the fullness of who we are. Through Rainbow Fale, Matala creates safe spaces in schools for Rainbow young people to feel affirmed, included, and supported. Alongside this, Matala also delivers workshops aligned to the school curriculum, helping to embed learning and awareness in ways that are meaningful and relevant for students and teachers alike. Currently active in six South Auckland schools (and having worked with over ten schools over the years), the program provides a foundation of belonging an empowerment. Young people often begin their journey with Matala, then move to Mafutaga after leaving school, and eventually join Va’hine Lei, ensuring a lifelong pathway of connection and community.
Mafutaga
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 16:56 Mafutaga Mafutaga is a word that carries the spirit of gathering, connection, and fellowship. It reflects the strength of coming together as one, to share stories, wisdom, laughter, and support. Just as woven strands form a strong mat, our Rainbow community weaves bonds of belonging through Mafutaga. This space is designed for Pasifika Rainbow young adults who left school and are stepping into new journeys of study, work, or life. It is also a space for our Matala members still in school to come together, be surrounded by like-minded individuals, and gain a deeper sense of belonging and community. Mafutaga provides a safe and affirming environment where members can continues to be nurtured, grow in confidence, and remain connected to their wider Rainbow whanau. As part of the wider Rainbow Fale journey, many begin with Matala in schools, continue through Mafutaga as young adults, and later find connection in Va’hine Lei ensuring that at every stage of life, there is a place to belong, to flourish, and to be affirmed.
Va’hine Lei
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 17:05 Va’hine Lei was created to connect with the older generation of the Pasifika Rainbow community, offering a safe and affirming space to relax, share food, and engage in deep talanoa. The name Va’hine Lei carries deep meaning: Va speaks to keeping the sacred and respectful space between us as a group, Hine honors women and femininity across the moana, and Lei represents flowers, symbolizing our members as gifts, the flowers we are to nature and to the world. Meeting once a month, the group nurtures belonging for those who may often feel isolated as the only Pasifika Rainbow representation in their workplaces or fields. Members come from diverse backgrounds across health and youth sectors, bringing their experiences, wisdom, and voices into a space where they can be uplifted, affirmed, and surrounded by like-minded community.