Tuatara Collective brings artists together to collaborate and turn our own Aotearoa stories into art. Our voice, our music, and our dance is most powerful when our hearts are entwined in the roots of the work. Tuatara Collective will produce and present art to general public, communities and schools, locally, nationally and internationally.  All projects will have relevant themes that will provide the basis for community workshops to facilitate kōrero. The Over My Dead Body series by Jason Te Mete was the debut for Tuatara Collective, beginning with development seasons of UNINVITED at Auckland Pride Festival, and LITTLE BLACK BITCH at Kia Mau Festival in Wellington, followed by Matariki at Auckland’s Basement Theatre and Artworks Theatre on Waiheke Island. These productions received excellent reviews which enabled Tuatara Collective to gain funding and support to present fully professional seasons – LBB in 2020 and UNINVITED in 2021.

Other projects include Over My Dead Body: WITH THESE HANDS (Waiheke 2020) in collaboration with Artworks Theatre, FIA FIA and FRESH CHOICE (2020) and our inaugural HAU Festival [te Hī me te Hā] in August 2022 as part of the Artist’s In Residence programme at Basement Theatre. The festival events included Hine Te Rēhia, Garage Party and Ka’a [little shit].

Tuatara Collective is working together with Ahipoutu Collective (formerly) Moana Moko) in Tauranga Moana to deliver a series of free Māori Theatre and Wellbeing Wānanga, as well as He Toi Kupu – a large scale community engagement programme in 2022/2023 – made possible with funding support from Creative New Zealand.