Week 7 Term 1 - Tapasa: Polyfest 2023 (March 13 - March 17)

Every Polyfest season comes with it's own rewards, trials and challenges. This year's ASB Polyfest was brought forward in early March (typically scheduled around the end of March). Which mean that the time to prepare and complete a performance set for the competition was reduced to 3 weeks. It was an extremely tight time frame to organize items, music, musicians, material and uniforms on top of managing the students. As with every year, there is an entire community who comes in to help make everything happen. 

Tamaki College Tongan, Samoan + Cook Island Group preparing for Polyfest 23

This year I had the privilege of coordinating all the cultural groups for Tamaki College in preparation for the ASB Polyfest 2023. I saw first hand the time, heart, commitment and love that not only the students and their parents put into the experience, but the tutors and teachers who put in so much love to ensure that the experience is successful. As a tutor (Tamaki College Samoan Group) I understand the commitment and the pressure that is placed on everyone involved, so I appreciate everyone who was involved in this year's campaign. Being involved in Polyfest requires a lot of time, patience and love. I would like to acknowledge our awesome Tamaki College SLT as well as the Polyfest TICs - Mr Moyes, Mr Tuaru Temu, Ms Latu, Mrs Suipi Latu, Mrs Telefoni, Mr Hingano, Ms Apelu, Mrs Lote-Fepuleai and Mr Niko for their tautua and alofa during this year's Polyfest season. I am going to reflect on the journey for the Samoan Group and how this year's campaign went for them. 

SAMOAN GROUP 2023

Tamaki College's Samoan Group 2023 is made up of 43 students (our smallest group to date), supported by our tutors Millie Mara Oti (former student + performer in the Samoan Group), Roni Kamu Wright (former student + performer in the Samoan Group), Pene Ueta (long time tutor + composer for Tamaki College Samoan Group), Kevin Savili (former student + performer in the Samoan Group), Simon Savili (former student + performer in the Samoan Group), Norman Fogavai (former student + performer in the Samoan Group) and Malulu Faaui (former student + performer in the Samoan Group). Lead by the teacher's in charge - Ms Dorothy Apelu and myself - with the support of our colleagues Mr Niko and Mrs Lote-Fepuleai. 

Tamaki College Samoan Group 2023 with the tutorship team

Our performers were from across all year levels - with one Year 9, nine Year 10s, eight Year 11s, twelve Year 12s and thirteen Year 13s. Our performers were largely new to the competition and to performing in general. So we had our work cut out for us. In three weeks we taught 6 items to the students: 

• Ulufale (Entrance)
• Mauluulu (Group dance) 
• Pese o le aso (Song of the day)
• Sasa (Group dance)
• Taualuga (Solo performer)
• Ulufafo (Exit)

Samoan Group 2023 rehearsals

Rehearsals were everyday after school from 3:00pm - 5:30pm (finishing at 6:30pm the week of). We also practiced on Saturdays starting from 9:30am - 2:00pm. We were able to complete the set the weekend before Polyfest week - which was good as it gave us time to polish and edit the set where we saw fit. I felt the time pressure this year and I was not able to edit as much I wanted to as we needed to get through the set and tighten up what we had already taught the students. I am grateful for this experience though as it has taught me that if you really put your mind to something and you have the right people in your circle, you can make anything happen. I am extremely proud of the student's effort, commitment and service this year. They really dug deep especially the week of Polyfest. I am really happy with the final performance as it was clean, tidy and kept to our Tamaki College Samoan Group style. 

Tamaki College tutorship team 2023 (former students/performers in the Samoan Group)

Consistency, maintaining our performance standard, striving for excellence on stage and ensuring that the students enjoy the experience is something that we have have always kept at the forefront of our kaupapa and heart. This starts with the teachers and tutorship team - making sure that we work well together (we have been working together since 2010) and this filters down to our students. I believe the success and integrity of this group is grounded in the ALOFA (which is the springboard for FAA'ALO'ALO + TAUTUA) that our team bring every year. We always say that every year is different - different students, different set, different energy - but the spirit and heart is the same. 

Tamaki College Samoan Group @ ASB Polyfest 2023

The competition of the festival is something that we enjoy - it keeps us on our toes and enables us to push the students to work and put their best forward. Even more so, it pushes us to bring our best creatively. The competition is something that we use a vehicle to push our students to do their best, in terms of winning - we drive the message that they have won already. They have won in terms of learning and growing in their culture, won in terms of stepping out of their comfort zone and doing something new, won in terms of doing something beautiful and meaningful as a team. We are grateful that every year since 2010, we have been acknowledged at the prizegiving. This year, we were placed 3rd for our togiga - aoga tuufaatasi tama ma teine - togiga - tulaga tolu. This was an awesome achievement for us and something that we are grateful for as we know how hard our competition is. This is something that we will add to our resume.

• 2010 - 1st Place Ulufale (Entrance)
• 2011 - 2nd Place Fuataimi (Conductor - Falaniko Liava'a)
• 2013 - 2nd Place Overall (Co-Ed Section) 1st Place Taupou (Solo performance - Nive Isaako), 1st Place Equal Sasa (Group Dance), 2nd Place Fuataimi (Conductor - John Tuilata Lemalie), 3rd Place Ulufale (Entrance), 3rd Place Ulufafo (Exit), 3rd Place Mauluulu (Group Dance), 3rd Place Togiga (Uniform), 3rd Place Taualuga (Group song)
• 2014 - 2nd Place Togiga (Uniform), 3rd Place Taupou (Solo performance - Laura I'u), 3rd Place Sasa (Group Dance), 3rd Place Maluulu (Group Dance)
• 2015 - 3rd Place Pese o le Aso (Songs), 3rd Place Fuataimi (Conductor - Norman Fogavai)
• 2016 - 3rd Place Pese o le Aso (Songs), 2nd Place Fuataimi (Conductor - Roni Kamu Wright), 2nd Place Taupou (Solo performance - Mui Niue)
• 2017 - 3rd Place Pese o le Aso (Songs), 2nd Place Fuataimi (Conductor - Tim Fatialofa)
• 2018 - 2nd Place Equal Pese o le Aso (Songs), 2nd Place Fuataimi (Conductor - Tim Fatialofa)
• 2021 - 3rd Place Taupou (Solo performance - May Sinfea), 2nd Place Equal Taualuga (Group song), 3rd Place Equal Togiga (Uniform)
• 2022 - 1st Place Year 13 Speech Competition - Samoan Stage (Maletina Niko)
• 2023 - 3rd Place Togiga (Uniform)

Aoga Tuufaatasi Tama ma Teine - Togiga - Tulaga Tolu: Tamaki College

Finally I would like to acknowledge all of our akonga, their parents, our leaders (Aumau, Malae, Danny, Leilani + Adrienne) our Futaimi 2023 (Mathew) and our Taupou 2023 (Heather) for their hearts + commitment to what has been a busy season. We look forward to coming back next year to do this again - different year, different group of students, different material - same spirit.