Satiu Studios (2025)

10/12/2024

Award-winning show ‘Where I’m From’ has an encore performance thanks to as part of their EOY Graduation Showcase at the on Monday 16th December at 2024.

Tickets are selling fast so get in quick. Ticket link available using link in bio.

📷: .tautaiolefue

10/12/2024

Due to personal grievances, Solange Alaalatoa will not be playing the role of Joy for this encore performance of ‘Where I’m From’.

However, the show must go on. And with Solange’s blessing…

…we introduce MELISSA APPLIN who is proudly Afakasi/Sāmoan, born and raised in Sydney but hails from Manono. Whilst this is Melissa’s first production with Satiu Studios, she is no stranger to the performing arts. She has been an avid performer in University Theatre, especially with her home society Macquarie Musical Society.

Some of her stage credits include:
Alternate Emmett Forrest/Ensemble in Legally Blonde (MacMS), Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors (UNSW MTS), Junie in Invisible (MacMS), Piggy in Lord of the Flies (DRAMAC), Featured cast in Worlds Away (MacMS).

Some of her production roles include: Assistant Director and Choreographer for 35MM: A Musical Exhibition (MacMS), Co-Director for Archnemesis to
the Archetype (MacMS), Co-Producer for Spongebob the Musical (MacMS), Choreographer for Hyacinthus (MacMS) and Producer/Choreographer for a Midsummer Night’s Dream (DRAMAC).

Between her theatre commitments, she is currently studying a Bachelor of Archaeology at Macquarie University and is employed as a Pasifika Education Presenter at the Australian Museum. She also fills her spare time with her employment at both Macquarie University as a Student Ambassador and as an employee for HVK Productions working on Bluey! Live.

She is also a proud show group member of Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts since the start of 2024 and is proud to speak not only of Joy’s appreciation for
Matavai and siva, but also for her own. She is grateful to be involved in this production and cannot wait to showcase that there is no one way of being Sāmoan & explore what it means to be a tama’ita’i Sāmoa.

30/11/2024

Lastly, re-introducing to the ‘Where I’m From’ cast & crew, is Gabriel Faatau’uu-Satiu (Gabe). Gabe is the writer/producer/director of the show and originally played the role of Joy’s Father.

Gabe will be playing the role of Armani (originally played by the fabulous Isaac Ah Kiong). Gabe has played lead roles in community theatre and supporting/featured characters on screen as a young adult - giving up those ambitions to fulfil his purpose and write/create characters that show the diversity, nuances, complexity & lived experiences of Pacific peoples.

30/11/2024

Introducing Fran Obi-okafor, of Samoan heritage, born and raised in Newcastle living with her husband, twin sons and family. Fran has been writing since very young, using it as an outlet to express the complexities of her life experiences, aswell as finding comfort and release. These days, her writing is inspired by lived experience of grief, pain and suffering which led to encounters with the Holy Spirit. She recently joined the Tagata Moana Writer’s Hub co-founded by our Creative Director.

Fran will be stepping in as our stage manager, to upskill aswell as utilise her experience in coordinating events for the Pacific community in Newcastle. She will also be assisting our cast with hair & glam on the day of the show (a role previously held by the powerhouse, Jaycee Tanuvasa).

30/11/2024

Re-introducing to the ‘Where I’m From’ cast & crew, is Arirei Beia. Arirei played the younger sister of Joy in the original showing of ‘Where I’m From’ and was one of our stage managers.

Arirei has stepped up and will be playing the role of Sosefina (originally played by the current Miss Tonga Australia, Monica Vave). The role has been modified to suit Arirei as our only Micronesian representative and to showcase the nuances of her Kiribati culture, something she is incredibly proud of.

30/11/2024

Introducing to the ‘Where I’m From’ cast & crew, is Edward O’Leary (Eddie) who is no stranger to the Satiu Studios fam as he featured earlier this year in ‘One Ocean, Many Waves’ - a multi-screen installation as part of Artslab Collide with Shopfront Arts Co-op and 107 Projects.

Eddie will be playing the role of Edea (originally played by Gari Guru). Eddy trained as an actor at the International Screen Academy. A few of his screen credits include Bad Ancestors, Pasifika Drift and feature film, Lonesome with Breathless Films & JJ Splice Films.

30/11/2024

Introducing to the ‘Where I’m From’ cast & crew, is Elijah Lemusuifeauali’i. Elijah is also no stranger to the Satiu Studios fam as he featured on the SXSW panel led by our creative director. Elijah also provided support as a cultural advisor in the play development, helping with the pronunciation of the Fijian song, Isa Isa, used in the play.

Elijah will be playing the role as the Father (originally played by our writer/director Gabriel Faatau’uu-Satiu). Elijah is an academic, carver, poet, cultural consultant and works heavily in the Museum space (currently with Australian Museum and Powerhouse Museum).

26/11/2024

Award-winning show, Where I’m From, will be on one more time for 2024 at the Riverside Theatres, as part of the SCCALA Inc (Samoan Community Culture Arts and Language Association) EOY Graduation Showcase.

SCCALA Inc are a Samoan language school who use the children’s book ‘Where I’m From’ as a resource for their classes. Where I’m From (the show) was inspired by the book.

Details:
- Monday 16th December, 2024
- Main doors for entry open from 5pm
- Show starting at 6pm
- Door , Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta

Tickets are available for purchasing using the link in bio.

We are excited to bring our award-winning show back for one final hurrah in 2024. Fa’afetai tele lava SCCALA Inc for making this opportunity possible.

***Due to availability of some of the original cast and crew members, there will be slight changes to the cast and crew. More information to come soon.

Image by Shalamah Tautaiolefue

08/11/2024

🎭NATIONAL THEATRE OF PARRAMATTA 🤝🏾TRUE WEST🎭

In September 2015 Riverside Theatre’s launched National Theatre of Parramatta, brought to fruition by the vision of Riverside Advisory Board, City of Parramatta, the NSW Government, Riverside Theatres and the Crown and Packer Family Foundations.

Operating from the geographic heart of Sydney, National Theatre of Parramatta (NTofP) is the creating, commissioning, producing, touring and capacity building arm of Riverside Theatres. Known for producing bold, popular, contemporary works that draw their inspiration from the rich diversity of the region and beyond.

True West is NTofP’s capacity building program that supports and shines a light on the fresh and vibrant voices of Western Sydney artists from creation to skills development and production.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 for giving us this opportunity to further develop our work and providing a space to present our work, our way 👏🏾🙌🏾

08/11/2024

🌻INTRODUCING FALE TUMANU🌻

Fale is a poet and narrative storyteller of Sāmoan descent. She has performed, featured, and headlined at many different events across Sydney - most recently at the NSW Council for Pacific Communities Awards. Her passion for writing poetry goes deep into acknowledging the stories of her cultural identity and has become her passion to carry on these stories for the next generation to hear. Fale was featured in Where I’m From by award-winning theatremaker, Gabriel Faatau’uu-Satiu and is developing her poetry-theatre show with Shopfront Arts Co-Op as part of their Artslab initiative.

Fale is our MC for the night and will open the space with a spoken word poem of her own.

Fale says, “I love writing because it allows me to tell my cultural stories that are unheard of or lack representation. I also love writing because it lets me magnify the voices of those who can resonate with my experiences.”

08/11/2024

🥥INTRODUCING ILIESA BULITAUTINI🥥

Iliesa hails from Tokatoka Tailevu, Fiji. He will be serving kava in our Kava Circle. Kava is a traditional drink in Fiji dating back to pre-colonial times. It is used for Ceremonies (Queen Elizabeth, installations of village chiefs & prime ministers) and is most known for its export into other countries.

As part of the Samoan Independence Day celebrations in Sydney, Iliesa has participated in a traditional Samoan ‘ava ceremony representing SCCALA Inc as a committee member.

“In our household, kava is part of my culture that I can share with my family, especially my children who are of the diaspora. In the weekends, we often use kava to talanoa about the week that’s been and share thought-provoking conversations.”

04/11/2024

🌸INTRODUCING JANICE FIA’AVAE FERETI🌸

Faith and family inspire Janice Fia’avae Fereti to write. She is a storyteller proud of Sāmoan heritage. Spoken word poetry is her main form of expression; however, she dabbles in songwriting and has released two Christian children’s books.

For her performance in ‘The Western Line’, Janice will share her childhood story and the journey of migrating from Aotearoa/New Zealand to Australia through two different poems.

Janice says, “I love writing as it gives the means to share the gospel and life experiences that may impact and connect with others”.

The Western Line is one of three plays in a trilogy series, a new work in development through NTofP’s True West initiative. The display of Pacific storytelling is on Tuesday 19th of November. Ticketing details in the linkin bio.

04/11/2024

Gari Guru is a music artist and songwriter who hails from Papua New Guinea (Tubusereia) central province. He played the supporting lead role of Edea in Sydney Fringe’s ‘Where I’m From’, a young Papua New Guinean from Motu who suffers from anxiety and communicates through singsong and guitar.

Gari’s music is available on Spotify and most music platforms. For ‘The Western Line’ event, he will be performing 2 new acoustic songs.

Gari says, “Writing started as a form of expression, just so I could communicate feelings that I struggled to deal with and get out.”

The Western Line is one part of a trilogy series. This event is part of National Theatre of Parramatta’s True West initiative on Tuesday 19th of November. Ticketing information in the link in bio.

04/11/2024

🌺INTRODUCING MIRIAMA SALAVYOVA🌺

Miriama Salavyova is a poet, songwriter, and aspiring novelist of Fijian heritage. Miriama’s writing draws inspiration from her lived experience of having lost her mother. She primarily writes for people who have experienced the loss of any loved ones, but particularly about the loss of a mother.

For ‘The Western Line’ she’ll be sharing the first two chapters of her new novel - ‘Private Apocalyse’ - Oblivion and The Beginning of the End - a work that is being developed with the Tagata Moana Writers Hub, co-led by Gabriel Faatau’uu-Satiu.

Miriama says “I love to write because I love to capture, distill, and translate the depth and complexity of emotions into words, melody, and cadence”.

03/11/2024

The Western Line 2024 acknowledges the many hands whose stories contributed to the original development of this work back in 2022 through PAS Open and the Writing and Society Research Centre.

Big alofa to the following people:
Emele Ugavule, Lawrence Ola, Sarah Carroll, Hola Telefoni, Jordan Johnson, Sisi’uno Helu, Taniela Mateo, Siale Wairasi, Kiera Louise Chandler, Molonai Makalio, Natasha Lanivia-Likio and the students in PATHE 2022 for pouring into this early development.

Your stories will be carried into this next round of development under the guardianship of our creative director and a cohort of fresh voices who will breathe new life into this new work.

More info to come about the new cohort.

The Western Line is one part of a trilogy series. That’s 3 plays. Parts of the work will be presented with NTofP on Tuesday 19th November alongside some new works by our new cohort. Tickets in linkin bio.

16/10/2024

The Western Line is a new play in development by award-winning writer and theatre maker Gabriel Faatau’uu-Satiu.

The Western Line is one part of a trilogy series (alongside The M4 and The T80) inviting audiences onto a journey which draws from an eclectic array of personal stories as they navigate the different intersections of what it means to be a Pacific island person living in Australia.

Each play explores a different Pacific nation and interrogates the many ways tagata Moana (people from the Pacific) travelled across the ocean as wayfinders, seafarers, and voyagers where they must look deep into their past to seek their future on new land.

Curated by Satiu Studios & the Tagata Moana Writers Hub, audiences and community are welcomed to join an evening of Pasifika artists and performers as they share snippets, songs and stories as part of the creative development process for this new major work.

All tickets $15 (plus booking fee)
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Presented as part of National Theatre of Parramatta’s True West program.
True West is NTofP’s capacity building program that supports and shines a light on the fresh and vibrant voices of Western Sydney artists from creation to skills development and production. Based in the geographic heart of Sydney, we are amplifying these voices and adding their stories to our cultural landscape.

14/10/2024

A few pics taken during and after the ‘Tagata Moana Creative Hangout’ as part of the

Thank you to the 30 odd participants who dropped in and out of our intimate session. There were a lot of robust and very insightful conversations about the current and future of Pacific art in Sydney and in Australia. And lots of genuine connections and potential collaborations on the horizon, which is more than we anticipated from this space.

And big alofa to for giving us the space to hold this talanoaga and for all the incredible work you're doing for the festival and wider community. No doubt we'll be seeing you around for the remainder of the festival xx

Satiu Studios

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