August 23-25, 2024
LA MAMA 66 East 4th Street, New York
THE ANCIENTNESS OF US
Celebrating Culture ~ Creating Space ~ Building Community
It is our mission to create a space where Pacific Islanders gather and celebrate in unity and love while honoring each others’ artistry and ancestry while building a harmonious, supportive community. It is our goal to create safe space for the expansion of Pacific Island voices and foster artistic innovation while building alliances with and engaging New York City’s diverse cultural community.
Celebrate with us
Our schedule of events includes a unique Pacific Island Artisanal Market, captivating Performances, a selection of Cultural Workshops and Master Classes, and an Ori Tahiti Competition, showcasing some of the best dancers from around the world, highlighting a unique, avant-garde category to foster the innovative and creative expression. Join us for this rare, highly anticipated event, New York City’s first large scale Pacific Island Festival.
Making history together!
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Friday, August 23, 2024
Pre Heiva Workshops (All Day)
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Ori Tahiti Competition, Artisanal Market, VIP Reception, Evening Performance
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Cultural Workshops, Artisanal Market, Artist Meet & Greet Cocktail Hour, Evening Performance
New York City’s first
Pacific Island Festival
Heiva Pasifika NYC, created by Te Ao Mana is a Pacific Island festival and Ori Tahiti competition. Over 40,000 Pacific Islanders live in New York, yet investment in this community is overlooked. Some of the values that underlie Polynesian cultures, mana, family, community, and reverence for and a connection to nature, a commitment to protecting our natural resources, can be celebrated by everyone.
The Heiva will connect New York City and surrounding areas to Polynesian artisans and crafters, drummers, musicians, dancers, orators, performance troupes, cultural specialists and professionals. Polynesians are essentially an untapped wellspring of living knowledge. It is our desire to further enrich the city’s cultural landscape with the Heiva. People of all ages are welcome. The focus is on creating an immersive experience and allowing participants to learn about a culture typically not represented on a large scale in NYC.
Surfacing the values and spiritual foundation of Polynesian Culture will enrich the fabric of New York City. Participants will walk away with a deeper sense of self and their connection to nature, their surroundings, and the community in which they live. They will gain a vivid working knowledge of the featured cultures. A stronger sense of community will be formed as festival attendees engage in the planned activities. Members of the Polynesian community will gain a larger sense of identity and visibility in New York City and be afforded opportunities to expand their creativity.
Our Team
Creating any large scale event that brings together communities takes a lot of work, countless hours, organizational skill, flexible planning, patience, lots of people, and good communication. We are so thankful to our committee for their dedication and determination. Our team has been logging countless volunteer hours to prepare a fantastic event program for all of you. Heiva Pasifika NYC is anxiously awaited and we are thrilled to finally see it happen. We have been working tirelessly to bring together the best of the Pacific Islands. We are excited to finally see a dream of ours, to have a grand scale Pacific Island focused event in NYC, come to fruition. There are many interactive engagements to experience and participate in. Please share this community building opportunity with your family and friends and join our initiative to grow together.
Haere Mai!