As part of our He Toi Hou programme, Kia Mau Festival presents the new work from Lila Crichton. A choral reckoning. A woven resistance. A celebration of radical joy.
At the centre of many Samoan homes lies the fala—a woven mat, passed between hands, across generations. It carries memory, it speaks of care, and it holds space for ceremony, conflict, grief, and celebration. In A Master of None: Brown Fala this sacred practice of weaving becomes the central metaphor for a bold, choral performance work that unravels and rethreads what it means to belong—especially when that belonging is fractured by silence, power, and diaspora.
Set against the backdrop of Samoan communal life, Brown Fala draws together a cabinet of Pacific voices—singing, speaking, and moving in layered harmony. The ensemble traverses gospel, R&B, traditional choral forms, and spoken word theatre to create a richly textured soundscape of memory and resistance.
But this is not just a celebration. It is also a reckoning.
The work confronts the harm caused by misguided leadership—within systems, within communities, and within ourselves. It asks: what happens when those meant to protect us use power to wound instead? When silence becomes a coping mechanism, a weapon, or a cage? Whether inherited, enforced, or chosen, silence—this piece tells us—can be deadly.
With threads of lament and rage, tenderness and humour, Brown Fala speaks directly to the experience of Pacific people who live between homelands and host lands, faith and frustration, duty and disillusionment. Yet, even as it grieves, it also rejoices. Because in the act of weaving, there is healing. In the collective voice, there is power. And in returning to our own stories, there is freedom.
At its heart, A Master of None: Brown Fala is a deeply personal and profoundly communal offering. A tribute to the mat, the memory, and the voices who will not be silenced.
He Toi Hou brings together the most innovative and thought-provoking contemporary Indigenous arts. This pou is a testament to the spirit of creation and offers a space for fresh, dynamic works to make their debut, allowing audiences to experience the raw power and authenticity of new voices or old voices in new ways.
Creative Credits
Writer, Director, Composer Lila Crichton (he/him), Satuimalufilufi, Satapuala (Samoa)
Learn More About Woven Collective
Woven Collective is a young company grounded in cultural responsibility, joy, and the knowledge that art can shift conversations. As Pacific people, we’ve been performing our whole lives—on mats, in church halls, at White Sunday. We see this not just as tradition, but as training.
Our work is about normalising the stage for our own people—showing that the choir kid, the dancer at the family function, the storyteller at the kava bowl, is already an artist. We’re still finding our rhythm, but everything we create is honest, sometimes uncomfortable, and always grounded in alofa. Everyone in this collective is an insane artist—and we’re here to belong.
Learn More About Kia Mau Festival
Tihei mauri ora!
Ka mihi ki ngā uri o te whenua o Te Upoko o te ika a Māui.
E ngā haukāinga o te rohe nei, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Taranaki Whānui,
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!
Kia Mau Festival is at the forefront of contemporary Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous theatre and dance in Aotearoa and beyond. We are innovators—pushing boundaries, redefining forms, and forging new paths with creative risk-taking at every step. Right here, right now, we bring together local, national, and international artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. We find the intersection where our stories intertwine, creating an experience that is uniquely ‘local’ yet unparalleled in Pōneke throughout the year.
Kia Mau offers a truly unique experience, led by Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous voices at every level—from our leadership to our artists and audiences. Unlike any other festival, we are not just a platform for presentations; we are a hub for kōrero and whanaungatanga.
Our festival serves as a whare where Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous artists and their communities are supported throughout the creation, development, and staging of their works. By providing a nurturing environment, we empower individual artists, strengthen their capabilities, and enrich the arts sector, celebrating the diversity and talent of Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous artists.
With our deep understanding of the arts sector and strong relationships with artists from emerging talents to established figures, we identify those at pivotal moments in their careers or with significant projects. By including them in the Kia Mau Festival programme, we support them in taking strategic steps forward. This approach has allowed Kia Mau Festival to make a substantial impact on numerous artists and, consequently, shape the contemporary arts landscape.
Returning to Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui, Aotearoa New Zealand from 30 May – 14 June 2025. Nau mai, haramai! Nau mai, hoki mai ki te hui ahurei o Kia Mau!
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