Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts

2025

22 Nov — 20 Dec

Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts 2025 22 Nov — 20 Dec

This November and December, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland comes alive with the first-ever Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts (AFoBA) — a month-long celebration of Afro-Kiwi creativity and excellence through theatre, movement, music, visual arts, and literature.

Led by a collective of artists and producers, The Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts (AFoBA) exists to centre Black joy, connection, and excellence through partnerships, community engagement, and pathways for Black creatives across four streams: Visibility, Capability Building, Outreach, and Ambassadorship.

The festival honours Afro-diasporic artistry while strengthening relationships with Tangata Whenua and wider communities, creating a lasting legacy of representation, empowerment, and belonging in Aotearoa.

Our People

Dione Joseph

Festival Director
Ahi Karunaharan

Programme Manager
Nathan Mudge

Marketing Lead (Toi Factory)
Anna Barker

Marketing Coordinator (Toi Factory)
Aroha Awarau

Publicist
Alyxander Frontin

Social Media Assistant
Olivia Hall

Producer, Po’ Boys and Oysters
Sananda Chatterjee

Producer, FutureTense
Shalane Williams

Producer, FutureTense
Wendy Douglas

Producer & Facilitator, NYEGE
Graham Vincent

Producer, Obsidian&Seen
Jane Benney

Producer & Creative Director, JingleBeatz!
Caleb McAndrew

Multimedia Designer
Shabnam Shiwan

Branding (Osborne Shiwan)

Po’ Boys and Oysters

A sharp, tender, and funny family drama about love, class, and belonging.

When a Black lesbian couple of Haitian descent settle in Tāmaki Makaurau with dreams of adopting a child, they quickly discover that family—chosen and biological—comes with rivalries, secrets, and the occasional plate of oysters.

Written by Estelle Chout and directed by Dione Joseph, Po’ Boys and Oysters brings Caribbean flair to Aotearoa’s stage, weaving together biting humour, intimate truths, and the everyday politics of love and survival. With a stellar cast including Sonya Renee Taylor, Sandra Zvenyika, and Estelle Chout, this acclaimed work serves up a delicious feast of passion, identity, and the hunger to create home.

Back for its highly anticipated second season, this story brims with heart, laughter, and the fire of community.

Herald Theatre
Sat 22 – Sat 29 Nov 2025

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