ABOUT BCA

Black Creatives Aotearoa (BCA) was founded in 2018 and over the past four years we have seen exponential growth. Our community of over 600 members reflect incredible skill and talent, huge cultural knowledge and formidable presence. Our mission is to contribute to a transformational future where our members and their communities are given the resources, time and support to make their dreams, aspirations and their deeply audacious goals a reality right here in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

​​

We are committed to manifesting this future by creating and working together with partners, sponsors and allies to develop the necessary new infrastructure for success. This includes increasing the capacity and capability for our members in ways that are healthy, meaningful and relevant to us; making resources available and accessible to those in our community; and finally prioritizing people, relationships and sustainability.

​

BCA was founded by Dione Joseph (Founder || Artistic Director) and she is supported by a remarkable group of volunteers. In 2021 there were 21 volunteers who supported BCA across all its projects.

WHO WE ARE

We currently have over 500 members across the country and represent a broad and diverse range of ages, genders, sexuality and nations including tangata whenua, NZ-born and 1.5 generation Black New Zealanders. We have poets and playwrights, chefs and entrepreneurs, hair braiders, rappers, writers, creative entrepreneurs, doll makers, models, visual artists, web designers, photographers, MCs, cake artists, musicians and more!

OUR VISION

To contribute to a transformational future where our members and their communities are given the resources, time and support to make their dreams, aspirations and their deeply audacious goals a reality right here in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

​

We are committed to manifesting this future by creating and working together with partners, sponsors and allies to develop the necessary new infrastructure for success. This includes increasing the capacity and capability for our members in ways that are healthy, meaningful and relevant to us; making resources available and accessible to those in our community; and finally prioritizing people, relationships and sustainability.

OUR MAHI

Over the past four years we have held national gatherings, visual art exhibitions, playwright and screenwriter labs, poetry and short story writing workshops, The Black Out Series (online web series) the BLM Archive and live stage production, Po’ Boys n Oysters