Action Education Inc

26/08/2026

Save me! As in, save this post for friends and whānau who have questions about getting enrolled to vote in time for the General Election 2026.

Voting is contagious - the more people we have voting early, the easier it’ll be for everyone on the day.

Drama free voting means:
Checking details / Getting enrolled NOW
Getting others enrolled by the 4th of Oct

Get amongst it!

THAT'S US!

26/08/2026

WORD - The Front Line Semi-Finals '26! 🥳

What. A. Moment.

We saw truth, passion, and creativity pour out from our top 14 teams, as they left it all on the stage! Each year our rangatahi continue to raise the bar and we are still buzzing from semis. To all our WORD whānau ‘26, we are endlessly proud of you. Thank you all so much for stepping beyond your frontlines and holding not only yourselves, but each other in every space and stage. What an honour to witness your creativity and journey with us.

In no particular order, these will be your top 6 teams moving on to the Grand Slam:

Zayed College For Girls
Diocesan School For Girls
Wesley College
Alfriston College
De La Salle College
Marcellin College

WTFL would not exist without a village!

Thank you to our coaches and alumni for being the pillars in our communities and to your teams!

Special shoutout and thank you to our two legendary judging panels and Aotearoa’s leading artists featuring Jessie Fenton, Damien Levi, Talia Stanley, Mark Esekielu, COCOSHAKIM, Onehou Strickland, Sherry Zhang, and Rahman Bashir.

Thank you to DJ Nualan on the decks! Keeping the energy on for both days and in all our spaces.

Huge thank you to Peniel Fa’amausili (Sole Photography), Chris Matthews, and Nathaniel Howe for creating visuals for us to treasure forever. We appreciate you!

Thank you so much to Auckland Live for having us. We value and appreciate everything your team has done to make these events run smoothly and an overall success. Every year is an absolute BANGER!

Big mihi to our funders, Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Ministry of Youth Development, and Auckland Council Regional Arts and Culture.

Folks, get ready.
WE HAVE A GRAND SLAM APPROACHING!

26/08/2026

SUP CENTRAL | FINAL DOUBLE FEATURE! 🚨
Our final Coaches Double Feature of the year is happening next week 🙌🏽🤩 PULL UP NEXT WEDNESDAY!
Jai
Jai Selkirk (he/him) aka Tākiwira’s finest was born and raised in Dargaville, Northland (home of the Ranfurly Shield) before being adopted by South Auckland, where he currently resides in the 275. A forklift driver, performer and coach. His dynamic poetry mixes hard, gritty truths with light-hearted, playful humor. Winner of some slams, robbed of more, the peoples champion wherever he goes. Jai speaks from the heart, and his words resonate with the soul.
Jenny
Jenny Rockwell (she/her) is a writer and poet whose work has appeared in The Poetry New Zealand Yearbook, VICE, The Spinoff, Rapture, Symposia, and Rat World. She has won WORD The Front Line, the Going West Writers Slam, and the HER Festival Slam, and has represented Tāmaki Makaurau at the National Poetry Slam and Aotearoa at the Trans-Tasman Slam. Her debut poetry collection, Vultures, is published by Dead Bird Books. Drawing on southern gothic themes, Rockwell’s work explores queerness, womanhood, religion, and redemption.
🗓: September 2nd
⏰️: 7pm Start
📍: Studio One Toi Tū
💵: FREE!
Open mic sign ups on the day!

17/08/2026

Action Ed Community Spotlight 🔦

One of our new additions to the Action Ed team, but definitely not a stranger to our mahi! Ari has come up through poetry guiding some of our best, including herself, to championships! Every poem she has is a haymaker! 👊

Fav poet: "impossible question but Stevie Davis-Tana has a special place in the ngākau"
Highlight of your '26 so far: "Joining the Action Ed team (unlimited slam camps)"
Word of advice: "Talent not met with practice will simply fade. Keep practicing your art ✨"

11/08/2026

ARA TOI IS HERE!
We want to invite you to be part of something we are really excited about.

Action Ed is running Ara Toi in 2026 - a free, four-month programme created for rangatahi - young people aged 18–24 who are ready to back themselves and take the next step in their career or creative journey.

We built this programme because we know that getting into work as an artist is not just about having the right skills on paper. It is about knowing who you are, having the right support around you, and feeling ready. That is exactly what this programme is designed to do. Open to all artistic forms, not strictly for poets.

Please get in contact for our info pack for more details. If you know rangatahi who might be a great fit, TAG EM! And of course, if you have any questions at all, just reach out - we'd love to hear from you.

🎨:

Be in quick, only 30 spots are available. DO NOT SLEEP!

07/08/2026

AMPED FOR CAMP!

Slam Camp 2026 was a TIME! How blessed are we to share these moments with our Word - The Front Line '26 cohort!?

Action packed weekend full of workshops, activities, and rangatahi building connections to help carry each other not only through the WORD season, but through life. THANK YOU, POETS! This is always a highlight for us as we witness how you show up and support each other with so much care and respect over such a short time together, and none of this is possible without you. As you prep full steam ahead for Semi-Finals, know that we see you and we got you! GO IN!!!

Amazing moments like this, however, truly take a village whom we cannot thank enough ❤️

A big mihi to our staff, coaches, volunteers, and alumni! Having not only a team, but a whanau of passionate youth workers and creatives spanning generations means there is an undoubtable trust and work ethic for us to look out for our young people and each other. Thank you for going above and beyond always!

A huge shoutout and thank you to our team of facilitators, especially Villa Lemanu. We admire and appreciate the commitment to your craft and our young people. We all learnt something crucial for us to improve as both artists and people. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us!

Shoutout to Melowdownz and Deadforest! We got to witness two of Aotearoa's greatest ever! Thank you for inspiring our rangatahi with your experiences and art.

Thank you to Peter Snells Youth Village and all their amazing staff for hosting us throughout camp!

Thank you to Peniel Fa’amausili and Sole Photography for capturing these lasting memories so beautifully!

Thank you to our teachers for supporting us along the way.

And if you are ready for more Word - The Front Line madness.. get your tickets.

WE'LL SEE YOU AT SEMIS!

05/08/2026