Ōtāhuhu College students take their stories on the road

Every production begins with people. That’s the belief of Kerry Lynch, head of dance and drama at Ōtāhuhu College.

“It starts with trust, purpose and looking out for one another. Give young storytellers the space and support to imagine, and they’ll surprise you, sometimes in a hoodie, always with a big heart,” he says.

Building on the momentum of their 2023 tour of Southside Riches to Te Tai Tokerau, Street Light Stories returned in 2025, kicking off during the April holidays with a two-day induction.

Students came together to build confidence and team culture, and to dive headfirst into creating theatre.

Kerry worked alongside Lerato Islam, an international PhD student from the University of Auckland, whose guidance added depth and discipline to the early stages of creation.

The first stop on the tour was Ōmarumutu Marae grounds in Ōpōtiki.

Shaping confident storytellers

Throughout term 2, 2025, students spent every Wednesday evening with industry experts, including Miriama McDowell, Dominic Ona-Ariki, and Ōtāhuhu College alumnus Villa Lemanu, to refine ideas and work.

Their visits inspired the students and helped them rise to every challenge, shaping them into confident storytellers.

Guided by a student leadership group, they explored themes that mattered most to them: relationships, gender, culture and identity.

By July, the leaders had formed three groups – emotions, cousins, and choir – and during a six-day holiday intensive, around 90 percent of the show came together.

The process was loud, challenging and chaotic at times, but Kerry believes that’s exactly where genuine creativity thrives.

By term 3, the cast was ready. They performed three days of matinees for junior and middle school students before moving into evening shows for whānau, friends, alumni and the wider community.

At the end of each evening performance a public forum was held where the audience were encouraged to share their views. Audiences were moved by the honesty, humour and vulnerability on-stage.

“Those moments when someone stands up and shares how the show made them feel, that’s the power of theatre. It can bring people together in a way that nothing else does,” reflects Kerry.

Curtain call for Street Light Tours.

Taking it on tour

After a short break to recover from winter bugs, 26 students and three staff set off for the East Coast. For many, it was their first time travelling through this part of Aotearoa.

Over four days, they stayed in two marae and performed at four kura, each of whom welcomed the group in their own unique ways. After the pōwhiri, student tour leader Phoenix would respond in Sāmoan with the team then following up with a song from Tonga. The response from elders and kaiako was warm and encouraging.

The students described the tour as unforgettable. They spoke of warm welcomes and moments that stretched their confidence in all the right ways.

Many reflected on reconnecting with their culture, feeling proud to perform as Māori and Pasifika, and appreciating how fortunate they are to have drama as a subject.

Shared meals, long bus rides, laughter and inside jokes turned a group of performers into an extended whānau. Senior student leaders saw it as a last chance to inspire others before leaving college, while others said the trip helped them build friendships that will last long after the final curtain.

The nightly theatre forum at Ōtāhuhu College.

Inspiring communities

Street Light Stories was able to tour thanks to support from Creative New Zealand’s Creative Communities Scheme, marking the school’s first-ever external funding for the programme.

Prior to this, Ōtāhuhu College had relied on limited resources and the passion of its staff. This support enabled students to take their work beyond the school gates and build leadership skills, showing why the scheme remains impactful more than 30 years on.

"This tour would not be possible without kaiako Whaea Jude for her amazing connections on the Coast, Sean Klopper and our leadership team, and our cast for their talent and energy.

“Thank you to Mr Watson, the Creative Communities Scheme, Whakaari Aotearoa Drama New Zealand and the schools that hosted us – Ōpōtiki College, Te Kura o Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Kura Mana Māori ō Whangaparāoa, and Rerekohu Area School. And finally, to my Kaumatua, Tarutaru Rankin, for planting this seed years ago," says Kerry.

For the students of Ōtāhuhu College, Street Light Stories is more than a school production. It showed them that their stories can travel all the way to the East Coast and inspire communities far beyond home.