Ka tiripou taku manu ki te keokeoka o Aoraki, harō ana ki kā Pākihi whakatekateka o Waitaha, kua tae atu te manu ki whakaraupō moana.

Juanita Hepi, Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Mutunga, Moriori, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Wai, Ngāpuhi, is a multidisciplinary storyteller exploring the intersections of race, class and gender through indigenous storytelling and cross-cultural collaborations. She holds a Masters of Māori and Indigenous Leadership, a Graduate Diploma of teaching and Learning and a Bachelor of Arts from Toi Whakaari, the NZ Drama School. Juanita has performed on stages across Aotearoa and at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. She produces, writes, directs, performs in and supports a range of creative projects from large scale productions like the upcoming Hine Hōia with Chamber Music NZ to the intimate performance art solo Ariā. Not content to sit still, Juanita’s passion for Indigenous storytelling has led her to communities across Canada, America, and Hawaii where movement and sound are embedded within Indigenous epistemologies and because Ōtautahi is the place her ancestors have walked, battled and made love for centuries, she is a staunch advocate and enabler of arts and artists in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Juanita is māmā to three, sister of 8, and cuzzy to 100s.