Approaching Ngā Uri E!

While Auckland Pride Festival 2025’s theme, Tētahi Ki Tētahi, roots profoundly in being in the present, Ngā Uri E! reels in the provocation of the past and an optimistic vision for the future. From collaboratively creating taonga tuku iho, to forefronting personal stories entangled intrinsically in cultural upbringing, our 2025 programmes interrogates what it means to be in community and how our individual identities are formed because of these proximities. Moving into 2026, we re-ground ourselves deeply in citational practice, in referencing our tīpuna not only in their work and collective memories but also their bodies and images. Ngā Uri E! offers a space for reflection on our roles in the movement, celebration of wins, and workshop to organise for the future as Tākatapui and Rainbow people.

Ngā Uri E! as time capsule

In looking backward and forward and referencing our tīpuna not only in their work and collective memories but also their bodies and images, this theme prompts an opening a time capsule. This is a mihi to our tīpuna and all the rangatira that has paved the way through the act of (re)remembering, timelining, and bookmarking, and cementing Pride as a movement made possible and carried forwards by many hands.

The colours cite the Tino Rangatiratanga flag—honouring our kuīni, Takatapui, ira tangata, and queer Māori elders whose bodies has formed the collective resistance and freedom we get to bask in today. The colour red is predominantly used as the highlight colour in the theme look and feel signifying the importance of HIV/AIDS activism.

Centring the 40th year anniversary celebration of the Homosexual Law Reform, I draw on the 80s as the aesthetic well for this year’s theme. Using Risograph as the design approach. Risograph was invented and popularised in the 80s, and synonymous with grassroots mobilisations and zine culture because of its low-cost, sustainable, and distinctive look.