PO BOX 11223
Manners St, Wellington, New Zealand 6142
office@kiamaufestival.org
For the Love of Spam
A multi-sensory, participatory one-woman show dedicated to two things: canned meat and colonialism.
As part of Kia Mau Festival’s He Ngaru Nui programme, For the Love of Spam is a multi-sensory, participatory one-woman show dedicated to two things: canned meat and colonialism.
Find out how this (delicious) canned meat symbolises modern-day colonialism and threatens the very livelihood of a whole civilisation in these ‘West vs East’ political games.
Can this formerly Catholic, angry and God-fearing woman help educate (and feed) the masses, all while ‘liberating’ her island? For the Love of Spam is written & performed by Chamoru / Filipina theatremaker Sierra Sevilla, originally from the island of Guam and passionate about shifting immigrant narratives.
A Premiere Season in Aotearoa, For the Love of Spam journeys to us from Guam and the United Kingdom.
He Ngaru Nui is more than just a collection of performances—it is a bold statement about the value and significance of Indigenous narratives. These shows take stories that sometimes feel small, intimate, or unheard, and amplify them on the grand stages they deserve. This programming strand honours the storytelling traditions of Māori, Pasifika and global indigenous cultures, while pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance. It’s about taking stories from our communities and sharing them with the world in a way that is both respectful and revolutionary.
“An hour of joy, tears, and enlightening insights”
Dates
03-07 June 2025
6.30pm
Duration 60 mins
Venue
Te Auaha
65 Dixon Street
Te Aro
Wellington
teauahaevents.com
Tickets
Early Bird Adult Ticket: $25 (Available until 24 April 2025)
Adult Ticket: $35
Concession Ticket (Kaumātua, Senior Citizens, Community Services Cardholders and Unwaged): $30
Under 25: $20
Group 6+: $25
Student (including tertiary, te whare wānanga, polytech, kura kaupapa and secondary school students): $20
Student Standby: $15
Creative Credits
Performer & Writer Sierra Sevilla (she / they)
Director & Dramaturg Izzy Rabey (she / they)
Producer Caleb Lee (he / him)
Production Co-Producer Brent Tan (he / him)
Stage Manager Beckett Gray (they / them)
Lighting Design Jahmiko Marshall (he / him)
Sound Design Pete Rapp (he / him)
Set Design Erin Guan (she / her)
Props Jaclyn ‘Jax’ Zaltz (she / her)
Promotional Photography Barbara Dudek for Beady Films
Social Media Manager Aga Kukla (she / her)
About Sierra Sevilla
Hafa adai and kamusta! Sierra Sevilla is a Chamoru / Filipina multidisciplinary theatremaker in London, originally from the island of Guam. She is an ESEA artist who has worked in theatre as a facilitator, director and now writer/performer. She is passionate about using theatre to shift immigrant narratives, telling unique and diasporic stories that directly challenge the current political immigration rhetoric. She received her MA in Applied Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and went on to help start theatre companies here in the UK and in Guam. She creates art showcasing and celebrating the diaspora, as she believes that embracing these narratives can help fight political rhetoric demonising immigrants.
Sierra is the recipient of several grants, including an Arts Council grant and a Guam Council for Arts & Humanities award. Sierra is a recent graduate of the New Earth Performance Academy. She has received a 2023 Seed Commission from Camden People’s Theatre for her one-woman show For the Love of Spam. She’s gone on to showcase her play at the Network for Emerging Artists and Professionals Festival (NEAPfest) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2023. She has also had a sold-out run at the Pleasance Futures Festival in December 2023, and has now received their Charlie Hartill Fund to perform at Edinburgh Fringe in 2024. She will also be touring For the Love of Spam in the UK and internationally between 2024 and 2025, starting with a tour to Hawaii with the Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists in May 2024.
Sierra dreams of creating and touring theatre about the diasporic Guamanian & Filipino experience. She wants to use her unique experience growing up in Guam to showcase injustices and political issues in the East, thus combining her art with her activism. She also wants to collaborate and devise work with other ESEA artists, to put our immigrant experiences out on the main stages of the world.
Learn More About Kia Mau Festival
Tihei mauri ora!
Ka mihi ki ngā uri o te whenua o Te Upoko o te ika a Māui.
E ngā haukāinga o te rohe nei, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Taranaki Whānui,
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!
Kia Mau Festival is at the forefront of contemporary Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous theatre and dance in Aotearoa and beyond. We are innovators—pushing boundaries, redefining forms, and forging new paths with creative risk-taking at every step. Right here, right now, we bring together local, national, and international artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. We find the intersection where our stories intertwine, creating an experience that is uniquely ‘local’ yet unparalleled in Pōneke throughout the year.
Kia Mau offers a truly unique experience, led by Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous voices at every level—from our leadership to our artists and audiences. Unlike any other festival, we are not just a platform for presentations; we are a hub for kōrero and whanaungatanga.
Our festival serves as a whare where Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous artists and their communities are supported throughout the creation, development, and staging of their works. By providing a nurturing environment, we empower individual artists, strengthen their capabilities, and enrich the arts sector, celebrating the diversity and talent of Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Moana, and Indigenous artists.
With our deep understanding of the arts sector and strong relationships with artists from emerging talents to established figures, we identify those at pivotal moments in their careers or with significant projects. By including them in the Kia Mau Festival programme, we support them in taking strategic steps forward. This approach has allowed Kia Mau Festival to make a substantial impact on numerous artists and, consequently, shape the contemporary arts landscape.
Returning to Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui, Aotearoa New Zealand from 30 May – 14 June 2025. Nau mai, haramai! Nau mai, hoki mai ki te hui ahurei o Kia Mau!
Raven Spirit Dance