An Honest Conversation with Juanita Hepi and Sacha Copland

Multidisciplinary storyteller Juanita Hepi and choreographer Sacha Copland are both 42. They both grew up in Ōtautahi. On May 2nd they will talk while dancing for 1 hour. They will try to be honest. Juanita platforms Kāi Tahu, Māori and BIPOC artists on the whenua of her ancestors. To do this she writes, directs, produces, curates, teaches, advises, researches, performs and grabs a teatowel. Sacha has choreographed 20 full length works, performs all over the world and lives in Wellington. Juanita and Sacha want to talk and dance. Juanita and Sacha both talk a lot. They will try to dance, talk and be honest. “Nei rā te mihi. Ko Juanita ahau, I’m a hautūtū, storyteller and people connector, but best of all I am a māmā. “Kia ora I’m Sacha. I’m Pākeha, English Scottish and Polish. I grew up on the land here and for the next 9 weeks I’m a resident artist at the Arts Centre. It’s good to be home.”