Weaving Tangata Moana communities together
Brown Town is an ode to Tangata Whenua and Tagata Moana joy and creativity. We are a collective rooted in Ōtautahi, dreaming up opportunities for our people to gather, to grow, and to take up space on our own terms.
We exist because we saw a gap – our people needed a place where they could see themselves, where they could create, express, and be celebrated without having to explain who they are.
Our mission is to weave Tangata Whenua and Tagata Moana communities together and shift the cultural and social landscape of our city by centring brown joy, resistance, and creativity.
OUR MAHI
Creativity is embedded in our cultures. We experience it when we sit with our aunties making tapa or when we hold the hands of someone receiving their malu. We find creativity in the little moments in between, we hear it in the raucous laughter, and we feel it in the exchange of mātauranga.
Through wānanga, exhibitions, gigs, talanoa nights, and community-led projects, we create platforms for all of these things. Our events are vibrant, welcoming, and joyous. We offer something for everybody, and we can’t wait to see you there.
Let's have a talanoa!
Got an idea, a pitch for a collab, or just keen to connect?
Kōrero mai.
Brown town in print - grab A copy TODAY!
The first volume of our zine is a tangible memory printed alongside our 2025 exhibition Iti Noa Ana He Pito Mata. Showcasing 12 artists from across the motu, the zine is a love letter to our people grounded in whakapapa and creative expression.
Help us make Ōtautahi Brown again
If our mahi speaks to you, consider leaving a koha, and be a part of something boldly and beautifully brown. Your donation directly sustains our events, uplifts Tangata Moana creatives, and keeps our kaupapa accessible.
