Vatu Dei announced as 2025 Pasifika Artist in Residence for Palmy
Published on 08 July 2025
The bold and beautiful harmonies of Fijian songs and storytelling are set to reach a wider audience with the announcement of Vatu Dei as the recipients of the Pacific Arts Regional Residency for 2025.
Vatu Dei, meaning ’Steadfast Rock’, is a collective of talented Fijian artists who celebrate Fijian culture through meke, a traditional form of Fijian song and dance. Vatu Dei uses chants, harmonies, spoken word, and contemporary performance to tell the stories of Fijian legends, love, indigenous history and everyday life.
Rooted deeply in itaukei (indigenous Fijian) culture, the collective is committed to preserving ancestral traditions while offering a fresh and powerful voice for the next generation.
The Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Regional Residency is supported through Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Strategy, with support from Palmerston North City Council, to invest in Pasifika artists whose work strengthens cultural identity, builds community connection, and pushes creative boundaries.
“We are thrilled to partner again with Palmerston North City Council to co-invest in strategic opportunities for Pasifika creative communities in the region. It’s fantastic that Melanesian artists have been selected, as this aligns with one of our strategic priorities ‘Pacific arts include our whole village’,” says Erolia Ifopo, Mana Pasifika Navigator, Pacific Arts from Creative New Zealand.
“A big congratulations to Vatu Dei! And a huge thank you to the Council team for the beautiful work and collaboration,” she says.
Stephanie Velvin, Palmerston North City Council's manager of community development, says: “We’re proud to support Vatu Dei as they take this next step. They bring a fresh perspective and a strong connection to culture which perfectly embody what this residency is all about.”
Joe Bose from Vatu Dei says the collective are excited to receive this residency and to have the chance to share the richness of their culture in new ways.
“Vatu Dei are not only about reviving traditions, we are reimagining what it means to be Fijian in the modern world, carrying the past forward, with strength and pride.”
With the $25,000 grant, Vatu Dei will use the residency to develop and release their debut album and present a flagship live concert, which will be a centrepiece of Fijian Language Week 2025 in Palmerston North this October.