From rugby to the arts: Keven Mealamu’s new creative role

Keven Mealamu is swapping the rugby boots for creative leadership and hopes to inspire more Pacific youth into artistic careers.

“We naturally are talented in the arts and displaying our culture in that as well," he says.

Mealamu (Luatuanu’u, Sāmoa) has been appointed a council member of Creative New Zealand, a Crown entity responsible for nurturing Aotearoa’s arts, setting funding guidelines and advocating for artistic freedom.

“A big part of being on this creative arts board as well is understanding that it's our job to be able to get this opportunity out to people, and especially people from the Pacific as well, because it's something that's a strength of what we do.

The former rugby hooker brings governance experience and a background illustrating children’s books promoting youth development. He was appointed by Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith, alongside fashion designer Karen Walker.

Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Mealamu says one of his goals is expanding Pacific participation in the arts and changing how some Pacific generations view creative pursuits as a fruitless career.

“When I look at our Pasifika and understand the depth and knowledge and the talent that we have in this art space and being able to display our culture through our arts, I think it's something that we do very well. Mealamu says.

“So I think probably the challenges are changing a mindset and understanding that when this is done really well, it can definitely be a pathway to a career.”

Watch Keven Mealamu’s full interview below.

Off-field practice

Mealamu says art has always been present in his family. He would take an art pad with him during rugby tours as an outlet to distract himself from rugby.

“I was surrounded by it when I was growing up. I'd seen a lot of it from my Mum and from my uncles when I used to go around my grandparents' house,” he says.

“Their work would always be up around the house, and it was something that I always had a passion for.”

He expresses gratitude for being able to give back to his community, especially the youth, through his art, which he also had a passion for at school.

“I did art and graphics, my two loves at school were in that sports realm and being on the field, but also being able to dabble a little bit with art as well.

“It's been a big part of my life growing up, and it's awesome to be now in a position where we can help support it.”

One of Mealamu’s illustrations during his Barfoot and Thompson collaboration. Photo /Facebook/Breakfast

Savage Coloniser controversy

Regarding the controversy surrounding Tusiata Ava’s Savage Coloniser piece, which Ava says highlights the “harsh realities” of racism in New Zealand, Mealamu believes it is important to support and understand the artists’ viewpoints.

Creative NZ faced backlash, especially by the ACT Party, for funding Ava’s work and the artist’s $60,000 poetry award win, to which the Arts Council defended their decision.

Mealamu says those decisions help know what council members are grappling with.

“Understanding what that looks like, that every artist has the freedom to be able to express, and has opportunities to express what they see and how they see it.

“For me as a new board member on this, it's being able to support the artist through them sharing ideas, to share their stories and experiences.”

Scenes from Tusiata Avia's Savage Coloniser play last year. Photo/Supplied

Funding overhaul worries

Mealamu also tackled worries regarding the overhaul of Creative New Zealand’s funding model in 2023 and last year.

The overhaul saw shifts towards more tailored support for artists but stirred worry for some arts organisations, especially those reliant on long-term funding.

He says that while multi-year funding is ideal, harsh economic conditions require finding sustainable ways to invest fairly across diverse projects.

“If we were able to do things exactly the way we would want to, most definitely we'd try and get those multi-year funding out to artists. So there are some things we're in control of, but not everything.

“The funding that we have to work with, that's my role, to be able to make that sustainable and create those opportunities for growth in this space.

“How do we grow in this space? What does success look like? Are we able to make the arts in Aotearoa sustainable?”