Congratulations to poet Isla Huia who is the recipient of the Arts Foundation Springboard Award.
Mentored by 2024 Katherine Mansfield Menton Recipient Selina Tusitala Marsh
Receiving the 2026 Springboard Award gifted by Supernova Boosted Donors
Isla is a poet and kaituhi whose work carries story through rhythm, voice, and connection to whenua.
Her writing holds both the personal and the collective – grounded, clear, and deeply felt whether on the page or in performance.
“Noku te maringanui! Being an Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard means that I can prioritise my writing, develop my practice further, and do it all with the confidence that my mahi is acknowledged, backed and seen as a valuable pursuit. Kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi au.”
The Arts Foundation is proud to support her mahi to keep unfolding.