Living Collage
A love letter to our community
Made possible with support from Foundation North and the Rule Foundation.
Every community tells its story in its own way. Ours starts with scraps of paper, an Instax camera, scissors, warm hands, and the courage to take up space where we’ve long been unseen.
Living Collage is a growing artwork created by Rainbow Ethnic Communities across Aotearoa. Here, identity becomes texture, visibility becomes colour, and belonging is something we make together piece by piece.
At festivals, markets, and Pride events, people sit with us. They take a photograph that feels like joy. They glue a part of their story next to someone else’s. And slowly, the collage becomes a mural of us: layered, complex, joyful, and unmistakably queer.
Why Collage?
Because our communities are made of layers, seen and unseen, whether it’s migration, queerness, faith, joy, grief, gender, family, loss, reclamation, or home. Living Collage is about our visibility.
These portraits do not exist alone. They sit beside hundreds of others as a reminder that when we create together, we build something larger than any single narrative.
The Journey Across Aotearoa
Big Gay Out
Auckland Pride
Wellington Pride
International Festival
Africa Day
Nevertheless Festival
Living Collage Review
Art Blast
Impact
A Place to Be Seen, A Place to Meet
Living Collage created a rainbow presence, sometimes in spaces historically lacking queer presence. People were held, affirmed, and recognised.
Networks That Grow Like Roots
Connections deepened with Black Creatives Aotearoa, ACOFI, NevertheLess, GendAffirm, Moana Va, and others, forming micro-networks that nurture Rainbow Ethnic communities.
Hundreds of Hands, Many Collages, Countless Connections
The artwork is just one outcome. The deeper impact is visibility, the connections, and the well-being that comes from finally being seen.
Sustaining the Movement
The momentum continues through:
- Repeated community requests for future activations
- New collaborations for 2026 events
Living Collage is evolving. Its work is not done.
Your questions answered
FAQ's
What is Living Collage?
Living Collage is a collaborative artwork created by Ethnic Rainbow Alliance and Rainbow Ethnic Communities across Aotearoa. It’s made from photographs, paper, textures, and stories contributed by people at festivals, markets, and events as a growing mural of identity, visibility, and belonging. Every piece added is a thread in a larger story of community, joy, and connection.
Who can participate?
Everyone is welcome! Living Collage is designed for people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities. Whether you’re adding a photo, a piece of paper, or just sitting and sharing stories, your presence and creativity are part of the artwork. No prior art experience is needed, just bring yourself and your story.
How can I get involved or host a Living Collage event?
We love to collaborate! If you’d like to host an activation, contribute to a future collage, or partner with us at an event, contact Production@ethnicrainbowalliance.org.nz.
How does Living Collage support wellbeing?
Living Collage creates safe, welcoming spaces where people can be themselves, be seen, heard, and held. Contributing to the artwork, whether through photos, paper, or shared stories, offers moments of calm, creativity, and connection. Participants often leave feeling affirmed, valued, and part of something bigger than themselves.
What do you mean by “micro-networks”?
Micro-networks are the small, meaningful connections that grow out of shared experiences. Living Collage brings together individuals and organisations across Rainbow Ethnic communities, forming supportive networks that extend beyond each event into friendships, collaborations, and care that continue long after the collage is made.
Why is shared joy so important to this project?
Shared joy is at the heart of Living Collage. By creating together, participants experience celebration, recognition, and belonging, even in spaces where queer people of colour are often unseen. The collage is a living testament to the power of community.
Enquire
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