{"id":125373,"date":"2025-11-08T23:16:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T23:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/125373\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T23:16:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T23:16:10","slug":"hawkes-bay-can-be-tough-local-artist-brings-trans-womans-journey-to-the-stage-at-fringe-in-the-stings-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/125373\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Hawke\u2019s Bay can be tough\u2019 – Local artist brings trans woman\u2019s journey to the stage at Fringe in the \u2018Stings 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heke said his connection with the story was deep.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though Set in Stone isn\u2019t about me, my takat\u0101pui identity and my own experiences absolutely shaped how I approached it … I\u2019ve felt those moments of searching for belonging, of wanting to be seen for who you truly are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heke said everyday life could be challenging for the rainbow community in the Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cHawke\u2019s Bay is a beautiful place, but it can still be tough for our trans wh\u0101nau. There\u2019s progress, but also a lot of misunderstanding. Visibility can bring both support and discrimination.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many, simple things like accessing healthcare, finding safe spaces, or being respected in daily life are still challenges. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why Set in Stone is so important. It shines a light on what our trans sisters and brothers are facing, right here in our own backyard, while also showing their strength and mana.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heke says some scenes are emotionally difficult to perform.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a section where she speaks about losing family connection and facing violence … That moment never gets easier to hear or watch, but it\u2019s powerful because it\u2019s real.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt opens a window into a life most people don\u2019t see.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play, which will run on two sessions on November 21 at 118 Karamu Rd North, will also bring a bit of humour, Heke says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing trans isn\u2019t only about struggle it\u2019s also about love, laughter, and unapologetic existence. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe audience can expect honesty. They\u2019ll laugh, cry, and probably leave with their hearts a little heavier but also more open.\u201d<\/p>\n

More from Fringe in the \u2018Stings <\/p>\n

Another highlight of the festival is Baked Not Burnt, a free live cooking demonstration teaching medicinal cannabis patients how to safely reuse already vaped botanicals (AVB).<\/p>\n

Organiser and harm reduction advocate Anthony van Duuren from Puha Express said the aim was to promote smokefree use and practical education.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super excited that we\u2019re on track in New Zealand to meet our Smokefree 2025 goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

After last year\u2019s live testing of medical cannabis<\/a> potency before and after vaporisation, this year\u2019s event will feature Hamish Christ Coker from Whakamana Cannabis Museum in an improvised cooking show using AVB.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will be provided with a grocery bag filled with random ingredients and be given 30 minutes to cook.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AnthonyAnthony van Duuren and Hemp-Star Christ at last year’s event on medical cannabis consumption. Photo \/ Jack Riddell<\/p>\n

Another event that will push boundaries is The Sin Bin, an exhibition by Hawke\u2019s Bay artist Tiffany Gray, exploring eroticism, taboo and creative freedom.<\/p>\n

Fringe in the \u2019Stings will run across multiple Hastings\u2019 venues with a mix of free and ticketed events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Heke said his connection with the story was deep. \u201cEven though Set in Stone isn\u2019t about me, my…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125374,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[836,1628,1975,1561,5195,1038,198,30208,1976,78,2203,440,111,43,139,69,5433,87281,223,61,13983,50454,5816],"class_list":{"0":"post-125373","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-836","9":"tag-artist","10":"tag-at","11":"tag-bay","12":"tag-be","13":"tag-brings","14":"tag-can","15":"tag-fringe","16":"tag-hawkes","17":"tag-in","18":"tag-journey","19":"tag-local","20":"tag-new-zealand","21":"tag-news","22":"tag-newzealand","23":"tag-nz","24":"tag-stage","25":"tag-stings","26":"tag-the","27":"tag-to","28":"tag-tough","29":"tag-trans","30":"tag-womans"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}