Sāmoa-New Zealander Drag artist Ulugia Edward Cowley (left) as Buckwheat (right) leading the Buckwheat Reimagined project co-curated by the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association and Talanoa Arts Forum presented in Upolu Island, Samoa in 27-31 July 2026.
Monday 22nd June 2026
Buckwheat Reimagined
Sustainable Drag Exchange Empowers Sāmoa’s Fa’afafine Community
Apia, Sāmoa — A bold cross-cultural initiative, Buckwheat Reimagined, launches in partnership with the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association and Talanoa Arts Forum to strengthen Fa’afafine, Fa’atama and PIDSOGIESC+ communities through sustainable drag practice and skills exchange.
Led by Samoan–New Zealand drag artist Ulugia Edward Cowley aka Buckwheat, the project donates over NZD 50,000.00 / WST 83,000.00 worth of costumes, wigs, accessories and performance equipment accumulated across four decades. Beyond material support, Buckwheat will deliver hands-on workshops in costume alteration, wig craft, makeup, performance technique and drag as business entrepreneurship — equipping participants with creative, economic and climate-conscious approaches to staging work on-island.
“Buckwheat Reimagined is about cultural pride, resourcefulness and passing on practice so our communities can perform, earn and thrive sustainably,” says Buckwheat.
“We’re deeply honored to partner in Buckwheat Reimagined,” said Alex Su’a, the President of the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association. “This initiative embodies the values of Fa’a Sāmoa — sharing, resilience, and collective uplift. By equipping our Fa’afafine, Fa’atama and PIDSOGIESC+ communities with sustainable drag skills and resources, we strengthen both cultural pride and economic opportunity. Buckwheat’s generosity ensures that our performers can continue to shine on-island, while embracing climate-conscious practices that safeguard our future. SFA celebrates this exchange as a milestone in empowering our people to perform, earn, and thrive with dignity”.
Buckwheat Reimagined is co-curated by the Talanoa Arts Forum — a curatorial agency for the Pacific cultural industry led by co-directors Yuki Kihara and Tanuvasa Tau'ili'ili Alpha Maiava. They have been working closely with Ulugia on the co-ordination of the freight for the donated goods, consulting the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association on the workshop; and capturing behind-the-scenes footage in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Sāmoa to culminate into a short documentary released later this year.
The Buckwheat Reimagined workshop will run from 27–31 July 2026 at the Tanoa Ballroom, Tanoa Tusitala Hotel in Apia. The participation to the workshop is by invitation due to limited capacity. The workshop culminates in a public drag cabaret and dinner on Friday, 31 July (doors open 6:00 PM) — a WST$20.00 ticketed celebration of talent, resilience and Pacific queer identity. Contact Gustav Su’a <samoafaafafineassociation@gmail.com> for ticket sales.
Further details to be announced soon.
Buckwheat Reimagined is proudly supported by ILGA Oceania; Creative New Zealand; Tanoa Tusitala Hotel; and JACKS - Shimasaki-Sio Group.
For media:
Professional Biography for Buckwheat aka Ulugia Edward Cowley
Buckwheat aka Ulugia Edward Cowley is a commanding Samoan–Auckland Drag artiste, curator and cultural diplomat whose four-decade practice has reshaped Pacific queer visibility. A 6'6" drag visionary, Buckwheat fuses satire, ritual and storytelling to celebrate fa’afafine and Pacific gender identities, using humor and high-concept performance to provoke, heal and inspire. Internationally acclaimed, Buckwheat has performed from Ibiza clubs to the Venice Biennale of Dance and staged major works at Auckland Museum. As a curator and producer, Buckwheat’s projects — notably Air New Zealand’s Pink Flight to Sydney Mardi Gras and early Tagata Pasifika TV initiatives — have amplified Pacific voices on global platforms. Buckwheat’s work blends activism, artistry and cultural leadership, advancing inclusion, pride and creative resilience across Aotearoa and beyond.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/5735096/Drag-yourself-to-the-museum
Auckland Museum Performances - Late At The Museum
Buckwheat Tells Her Story To The NZ Herald
Interviews or ticket information, contact:
● Gustav Su’a: samoafaafafineassociation@gmail.com
● Tanuvasa Tau'ili'ili Alpha Maiava: alpha@talanoaartsforum.ws
● Yuki Kihara: yuki@talanoaartsforum.ws
