Creative Response: Hana Buchanan
- Sam Trubridge
- Feb 27
- 1 min read
Hana Buchanan (Ngāti Haumia ki Te Aro, Taranaki iwi, Te Atiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika) is a tangata toikupu - poet, kaikaranga, kaitito waiata - living and writing from her ancestral lands in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Her toikupu-poetry collection Kupu Whenua comes into te ao marama soon through publication with Steele Roberts, 29 March 2026.
he kanikani rangi – dancing in the skies
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
a karakia rises from the stage —
each kupu encapsulated in its own air pocket and
carried across the takiwā of Te Aro —
a balme for those who receive
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
a gathering energy, a culmination, a coming together,
an anticipation —
hā ki roto nei…. kuku te manawa
breathe in…. hold, hold, hold
te tangi a kōauau
te kōrero a kōhatu
te tātākī a pīwakawaka mā
te reo tawhito, nō te kōpū i ahu mai
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
we are blessed by taonga pūoro —
hā ki waho —
we exhale…. long, slow and deep
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
a shark-formed-in-cloud floats above us
a magenta light illuminates the pōhutukawa
a single leaf settles amongst blades of grass in motion
seagulls glide and soar
our Tamatea moon glows—
expect the unexpected
PA2026 —
he nohoanga whenua
he haerenga moana
he kanikani rangi
rooted in this land
travelling the oceans
dancing in the skies
nā Hana Buchanan i tito (25-27 Huitanguru 2026) composed by Hana Buchanan for the Performance Arcade 2026
What an incredible piece — Stanislav Petrov's story is one of those rare historical moments that genuinely makes you pause and reflect. The fact that he wasn't even supposed to be on duty that night, and yet his calm, analytical thinking under unimaginable pressure is what prevented a nuclear catastrophe, is both humbling and fascinating. What really stands out is how his decision went against rigid Soviet military protocol — he trusted his gut and his engineering knowledge over a flashing alarm system, and that instinct saved potentially billions of lives. It's a sobering reminder of how fragile peace can be and how a single individual's judgment can carry the weight of the entire world. Stories like this deserve to…