Bringing Our Communities Together
WAKAA Inc. stands for Western Australian Kiwi and Australian Artists.
We are a Western Australian not-for-profit organisation bringing people and communities together through music, dance, culture, faith and the arts.
Our purpose is to create opportunities for people — particularly young people — to discover their talents, express their cultural identity and experience a genuine sense of belonging. We provide platforms where emerging and established artists can perform, communities can celebrate their heritage, and people from different cultural backgrounds can meet, learn from one another and grow together.
At the heart of WAKAA is a simple belief: communities become stronger when we work together rather than compete with one another.
What WAKAA Inc Means
The name WAKAA Inc. has meaning on more than one level.
As an acronym, WAKAA represents Western Australian Kiwi and Australian Artists. The organisation has its roots in a group originally established in Wellington, New Zealand in 1999, before being re-established in Perth in 2012 and incorporated in Western Australia in 2023.
The word waka also has important cultural significance. In Māori culture, a waka is traditionally a vessel — a canoe used to carry people from one place to another.
That idea of a journey captures what WAKAA Inc. wants to be.
We want to provide a vessel that helps people move forward — culturally, creatively, emotionally and spiritually. For a young person, that journey might begin with discovering a talent. For an artist, it might be their first opportunity to perform publicly. For a family, it might mean reconnecting with language or culture. For someone feeling isolated, it may simply mean discovering a community where they belong.
WAKAA Inc. is about recognising where we have come from while helping people discover where they can go.
Dean Umu — President & Festival Director
For Dean Umu, WAKAA Inc. is not simply about organising festivals. Its purpose has been shaped by more than 35 years working in education and alongside young people, as well as his own experiences of family, faith, culture and music.
One of the defining moments in Dean’s life occurred when he was just 12 years old. He heard music coming from a building and was drawn towards the sound of someone playing the drums. The song was Fear Not. He did not initially realise that he had walked into a church, but that encounter in 1985 became the beginning of a much bigger personal journey.
Coming from a home affected by separation and financial hardship, Dean found in faith and music something that would profoundly influence his life — peace, forgiveness, creativity, confidence and a sense of purpose.
His involvement in community events continued. During the 1990s, Dean helped organise JAM — Jesus And Me — events combining concerts, basketball competitions, youth activities, food, drama, dance and music. The philosophy was that positive messages, faith and community connection did not have to remain inside traditional settings. They could be shared through music, creativity, sport, culture and simply bringing people together.
That same philosophy continues through WAKAA Inc. today.
Dean believes young people need opportunities not only to perform, but to discover who they are, where they come from and what they are capable of becoming.
Through WAKAA Inc., GospelFest, PolyFest and WakaFest, that vision has become a platform for culture, music, faith, creativity and community.
Our Mission
Our mission is to give people — particularly young people — genuine opportunities to express themselves through music, dance, language, performance and the arts.
We want young people to develop confidence in who they are, understand and celebrate their cultural heritage, learn from the generations that came before them and discover new possibilities for their future.
For some, participation may simply provide friendship and belonging. For others, it may become the beginning of further training, employment or a career in music and the creative industries.
Why This Work Matters
Many young people experience isolation, disengagement, uncertainty about their identity or a lack of positive opportunities to express themselves.
WAKAA Inc. believes music, culture and community can provide powerful points of connection.
We cannot solve every challenge facing young people, but we can create welcoming spaces where they are encouraged to participate, develop confidence, meet positive role models, reconnect with culture and discover that they have something valuable to contribute.
Our Values
Humility — WAKAA Inc. isn’t about chasing the “best” talent or individual recognition. We are interested in helping people grow and creating opportunities for others.
A Servant Heart — Community work means being prepared to serve rather than expecting to be served.
Faithfulness — We believe in showing up, following through and being dependable in the small things as well as the big ones.
Unity — Different cultures, languages, generations and styles of music do not need to become the same in order to belong together.
Respect — Respect for one another, for culture and particularly for our elders and the generations who came before us is central to WAKAA.
Cultural Identity — Young people should have opportunities to understand where they come from and confidently carry their heritage forward.
Kindness and Belonging — Sometimes community begins with something as simple as making another person feel welcome.
Where We’re Headed
WAKAA Inc. is currently based in Baldivis and serves communities across Rockingham, Kwinana and Wellard, with families joining us from across Western Australia.
Over the next five years, our vision is to extend WAKAA’s reach further across Western Australia and create more opportunities for young people to learn, perform and lead through music, dance, language and the arts.
We want to strengthen partnerships with cultural organisations, Aboriginal communities, churches, schools, businesses, artists and community groups while developing GospelFest, PolyFest and WakaFest as distinctive events in their own right.
Ultimately, we want WAKAA Inc. to become a recognised multicultural platform where people can celebrate who they are without having to leave any part of their identity at the door.