Te Ahi OraFire & Flow
Building confidence, connection, and resilience through the ancient art of fire — across Aotearoa.
81,000+
Young People Reached
184
Schools
Building confidence, connection, and resilience through the ancient art of fire — across Aotearoa.
Te Ahi Ora is a community fire performance and arts organisation rooted in Aotearoa New Zealand. We bring the ancient, universal art of fire into schools, festivals, and communities — creating experiences that spark genuine transformation.
Our kaupapa is simple: fire demands presence. When a young person picks up a fire tool for the first time, they discover focus, courage, and a sense of belonging that no classroom lecture can replicate. It's body and mind, working together.
Since our founding, we've reached over 81,000 young people across 184 schools. Our crew are experienced performers and educators with a deep commitment to safety, community, and the mana of every person we work with.
Whether it's a school programme, a community fire night, or a festival stage — Te Ahi Ora creates moments people carry with them.
Interactive fire arts workshops delivered at your school. Students learn flow arts, build confidence, and discover what happens when focus meets courage. Tailored for primary through to secondary.
Monthly evening events bringing whānau and neighbours together around fire. A professional show followed by hands-on lessons — open to everyone, unforgettable for all.
High-energy fire shows for festivals, events, and celebrations. From intimate stages to large-scale spectacle, our crew brings the heat with professionalism and flair.
Learn the art yourself. We run workshops for beginners through to advanced spinners — poi, staff, fans, rope dart and more. All equipment and safety gear provided.
The team from Te Ahi Ora have been an absolute delight for students, teachers and whānau. Te Ahi Ora have a formula that puts safety at the forefront and still allows students to feel that they are doing something brand new. The evening events provided an outstanding context for our community to come together, allowing opportunities for parents and kaiako to make good connections.
Te Ahi Ora has masterfully developed a formula that places safety at the forefront while simultaneously instilling a sense of novelty and adventure. Their approach fosters resilience, courage, and the willingness to take risks within the confines of a secure environment. These evening events have proven to be exceptional platforms for our community to unite.
It was a fantastic experience for all involved and if you ask any of our students they will honestly tell you that it was one of the highlights of their whole school year! We had a great turn out with over 100 attendees. Josh and Levi stayed until every student had spun fire to their hearts desire which took them close to 10pm!
Te Ahi Ora specialises in bringing the mesmerising world of fire performance to educational settings in a safe and inclusive environment. A key success factor for our school was the large number of whānau who attended our community fire evening. Our staff, students, whānau and wider community were able to encourage and support our tamariki as they stepped out of their comfort zone.
The lessons were fast paced, snappy, challenging but achievable. They had just the right balance of show and do. Often when we have a visiting troupe come to school the students sit and listen, but they couldn't believe that the first instruction was "grab a staff and find a space."
All of our students engaged fully with the workshops. There was great excitement around the school. Joshua had complete control during these workshops and had sensible ways to channel the students' excitement productively. I would thoroughly endorse Te Ahi Ora as a provider of well-being exercises and workshops.
The fire spinning activities had people aged three to sixty-five years having a go at trying a new skill. For most involved, it was a sense of pride and achievement at what had been accomplished. Fire spinning is an activity that engages young and old people in an inclusive community-based fun.
From a school coordinator's point of view, Te Ahi Ora made my job a breeze. The tutors were so proactive and independent. They had safety options and crowd control sorted for the evening sessions. This really took the pressure off our busy teaching staff and gave us the opportunity to interact with our community and enjoy alongside them.
Te Ahi Ora — a whirlwind of well-being, artistic flair, daring adventure, insightful learning, exploration, and sheer enjoyment! The resounding success of the program has motivated us to try to secure a few more magical days in our calendar for an encore.
A definite highlight for me was seeing the pride and the confidence of so many ākonga having a go and showing their whanau what they could do. Many returned for the second community session and demonstrated the growth they had made through the sequential skill development that the tutors fostered and nourished.
For many of our children, this was an entirely new skill, and your expert guidance unlocked a newfound interest and passion. We have introduced the practice sticks to Glenavon School and they are a brilliant touch into their playtimes. It's clear that the seeds of a lasting passion have been planted.
Josh has a gentle and nurturing energy and an enthusiastic passion that is contagious. By the end of the exercise not one student or staff member was left on the side lines. Everyone, of their own volition, wanted to participate. Our students were inspired and gained confidence in their own abilities.
Being allowed to handle fire demonstrates a level of trust and belief in young people, some of whom may not ordinarily be given opportunities in activities which require significant responsibility. It is often difficult to engage youth in Milton, however these workshops attract large numbers. Josh advocates discipline and respect for others.
← Scroll to read more →
Whether you're a school, a festival, or a community group — we'd love to hear from you. Flick us a message and we'll be in touch.
