The Acorn Foundation and the trustees of the FAME Trust are pleased to announce the selection for the 2023 Emerging Practitioner Award recipient at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. Seven promising students are selected each year from top-rated performing arts schools in New Zealand to receive $10,000.

Justice Kololo has been chosen as this year's 2023 Emerging Practitioner Award recipient. Justice will be a final year student of the Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting) at Toi Whakaari in 2024.

Dr Sean Coyle, Poukōkiri Mātauranga Academic Director at Toi Whakaari says, “Justice has consistently impressed tutors, guest directors and support staff with his commitment to craft, his talent and his natural leadership skills within his cohort.”

In September of this year, Justice performed in “Mr. Burns - a post Electric Play,” by Anne Washburn. This epic production was brought to life by Toi Whakaari students with the guidance of Director Stella Reid and Musical Director Hayden Taylor.

Justice comes from a Samoan family of eight, who know very little about arts. He was honoured to be nominated and chosen as the recipient of this award saying, “This really means a lot for me and my family. This has impacted me tremendously as I am the first out of my family to receive an award of this stature and that in itself says a lot to how big this is for me.”

“Just because I have received this award doesn’t mean my hard work stops here. If anything, it motivates me to push further going into my last year at Toi Whakaari,” expressed Justice.