Ofa Fanaika

Ofa Fanaika is mostly known as a songwriter and lead singer for bands Chocolate Strings + Captain Dreamboat having played throughout Oz and abroad for over 18 years. Ofa went onto running events in Meanjin in 2017 - 2020 with venue residencies at the Bearded Lady and Rumpus Room for improvisation collective C H U R C H. These events have been revisited in outdoor settings in innercity Brisbane bringing people together during a time of ongoing isolation. Ofa is also the Head of Flexible Learning Practice at Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre where she works with marginalised youth, using an arts-based curriculum for engagement. She has been a fierce advocate in Education and in Youth Justice over the past 10 years. Ofa believes diversifying is key to maintaining work in Arts and is a clear example of this. She happens to also be an accomplished potter and a writer for local rag Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane. Queer Pasifika represent.