Creation Station: Púuna Sanctuary by Lia Pa'apa'a
Date: Sunday 17 May
Times: 9.00am - 2.00pm
Location: Cairns Botanic Gardens - Flecker Lawn
Cost: Free
Púuna Santurary offers a vibrant, culturally grounded creative space for children aged 0–12 and their families.
Púuna is a living, breathing environment where culture, imagination and belonging meet. Designed with a deep commitment to inclusion, the space welcomes children of all abilities, backgrounds and identities, creating room for every child to participate in ways that feel safe and joyful.
Rooted in diasporic, First Nations and Pacific cultural practices, Púuna centres storytelling, sensory play, making and collective art as pathways to connection. The space is gently facilitated by trained young people, empowering the next generation as creative leaders and mentors while fostering intergenerational exchange.
Púuna is more than a drop in space, it is a cultural gathering place. Here, children are invited to explore, create, rest, express and belong. Through art and shared experience, we nurture confident, culturally connected young people and celebrate the power of creativity in shaping thriving communities.

About the Artist
Lia is the lead artist, creative producer, and mama behind the Púuna Project. She is a proud Samoan and Luiseño woman living on her partner’s ancestral homelands in Gimuy (Cairns), Australia. Through her diasporic experience of motherhood, Lia has developed meaningful creative programming that supports mothers and families. This includes the Carers As First Curators workshops, festival installations, children’s festivals, professional development opportunities, and more.
Púuna—which means to grow in a circle in Lia’s Luiseño language—centres on the revitalisation, reclamation, and reimagining of ancestral practices to nurture parents, families, and communities. Its programming explores themes such as Carers as First Curators and Intergenerational Wealth, delivered both in person and online.
As an artist, Lia works across disciplines, weaving together textile, fibre art, and food with placemaking and community event design. Her methodology is rooted in creating spaces where communities can gather—with nourishing food, weaving, and a place to rest always at the heart of her practice.
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More from Cairns Children's Festival
Program: Sun 17 May
Sunday is our famous free family fun day at Tanks Arts Centre and the Cairns Botanic Gardens!
Program: Sat 16 May
Saturday presents a day of free and ticketed entertainment across Cairns Performing Arts Centre and Cairns City Library!
A Quieter Journey
We're excited to offer an inclusive experience, designed to accommodate audiences who may need quieter spaces, less crowds, or alternative ways to enjoy the shows.
A huge thank you to our generous sponsors Pacific Toyota and Inspired Signs for their incredible support! Your contributions help make Cairns Children's Festival possible.
Sat 17 May | Sun 18 May |
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Last Updated: 24 April 2026
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