Īhaka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) has a BA in Music and Theatre from te Whare Wānanga o Ōtākou University of Otago and a Masters in Scriptwriting from the International Institute of Modern Letters, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. He has worked as an actor, director, and playwright with Allen Hall Theatre, Ōtepoti Theatre Lab, and Arcade Theatre Company.