Mixit is all about people. Meet our Alumni, our Youth Leaders and the support team that have made Mixit what it is today.
Youth leaders
Mixit has a dynamic Youth Leadership programme. This programme offers motivated individuals an opportunity to step up into roles where they face new challenges and opportunities to grow their skills.
Youth Leaders take on organisational and planning responsibilities, gain experience of creative facilitation skills, manage the digital media aspects of the project, have the opportunity and support to initiate events and projects that inspire them. The youth leaders are an integral and dynamic team within Mixit and work hard together to make a difference.
Younis Ahmat Abdallah
Youth leader
Younis Ahmat Abdallah has been part of the Mixit family for 3 years, and joined our Youth Leadership programme in 2018. He is currently in Year 13 at Mangere College, and also studies Building at MIT. When he finishes school he hopes to become a builder and actor.
Faizan Loun
Youth leader
Faizan started coming to Mixit in 2019, and was recently appointed as a Junior Youth Leader. He is excited to learn new things, work with the Mixit team and to have fun with his fellow Youth Leaders. He says " When i come here, whatever is intense or unhappy, I let it all out. Everyone enjoys what they are doing and we are all friends at Mixit. I e...
Sajal Taneja
Youth Leader
Sajal started coming to Mixit in 2019, and was appointed as a junior Youth Leader in early 2020. He loves coming to Mixit to socialise and build his creative skills. “I come here for enjoyment, at the end of every Saturday I feel like I should come next week, it’s the best place for anyone to enjoy, do, create and increase creativity.”
Team
Shari Lett
Project Manager
Shari Lett is an educator, curator and project manager who is committed to creating meaningful connections between people and the arts. Prior to relocating to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2018, she was an Assistant Education Coordinator, Indigenous Programmes at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, before going on to become their Archivist of Aboriginal and T...
Munashe Tapfuya
Outreach Activator
Munashe joined Mixit as a participant, then was invited to the Youth Leadership programme, followed by becoming a member of the inaugural Alumni Squad. She has a degree in Performing Arts and continues to pick up performance opportunities – predominantly on screen. She’s also currently undertaking part-time Post-grad studies in Social and Community...
Wendy Preston MNZM
Creative Producer/Director
Wendy has over 30 years of professional involvement as a choreographer, director, tutor, performer and artistic producer/manager. She has worked extensively with young people on performance projects throughout her career, focusing on cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary creative interaction. Wendy has collaborated with leading practitioners across...
Board members
Susan Davis
Trustee
Susan has a background teaching and engaging with visual arts and poetry initiatives. As a trustee she brings a set of skills that connects the space between Board and Management and flows through to direct mentoring of the Mixit participants. Susan hosts our annual Youth Leaders retreats on her rural property in Northland and is a deeply committed...
Hana Mender
Trustee
Hana went through the Mixit programme as a teenager, going on to become an active and engaged Youth Leader. She now offers an important perspective as an Alumni and Trustee. Hana trained as a Nurse and is currently working professionally in the Health sector. She is a smart and articulate voice, confidently representing former refugee background yo...
Mark Easterbrook
Trustee
Mark works as a Writer and Creative Director in the advertising and design industry, as well as volunteering his time for arts and charity organisations. As a creative thinker, he aims to join the dots between ideas and people to help build Mixit’s connections and tell our story. As a Mixit trustee, he brings a calm, optimistic approach to what we ...
Alumni squad
Mixit Youth Leaders graduate into our Alumni team. The team actively engage on many levels – as Ambassadors, on the Board, mentoring youth, performing for external events, creating music (check out our videos) and participating in continued training to creatively lead and manage outreach opportunities.
Izadine Ahmed Abdallah
Alumni squad
Izadine joined Mixit as a teenager who was shy and un-confident but wanted to find positive ways to step up in his life. Mixit gave him the platform to find his voice and he quickly started to fly. He’s a great ambassador for Mixit, always encouraging other young people to come along and join the crew. Izadine loves Spoken Word Poetry and is always...
Kaviesha Abeysinghe
Alumni squad
Kaviesha read about Mixit in her local paper as a teenager and ventured into the project determined to find opportunities for herself and her sister. She has always been involved with traditional Sri Lankan dance and discovered at Mixit the stimulation of different kinds of contemporary art forms and never looked back. She initially thought she wou...
Munashe Tapfuya
Alumni squad
Munashe was brought along to Mixit when she was mid-way through a Performing Arts Degree. She immediately felt at home and recognised this could be her new fam. A performer and singer who loves music and dance, Munashe has performed on both stage and screen. She has also branched out and developed some business skills and is interested in growing t...
Selected guest artists
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Chris Graham:
Theatre Director & Performer
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & Performer
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Sparrow Phillips:
Artist
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Yair Katz:
Musician
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Global connections
Mixit has a growing network of similar inspiring creative organisations that work with young people and marginalized communities. We are interested in making new connections, partnerships and opportunities with like-minded groups. If you have a project and want to link up with Mixit reach out, start talking and join our global connections map.
CAN – Community Arts Northwest, Manchester
can.uk.comProject Phakama, London
projectphakama.orgContact Theatre, Manchester
contactmcr.comRichard Mille Replica
.richardmille.toOvalhouse Theatre, London
ovalhouse.comCounterpoints Arts and Platforma, London
counterpointsarts.org.ukCoHealth Arts Generator, Melbourne
cohealthartsgenerator.comMulticultural Arts Victoria, Melbourne
.multiculturalarts.com.auThe Open University for Refugees, Singapore
initiativeour.orgHelp us continue mixing. Donate now.
We are a charitable trust. The best way to support Mixit is with a regular donation to help fund our work. Donations to Mixit are tax deductible.
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