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.
Oumaima Ahmat Abdallah
Youth Leader
Oumaima has been coming to Mixit for 4 years, and is the third in her family to become a Mixit Youth Leader. She is about to start year 12 at Mangere College and loves learning new languages, fashion design and watching Kdramas. After school Oumaima wants to become a fashion designer and actress because she really enjoys exploring her creative side...
Ilknur Ozbal
Youth leader
Ilknur joined the Youth Leader programme in early 2019. When she's not busy focusing on her Year 13 studies at Waitakere College you'll find her keeping active through playing sports and going to the gym. She is also interested in promoting the value diversity and encouraging people to be happy with their differences.
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.
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...
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...
Tahi-Mapp Borren
Programme Leader
Tahi has a BA in Anthropology and Theatre from Victoria University and went on to graduate from Toi Whakaari (NZ Drama School) in 2003. Since then Tahi has devised and performed her own solo works and collaborated professionally in a range of new NZ Theatre. Her work includes directing and dramaturgy, for theatre and multi-disciplinary performance....
Board members
Mike Becroft
Trustee
Michael is an Art Director in film and been part of the NZ film industry since the early 1980s. Closely associated with Mixit since it was established in 2006, he was the inaugural Chair of the Board. He retains a seat at the board table providing a steady voice of reason, a wise overview and ensures the project remains true to its core purpose, al...
Tayyaba Akram Khan
Trustee
Tayyaba Khan is the founder of Khadija Leadership Network, the NZ Peace Ambassador for the European Muslim League, and a community development practitioner with over 15 years of experience working with the migrant and refugee communities in The Occupied Territories of Palestine, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand. She has an association wit...
Kaviesha Abeysinghe
Trustee
Kaviesha joined Mixit as a teenager before becoming a part of the Youth Leadership Programme. More recently she has become an active member of the Alumni, co-facilitating Mixit workshops in schools and in other regions around NZ. She is currently studying to be a Primary school teacher, after graduating with a Science degree and working in a labor...
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.
Meg Sydenham
Alumni squad
Meg worked with Mixit for the first time on the 2019 summer project JUMP CUT as a creative coach. She is from an acting background, and recently graduated from Toi Whakaari. Her range of teaching experience is diverse: putting on plays with primary school drama classes, working with kids right through to adults as an acting coach for short films, t...
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...
Oscar Arnold
Alumni squad
Oscar comes from a performing arts family, who discovered Mixit at one of our outdoor site-specific performance events. Oscar immediately jumped in with his irrepressible brand of enthusiastic energy and willingness. He’s always ready to leap into any creative direction – be it dance, acting or music. It’s not if he will jump but simply how high an...
Selected guest artists
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Yair Katz:
Musician
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & Performer
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Chris Graham:
Theatre Director & Performer
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Sparrow Phillips:
Artist
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
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.
Make a regular donation, a one off donation, or get in touch to talk about taking a more personalised approach such as contributing to a specific project, donating your time, or making a large one-off donation.
Or set up a regular donation through One Percent Collective
