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.
Sajal Taneja
Youth Leader Coordinator
Sajal joined Mixit in 2019 through a family friend and became a Junior Youth Leader within a year. Since then, Sajal has consistently displayed commitment to our mission and has become an integral part of our community. Now, as a Youth Leader Coordinator, he helps in training and guiding the upcoming Youth Leaders. Originally from India, Sajal valu...
Arezo Nazari
Youth Leader
As a newcomer to New Zealand, Arezo was invited to end-of-year picnic in 2021 from other organisation, where she first encountered Mixit. Subsequently, she joined the summer project – “VOICES” in 2022. Originally from Afghanistan, Arezo initially struggled with homesickness and isolation. However, her time at Mixit proved transformative, allowing ...
Zohal Afshary
Youth Leader
Originally from Afghanistan, Zohal joined Mixit in 2021 when she was introduced through her sister. The fun and energetic atmosphere immediately caught her attention, and she decided to participate regularly. After coming for a year, she was invited to step up as a Youth Leader. She values the inclusive and welcoming environment that provided a pla...
Team
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...
Nicole Beer
Finance Leader
Nicole joined the team to both hold and develop our Financial Management needs. She brings an extensive background of accounting and financial know-how supporting a wide range of community and charitable organisations including Tuilaepa Youth Mentoring (who mentor Pacifica youth at risk), Hibiscus Hospice and the YES Disability Centre. She has also...
Ekta Gyawali
Operations Leader
Ekta became a part of Mixit in 2022 during the challenging aftermath of COVID, stepping into the newly created position of Operations Leader. Drawing from her own experiences as a migrant in Aotearoa, she holds a passion for empowering young people and finds fulfilment in her role at Mixit, viewing it as an opportunity for both personal and profess...
Board members
Amavi Mey
Trustee
Amavi is the Communities Engagement Manager at Fonterra and enjoys being in a role that connects the business world to communities. She’s also been a school teacher and thrives in situations that are about supporting growth, including being on the Board for May Road School and a volunteer for Springboard Trust. Amavi is a Cambodian NZer from a fami...
Sam Ramlu
Trustee
Sam is a co-founder and director of Method Digital – an innovative creative digital agency and she loves bringing stories to life through technology. A Fijian born Kiwi Indian Sam has been part of a wide range of cutting-edge digital design, virtual and augmented reality initiatives. She’s also been an active trustee on other boards in the film and...
Fardowsa Mohamed
Trustee
As a teenager Fardowsa was a Mixit participant, then Youth Leader before she left Auckland to take on medical studies. She’s now a medical doctor working for Auckland Hospital with an interest in surgery. Around her busy professional life she is a respected poet, and continues to train in martial arts, she currently has a red belt in Kung Fu. Fardo...
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.
Ray Santiago
Alumni Squad
Ray joined Mixit in 2020 as a creative intern during the "In a Curious Garden" summer project while completing his final year at university. Since then, he's become an integral part of the Alumni squad, facilitating Mixit-style sessions nationwide and engaging in youth-related activities. Originally from Philippines, he was drawn to Mixit's heartfe...
Younis Ahmat Abdallah
Alumni squad
Younis Ahmat Abdallah enrolled in our Youth Leadership initiative in 2018 and progressed to become a member of the Alumni Squad by the end of 2020. Following his completion of an apprenticeship in building, he now works as a builder and has founded his own company. Alongside his professional endeavors, he remains engaged in creative pursuits throug...
Kaviesha Abeysinghe Perera
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...
Selected guest artists
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Ooshcon Massuers:
Choreographer
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Chris Graham:
Theatre Director & Performer
Tahi-Mapp Borren:
Guest Artist
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Katy Dugdale:
Visual Artist
Julia Deans:
Musician
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & Performer
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Andrew Cesan:
Choreographer
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Yair Katz:
Musician
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Sparrow Phillips:
Artist
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Maisy Conway:
Garden Designer
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Bethan Marshall:
Artist/ Muralist
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Claire Talbot:
Garden Designer
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Miriama McDowell:
Theatre Director
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Gino October:
Musician
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Matilde Polard:
Visual Artist
Gemma-Jayde Naidoo:
Choreographer
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
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 today.
We are a Charitable Trust which means that all donations of $5 or more are eligible for a tax rebate. We send out our tax donation receipts each year in April or May (just after the end of the NZ tax year) with a little update of what we've been doing for the last year.
You are welcome to make a one off donation, either by clicking on the big purple box at the top of the page, or contact us to enquire about how to pay us directly.
You can also contact us to talk about taking a more personalised approach such as contributing to a specific project, donating your time, making a generous one-off donation or becoming a volunteer driver.
Our Friends of Mixit donate regularly, this can be set up with us directly, hitting that big purple box at the top of the page, or by following this link One Percent Collective and becoming a donor with them. Please ensure you select Mixit as your reason for joining.
One Percent Collective is an amazing charity that connects people who want to give back and do good things in the community with great charities around NZ. Mixit is one of the select charities One Percent Collective thinks NZ'ers should know about. One Percent take NO percentage of the donor’s contribution, instead donating 100% to their charities.
Thanks for considering us for your support.
