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.
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 ...
Shahram Qasimi
Youth Leader
Shahram’s journey with Mixit began at our Auckland outreach workshop in July 2022. Coming from Afghanistan and fresh to New Zealand with no friends and minimal English, he found support and joy in the session. This positive experience nudged him to dive and commit into the core program, seeking to navigate this new NZ culture. Mixit swiftly became ...
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...
Team
Kaye Reihana
Financial Leader
Kaye comes from a whānau steeped in the arts, so it’s a natural connect for her to work in areas of creativity. She brings an innovative approach to logical thinking, systems and processes, to gain the greatest value from available funds. Kaye’s been an integral part of many organisations with a creative edge – particularly in the areas of architec...
Wendy Preston MNZM
Creative Producer/Director
Wendy has over 40 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...
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
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...
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...
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...
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...
Izadine Ahmat 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...
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...
Selected guest artists
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
Matilde Polard:
Visual Artist
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Tahi-Mapp Borren:
Guest Artist
Miriama McDowell:
Theatre Director
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Andrew Cesan:
Choreographer
Gemma-Jayde Naidoo:
Choreographer
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Chris Graham:
Theatre Director & Performer
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & Performer
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Katy Dugdale:
Visual Artist
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Sparrow Phillips:
Artist
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Maisy Conway:
Garden Designer
Julia Deans:
Musician
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Yair Katz:
Musician
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Ooshcon Massuers:
Choreographer
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Claire Talbot:
Garden Designer
Bethan Marshall:
Artist/ Muralist
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Gino October:
Musician
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
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.
