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
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.”
Faizan Loun
Youth leader
Faizan started coming to Mixit in 2019, and was appointed as a Youth Leader in 2020. He is excited about learning new things, working with the Mixit team and to having 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. ...
Oumaima Ahmat Abdallah
Youth Leader
Oumaima has been coming to Mixit for 5 years, and is the third in her family to become a Mixit Youth Leader. She is in 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, and wants ...
Team
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...
Shari Lett
Project Manager
Shari Lett is a community arts worker 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 Torres Strait Isla...
Nicole Beer
Financial Manager
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...
Board members
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...
Jan Alley
Chair
Jan ran a Human Resource, Learning and Development consultancy and has recently been involved in organisational development for organisations as varied as Westpac NZ Limited, Watercare, NZ Transport and the University of Auckland. Jan’s extensive governance experience gives her the steady capability to guide the board. She is constantly inspired by...
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.
Batanai Mashingaidze
Alumni squad
Batanai is an emerging professional artist who has worked in a range of roles since graduating from Toi Whakaari as an actor. She has been employed as a performer in theatre, film, on dance projects and as an AD in the film industry. She was a creative coach on a Mixit summer project FRESH EYES and the Assistant Director on the JUMP CUT summer proj...
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...
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...
Selected guest artists
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Yair Katz:
Musician
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Chris Graham:
Theatre Director & Performer
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Sparrow Phillips:
Artist
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & 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.
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