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.
Mu Nyay
Youth leader
Mu Nyay has been coming to Mixit since 2013. She was appointed as a Youth Leader in 2018, and enjoys contributing to the Youth Leadership programme through spending time on the floor. "I love it when I’m on the floor because I can’t think of anything but having fun and I believe that everyone feels the same way as me." In year 13 at St Dominic's, h...
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
Keith Williams
Driver
Keith joined Mixit in late 2019 as our Saturday van driver. He is a strong believer in the tools that art and drama help grow, such as social skills, confidence and leadership qualities. These he can relate to his time as a young performer in kapahaka and maurakau over a 10 year period. Keith has a BA in Maori Studies/Business Development with a st...
Nicole Beer
Financial Manager
Nicole has recently 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....
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
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Selected guest artists
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Chris Graham:
Theatre Director & Performer
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Yair Katz:
Musician
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & Performer
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
Sparrow Phillips:
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.comOvalhouse 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.
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