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.”
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...
Sahil Goyal
Youth Leader
Sahil was born in NZ, but his family comes from India and he spent his childhood between India and Australia before relocating back to NZ. He joined Mixit in 2023 for the summer project after seeing a post on a friend's Instagram story. His experience was so positive that he continued to stay involved and was invited to join the Youth Leadership te...
Team
Mel Bailey
Programme Leader
Mel started his journey with Mixit as an intern during the summer of 2016 and in the years that followed, found himself back on the floor hosting Saturday sessions as a guest artist. He is a Unitec graduate, having completed his BA in performing and screen arts. Mel remains an active participant both in front and behind the camera. “As the Creativ...
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 is Mixits newest member of the central team. Originally from Nepal she relocated to Aotearoa to compete a Masters degree in Business Management at Waikato Uni and then worked as the Project Administrator for Waimarie, a community support organisation in Hamilton. She loves having the opportunity to contribute to empowering young people and re...
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...
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...
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.
Younis Ahmat Abdallah
Alumni squad
Younis Ahmat Abdallah joined our Youth Leadership programme in 2018, and graduated to become an Alumni Squad member in late 2020. He is currently working as a builder, and continues to participate in creative activities in his spare time.
Mu Nyay
Alumni squad
Mu Nyay has been coming to Mixit since 2013. She was appointed as a Youth Leader in 2018, and joined our Alumni Squad in 2021. When talking about Mixit programmes MuNyay said "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." Having graduated from St Dominic's in ...
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...
Selected guest artists
Eddie Elliott:
Choreographer & Performer
Ebon Grayman:
Performer & Aerial Acrobat
Don McGlashan:
Composer & Musician
Felix Becroft:
Performer & Musician
Miriama McDowell:
Theatre Director
Bethan Marshall:
Artist/ Muralist
Bert Van Dijk:
Theatre Director & Performer
Matilde Polard:
Visual Artist
Katy Burton:
Choreographer & Performer
Andrew Cesan:
Choreographer
Julia Deans:
Musician
Ooshcon Massuers:
Choreographer
Katy Parker:
Visual Theatre Artist
Eve Gordon & Dust Palace:
Performers & Aerial Acrobats
Ilai Amar:
Film maker
Chris Jannides:
Choreographer & Director
Yair Katz:
Musician
Muhammad Ali Kanwal:
Musician & Performer
Daniel Ortiz Rodreiguez:
Composer & Musician
Tama Jarman:
Theatre Director & Performer
Ella Becroft:
Photographer & Graphic Designer
Andi Crowne:
Photographer
Maisy Conway:
Garden Designer
Margaret-Mary Hollins:
Theatre Director & Performer
Tawanda Manyimo:
Theatre Director & Performer
Justin Haiu:
Choreographer & Performer
Alexander Holloway:
Stage Combat
Gaby Thomas:
Choreographer & Performer
Sarah-Jane Blake:
Visual Installation & Designer
Malia Johnston:
Choreographer & Director
Megan Bardsley:
Graphic Designer
Chris O’Connor:
Composer & Musician
Emily Carter & Natalie Keane:
Costume Stylists
Mel Bailey aka Kloos:
Performer & Musician
Moss Patterson:
Choreographer
Paulo Rotondo:
Director & Writer
Mike & Bronwyn Baker:
Ariel Acrobats & Circus Tutors
Helen Todd:
Lighting Designer
Tahi-Mapp Borren:
Guest Artist
Sparrow Phillips:
Artist
Jahra Wasasala:
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Bianca Hyslop:
Choreographer & Performer
Katy Dugdale:
Visual Artist
Elijah Kennar:
Choreographer & Performer
Ahi Kahrunahran:
Theatre Director
Ben Crowder:
Actor
Claire Talbot:
Garden Designer
Gino October:
Musician
Chris Graham:
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 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.
