Culture

What I know about the business of stripping

Top earners in the world of stripping know the art of the hustle. They understand that for men to feel comfortable spending money on them, they…

Reclamation: being brown, femme and proud

'Reclamation' is about unapologetically taking up space - physically, ideologically, spiritually. We went backstage at the show by FAF SWAG to talk to performers and crew…

World of WearableArt: Fashioning a friendship

Having gone from kindy to uni to flatting together, Renee and Kayla are besties for life. And, for the last 10 years, they've both been creating…

I cannot write a poem about China

Sherry Zhang reads her poem 'I cannot write a poem about China'.

Words from Sherry about her poem:

How do you navigate disagreement? I've been struggling with this…

James Roque is using comedy to heal scars of colonisation

If you’ve ever been caught short you may have popped into the local dairy to grab a few essentials – toothbrush, toothpaste, maybe a bit of…

Cosplay 101 with Cheshliddle

Cosplayer Lisa Bosman AKA Cheshliddle is a self-confessed "big nerd who loves to dress up." She shows us her workspace for bringing characters to life, and…

Regarde Moi: an exhibition by three siblings making art for themselves

When Synthia Bahati’s Burundian family first moved from Tanzania to Auckland’s North Shore as refugees, they were a source of fascination. “People would come up to…

Re:hearsal Room: Lachie Hayes

Southland musician Lachie Hayes talks blues, cowboy movies, and how locals in the old days had to make their own entertainment... so they became musicians.

Re:hearsal Room: Nikita Tu-Bryant

Nikita Tu-Bryant talks us through her songwriting process and how she's moving on from writing songs about heartbreak, in our second installment of Re:hearsal Room.

Drinking in young adults

George Fowler AKA Hugo Grrrl shares his experiences with problem drinking, an issue that affects an estimated 780,000 New Zealand adults. After coming to terms with…

Re:hearsal Room: Bored Housewives Club

For our first ever episode of Re:hearsal Room, we get to know Bored Housewives Club, who describe themselves as "a pair of cute punks making guitar…

Miss June weigh in on post-punk and bubble tea

“Antevert my uterus and birth you all / Anarchy can only be about a girl,” sings Miss June vocalist and guitarist Annabel Liddell, who’s putting her medical…

Cosplaying in New Zealand

Kiwi cosplayers show us the intricacies of their craft - such as a bodice involving 100+ hours of hand embroidery. They also talk about a commonly…

Can we fix break ups?

Break ups are not fun. So how can we get better at them? We talk to two exes, a counsellor and people on the street about…

The Others Way Festival

K’Road made a strong argument for being the home of music in Aotearoa. 

The Others Way Festival hit Karangahape Road on Friday night for an evening of eclectic…

What happens when your girlfriend is 2D?

After a traumatic breakup, Jonty fell in love with an anime character called Rem. Before long, they were in a relationship. Jonty shares his story, which…

I'm a Squirter - Filthy, funny poetry with Kate Spencer

Kate Spencer shares through poetry an exciting revelation: she's a squirter.

Kiwi songwriter reflects on writing Genie in a Bottle

Pam Sheyne is a New Zealand songwriter who co-wrote Christina Aguilera's debut hit 'Genie in a Bottle' - a song about finding someone who can "unlock…

Period Piece - Filthy, funny poetry with Kate Spencer

Poet Kate Spencer proudly declares she is on her period.

I do it myself - Filthy, funny poetry with Kate Spencer

Poet Kate Spencer performs her ode to the joys of masturbation.

Kai at Ihumātao is a symbol of aroha and resistance

The makeshift wharekai and kitchen at the Ihumātao occupation is full of activity. People stream in and out of the gazebo tents carrying trays of clean…

Carving a space for Chinese artists at Auckland's Mercury Plaza

Growing up in Auckland, Ross Liew didn’t think he was brought up Chinese. “But turns out,” he says, “it just didn’t look Chinese or sound Chinese.…

How is a vinyl record made?

There is just one vinyl record pressing plant left in New Zealand, and they show us the 30 second process it takes to produce a vinyl…

School of Beatbox

When she was in high school, Hope saw Ladi6 beatboxing and that was it for her; "that signed and sealed it." Hope knew she was going…

Ihumātao in photos

Hundreds of people have gathered to protest against a new housing development planned for the land at Ihumātao (Te ihu o Mataaho). The Ihumātao occupation is…

The Asian beauty wave: monolids, puppy eyes and self-realisation

“We have a different bone structure around our eyes,” says Katherine, “and they have more… what do I say, 3D features?”

There’s lots of giggling as we…

Evan Woodruffe - artist and collector

Artist and collector Evan Woodruffe thinks of art as an "anti-weapon". "There are weapons in this world," he says, "but art is the antithesis of that.…

NZ's first bilingual Kiwi-Filipino play

Filipinos are like an invisible minority within Aotearoa. They're a minority within a minority, says James Roque, the director of the first bilingual Kiwi-Filipino play, PINAY.…

Sex workers portray themselves the way they want to be seen

Art has been obsessed with sex workers for centuries. From Picasso to Dostoyevsky to Satine the courtesan from Moulin Rouge!, sex workers have long been a…

The World Press Photo exhibition

Their journey to the USA was over, along with the hopes that her daughter Yanela Sanchez might grow up to see a brighter future in the…