What is it?
Mixit is a weekly project where youth from refugee backgrounds, migrants and the local community come together to increase skills, confidence, meet new people and establish ongoing networks. It’s a contemporary arts project led by a multi-cultural team of choreographers, theatre directors, musicians, visual artists and community facilitators. Mixit is not about career training or employment, but does offer participants a safe and inspiring environment that uses the arts to increase self-confidence, improve communication skills and contribute to positive inter-cultural understanding.
Mixit offers creative workshops every Saturday afternoon of the school term, along with intensive school/university holiday workshops. These sessions are based around activities that include; dance, drama, music, visual arts, photography, ariel circus arts and more
Mixit is not about producing artistic outcomes, instead the focus is on participation in the creative process. However, there is an annual opportunity to take part in creating a public performance – usually as part of an intensive full-time project
The weekly Saturday sessions run from 2.00 – 4.30pm and consist of 1.5 hours of creative focus followed by afternoon tea. Each session then moves on to a discussion forum that every participant is encouraged to contribute to. These discussions focus on the current creative experience, or issues relevant to the needs of the participants, or are just simply random and fun. The intent is to encourage a space for confident communication that supports the understanding and learning that is taking place in a forum the Mixit participants themselves are in control of. The participants select the topics, invite guest speakers from areas of interest and facilitate the discussions.
Mixit is free and assistance with transport is available.
Who is it for?
Mixit is for those aged 13 – 20+ years.
No previous experience or skills are necessary
Mixit is primarily for youth from refugee backgrounds. This is not exclusive as
the project is about a ‘mix’ of participants – so Mixit also welcome migrants and those from the local host community.
It is always recognised however that at the heart of the project is a safe space that empowers and supports refugee youth, while also offering a platform that encourages two-way understanding across barriers of difference
It’s for young people who are interested in checking out modern art forms, meeting new people from a range of backgrounds and experiences, discovering opportunities and accessing a variety of networks together
At every opportunity Mixit also encourages inter-generational and wider community involvement. All participants, young and old, join in the activities and discussions and there is a growing team of Mixit volunteers and supporters
Where is it?
Every Saturday afternoon of the school term
2 – 4.30pm @ TAPAC
The Auckland Performing Arts Centre
100 Motions Rd, Western Springs
- MAP -
Mixit History
The Mixit Project was initiated by The Fledgling Trust in 2005 and commenced with a research project conducted by Wendy Preston. The first stage began a process of understanding the needs and issues of the refugee communities in New Zealand. It established an ongoing network of community players (youth, arts practitioners and interested parties) looked at existing and successful arts projects for refugee youth and exiled artists in the international arena and considered how such a project could operate in a New Zealand context.
Wendy spent 6 months talking with refugee communities, youth, government and non-government organisations, local councils, schools, artists, arts trusts and volunteer support networks in Auckland, Wellington, London and Manchester. Where possible she engaged in a direct sense; leading movement sessions with refugee women, taking groups of refugee youth to performances and conferences, attending seminars, meetings, community gatherings, performances and weddings. She talked with people in all sorts of situations from community halls, women’s refuge centres, private homes, cafes and parks to govt offices, schools and the Mangere Refugee Centre in New Zealand.
The next stage commenced in January 2006 in a residential retreat with a core group of interested players – youth, artists, parents, community leaders and The Fledgling Trust - to brainstorm a practical way forward. The name MIXIT was established at this time by Meteku Dereje and plans to begin practical sessions where set in motion.
With Wendy as Director the first creative workshops started on Saturday afternoons at The Wesley Community Centre, Auckland in March 2006 and have consistently continued every weekend since. In August 2006 Mixit re-located the Saturday sessions to TAPAC – The Auckland Performing Arts Centre – where the project still operates each Saturday.
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