Team
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 the performing arts fields, mentors emerging performers and teaches at tertiary level. She has also worked on marae, in schools, community halls, theatres, and film and television, both in New Zealand and Internationally. She passionately believes in the power of creativity to make significant changes in peoples lives and grow stronger communities.
Izadine Ahmat Abdallah
Programme Leader
Izadine started out at Mixit as a shy and unconfident teenager, but he was determined to find positive ways to grow. He found his stride, first as a youth leader and then as an Alumni, inspiring others like him. In 2020, he completed his film studies at the School of Audio Engineering and in 2023 he earned a diploma in Entrepreneurship from AUT. He is now the Programmes Leader at Mixit taking charge of the core programmes on Saturdays. Izadine loves the Mixit community, appreciating the support and care they provide for young people through creative outlets. He's particularly passionate about spoken word poetry and always up for a dance. When he's not with Mixit, you'll find him busy designing clothes, editing and filming videos, and screen printing.
Ekta Gyawali
Operations Leader
Ekta became a part of Mixit in 2022 during the challenging aftermath of COVID, stepping into the newly created position of Operations Leader. Drawing from her own experiences as a migrant in Aotearoa, she holds a passion for empowering young people and finds fulfilment in her role at Mixit, viewing it as an opportunity for both personal and professional growth. Originally from Nepal, Ekta moved to Aotearoa to pursue a Master's degree in Business Management at Waikato University. She worked as the Project Administrator for 3 years at Waimarie, a community support organisation based in Hamilton, eventually relocating her work base to Auckland. In her spare time, Ekta loves spending time with her friends and family, cooking traditional Nepalese food and learning to play ukulele.
Kaviesha Abeysinghe-Perera
Outreach Leader
Kaviesha discovered Mixit in 2012 through an article in the Western Leader. After participating in the "Cross Roads" summer project in 2013, she became a Youth Leader, later progressing to join Mixit's Alumni team and eventually serving as a trustee on the board. Originally from Sri Lanka, she completed her education in NZ with a Bachelor of Science and later earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Primary School Teaching, transitioning from a career in laboratory work to education. For four years, she taught at Panmure District School and served as Within School Coach for the Maungakiekie Kahui Ako. She has now joined Mixit with a different lens as the Outreach Leader. Although blending her Sri Lankan heritage with Kiwi culture posed challenges, Kaviesha believes Mixit instilled in her confidence, time management skills, and the courage to pursue her goals. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, gardening, tutoring, and performing dances with her two sisters.
Kaye Reihana
Financial Leader
Kaye comes from a whānau steeped in the arts, so it’s a natural connect for her to work in areas of creativity. She brings an innovative approach to logical thinking, systems and processes, to gain the greatest value from available funds. Kaye’s been an integral part of many organisations with a creative edge – particularly in the areas of architectural, urban, landscape and most recently, graphic design. She has also worked within education and for festivals in business management and financial roles. Currently she’s embarking on a journey to reclaim Te Reo Māori, alongside three generations of her whānau. Kaye is inspired by people – learning about one another and finding ways to bring out the best in ourselves. When she’s not running spreadsheets and numbers, her happy place is camping at the beach, with a fishing rod not far from her hand.