Video: The Social Artist
https://youtu.be/VWgxm5xSDIw Sebastian Gower is living the dream. Passionate about painting from childhood, Gower has found a way to turn his talents into a full-time career. His skill set is traditional but his approach is a modern one. Across all social media platforms, Gower has amassed a following in excess of 350,000 - with Instagram (164K) and TikTok (132K) his biggest follower base. But it all happened by accident. Gower told The Big Idea “I was trying to set up a live stream for my brothers in the second COVID lockdown. I classically didn't quite know how the internet worked and set it to a public stream. “I looked back to the camera at one point and there's 20,000 people there watching me and I just I froze,
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Video: Stage Of Dreams
https://youtu.be/vdy9WpFIkb8 This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. Opportunities like this don’t come around very often. In fact, being part of the biggest choral event on the planet - the World Choir Games - only became a reality for many New Zealand choirs because of its proximity, held in Tāmaki Makaurau for the first time. Among those taking that opportunity with both hands were Manurewa High School’s Rewaken Polycation Choir - a talented group who represent many different cultures and ethnicities, brought together by their shared love of music and a collective desire to express themselves. Student Charlie Miller explains “The choir represents the different, diverse cultures that connect together. We have people in fr
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Video: Homeless – Where The Art Is
https://youtu.be/YwOk6JKuKfM Steve Christian believes he was put on this earth to be an artist. It’s what brings him the most joy - fulfilling the dream he has held since childhood of trying to make a living from his creations. But as Christian puts it “emptying my cup before I could fill it again.” In a relationship where his passion wasn’t supported, Christian waited until after his daughter had grown up and left home and then decided to put his dreams first. He set off on his own to make his art - losing everything along the way. Undeterred, Christian took to living on the street. Being homeless hasn’t been without its scary moments, and he’s been living in his car for years now. But he’s happy. “Most people would say I was doing the wors
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Video: Art Shines During Matariki
https://youtu.be/9Sy8FyrWMF0 Aotearoa’s newest public holiday means more than just a long weekend. Witness how creatives play a crucial part in making Matariki a true celebration of New Zealand’s many cultures in a uniquely New Zealand way.
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Video: Making A Career Out Of Children’s Music
https://youtu.be/ZNZfO8FgSgA It's one of NZ's most unsung success stories - but Aotearoa's children's music scene is the envy of many countries. See why it's so important our stories are shared in song to the next generation.
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Video: Transcending Oceans And Generations
https://youtu.be/n5PPjW4Mx7A This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. An extraordinary piece of ngā toi Māori isn't just inspiring awe and reflection from New Zealanders, it's proving a connecting kaupapa for indigenous people from across the globe.Published on The Big Idea
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Video: From Crime To Comedy
https://youtu.be/DFBlNK9ATqc This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. Richard Fa’avesi had always dreamed of being in the creative scene. He thought about becoming a rapper, a Broadway actor but has now settled as a stand-up comedian. What makes his creative journey more impressive is where he’s come from. A former gang member who spent years behind bars, Fa’avesi now uses his past experiences to influence his comedy. He’s now turned his life around with the help of faith and comedy and hopes to inspire others to do the same. Published on The Big Idea
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Video: Going, Going…Gone West?
https://youtu.be/Qtp85qhUsfM This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. Behind the emotion of Aotearoa's pioneering literary festival's heart-breaking decision and an insightful, insider's guide to the creative community's funding crisis. Published on The Big Idea
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Video: Carve Your Own Path
https://youtu.be/hB21pd64bUM This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. When Levin joiner Phil Benefield retired, he decided to replace the necessary exactness of his trade for the challenging symmetry and beauty that is toi whakairo rākau (traditional Māori wood carving). Studying at Te Wānanga o Raukawa toward a degree in the craft has taken Phil on a journey of both art and culture. With the former tradesman once again the apprentice the relationship between tutor and student has been as important, and rewarding, as that between chisel and timber. Published on The Big Idea
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Video: Naked Ambition
This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. https://youtu.be/UVAUFimIZ6E You can call it the art of getting naked. If you have ever been to a burlesque show, you’ll know it can involve anything from fiery feminist polemic to feathery showgirl to glitter-bearded-boylesque. But whatever the shape and size, it all comes back to the same thing. Burlesque is the art of the tease. It’s an artistic discipline dedicated to telling the story of the body; about sensuality, sexuality, physicality, femininity…all of it. It’s a performance space for all these provocative, interesting, beautiful, challenging, and poignant stories about sexuality, sensuality and society. And yet, despite the fact that desire and sexuality h
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