Latest news with #Beecroft
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Janmashtami celebrations opened to community
Avnika Jaya Kumari, 7, of Invercargill, performs an Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance at the Trinity Catholic College auditorium on Saturday, as part of the annual Janmashtami celebrations. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Hundreds in Dunedin came together for a "very magical night" at the weekend celebrating the birth of an Indian deity. The event, held at the Trinity Catholic College auditorium on Saturday, was organised by the city's Hare Krishna community with support from the Dunedin Multicultural Council and Dunedin Interfaith Council. It coincided with this year's annual celebrations of Janmashtami — the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Hare Krishna community leader Jane Beecroft said they broadened the scope of their celebrations this year to an inclusive interfaith and multicultural event "in praise of the divine". "I think in the world at the moment, we're just seeing so much division and so much strife, even in the name of religion. "And I wanted to send that message out that actually we are all united." Millions of Hare Krishnas and members of the Hindu community around the world celebrated Janmashtami, Ms Beecroft said. The venue for celebrations in the city last year had been so packed, it was decided to hire a bigger location this year. She estimated more than 300 people attended the event — about 30% of whom represented other groups. "It was really heartfelt, and that's what everyone was saying. "It was a very magical night." There was dancing, chanting and feasting. Ms Beecroft said they had been slightly apprehensive about broadening the celebrations, but it could be "the start of something wonderful". "We'll do it every year now, and maybe one day we'll end up in the stadium."
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘It is a time of great joy'
Dunedin Hare Krishna community leader Jane Beecroft and local children pictured during Krishna Janamastami celebrations last year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Joy will be in the air this weekend, as local multicultural groups come together to celebrate the Krishna Janamastami festival alongside millions of people around the world. Dunedin's Hare Krishna community will host the celebration this Saturday, from 7pm at the Trinity Catholic College Auditorium, with support from the Dunedin Multicultural Council and the Dunedin Interfaith Council. Hare Krishna community leader Jane Beecroft said the annual Hindu festival celebrated the birth of Krishna and would feature music, dancing, drama and free food. "It is a time of great joy and we want to share it with everyone, to show the people of Dunedin that we are all united by love, respect and faith." Dunedin City councillor Christine Garey will be festival guest speaker and there will be performances by four groups from Dunedin's vibrant multicultural community. "The auditorium will be beautifully, colourfully decorated and people will be able to move around, come and go and enjoy the food which will be available throughout the night," Ms Beecroft said. "Our devotees will be making at least 108 dishes for the feast." As the community surrounding Dunedin's Hare Krishna temple at 133 London St continued to grow, the numbers attending the festival had outgrown the available space, Ms Beecroft said. "Hence, we have moved the festival to the Trinity College Auditorium, where there is plenty of room to welcome the whole community to join us." The Dunedin Interfaith Group provided a space for connection between about 20 faiths in the city, and it was great to have so many people coming together to make the celebration happen, she said. "It's pretty magic, and is a good representation of what we are looking to see in the world."
West Australian
02-07-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Opinion: Why events like the Pride Wellbeing Festival are important to the wider South West community
As someone who identifies as queer and non-binary, I understand how isolating it can be to exist as an LGBTIQA+ person in a regional community, with homophobia a very reality I face. I also know how events that are inclusive — like annual Pride events — can make the experience easier, be informative and welcoming for those trying to find their place in the world. So when city of Busselton councillor Richard Beecroft stood up in council chambers and said funding for local Pride events should be abandoned, I was shocked. That shock quickly turned to bewilderment when he said 'the majority of people in the City of Busselton, quite frankly, are offended by the Pride movement'. It felt like whiplash compared to the welcoming and inclusive nature in the Busselton community, with residents and travellers showing kindness and compassion since my move to the region. Pride is not just about dressing up in rainbow colours and partying but an acknowledgement of the pain and fights queer and trans people had to go through in order be treated as equal, something they had to earn. Cr Beecroft didn't reference any facts or stats to back up his claim ratepayers find my existence offensive. Where was his evidence to make such a claim? Had he done a thorough survey on the matter, or had he just spoken to a few disgruntled residents? With the estimated economic impact of local Pride events being about $250,000 — and attended by more than 1500 people this year — there is no solid reason why the council shouldn't endorse $6250 in funding. If other arts, sports, and food and wine events are valid in receiving city support and ratepayer funding, then events like the Pride Wellbeing Festival should be too. Thankfully, Cr Beecroft's motion didn't move forward. Busselton Pride Alliance is hosting events for members of a community who just want to be accepted for who they are and include everyone in those celebrations. It makes those wanting to visit and those who identify as a part of the LGBTIQA+ community know they are safe and supported, and their identity is considered valid among the Busselton community. I know that's how I have felt working in the city, meeting with locals and visitors.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wayward Teens Find Solace in Horse Country During Sundance Award-Winning ‘East of Wall' Trailer
Kate Beecroft makes her directorial debut with the Sundance Audience Award-winning Western 'East of Wall,' which blends genre tropes with docu-fiction storytelling. It was Beecroft's investigative instinct and deftness for storytelling that led her to encounter Tabatha, a real-life rancher on whose own life 'East of Wall' is based. Tabatha stars as a fictionalized version of herself in the feature set in South Dakota. The official synopsis teases that 'East of Wall' is an 'authentic portrait of female resilience in the 'New West' inspired and played by the women and girls who live it. Set in the Badlands of South Dakota, Tabatha, a young, rebellious rancher, who rescues and resells horses, must make hard decisions to deal with her fractured family, financial uncertainty, and unresolved grief, all while providing refuge for a group of wayward neighborhood teens.' More from IndieWire Zoe Saldaña Says Her 'Emilia Pérez' Oscar Is 'Trans': The Statue 'Goes by They/Them' Two Lost Exploitation Films from Trash-Cult Favorite Andy Milligan Will 'Re-Premiere' at Tribeca Tabatha Zimiga and her daughter Porshia Zimiga are joined by actors Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Ehle for the film. Beecroft told IndieWire that she first realized Tabatha's story belonged on the screen after driving through her town in 2019 with DP Austin Shelton. Beecroft spent the next five years living at Tabatha's ranch for three weeks every month. 'Really, what I was doing was just talking to them all the time, and having them tell me their stories,' Beecroft said of creating the story around Tabatha and her family. 'So, in a way, it was kind of like an audition. If you can tell me a story and keep me into that story, then you have something that could be held on screen. And they all did.' Beecroft added of structuring the film to include parts of the Zimiga's life, 'When it is somewhat fiction, they don't feel so naked. I don't want to put these kids in a position where they feel naked. It just wasn't fair, but it also wasn't fair for their artistry.' 'East of Wall' is screening as a Spotlight feature at Tribeca Festival and also will screen at the 2025 Bentonville Film Festival. The film is produced by Beecroft, Lila Yacoub, Melanie Ramsayer, and Shannon Moss, with Scott Frank, Al Engemann, Naia Cucukov, Peter Richards, Randy Wooten, Caitlin Gold, Ryan Hawkins, John D. Martin, and Staci Hartman executive producing. 'I am a no name director, no name DP, no name cast. I had no one attached to it,' Beecroft said of getting 'East of Wall' made. 'The only thing I could do, especially as a female filmmaker, especially with no name, was make the best pitch trailer possible, so I can be like, 'Look what me and my DP can do without any crew, without any money. If you give us money, imagine what we could do with more.'' Sony Pictures Classics will release 'East of Wall' in theaters on Friday, August 15. Check out the trailer and poster below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Malaysian rising squash star Yee Xin Ying outclasses top seed in PSA Challenger final for breakthrough 2024 win
ST LOUIS, April 18 — National squash player Yee Xin Ying captured her first title of the year with an emphatic straight-games win over top seed Lucy Beecroft in the RC Pro Series final today. New Straits Times reported that the seventh-seeded Malaysian needed just 31 minutes to defeat England's world No. 40 Beecroft 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 to claim the 15k PSA Challenger title in St Louis, United States. It marked the 21-year-old's second career victory over Beecroft, having previously beaten her at the St. James Classic last year. Yee, currently ranked world No. 77, had earlier advanced to the final by sweeping aside Brazil's Margot Prow 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 in a 30-minute semi-final encounter. The win continues a strong April for Yee, who also secured a bronze medal at the Under-23 World Championships in Pakistan earlier this month. The RC Pro Series is part of the PSA Challenger Tour, which provides up-and-coming players a platform to gain ranking points and experience.
