Latest news with #Sistema
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
2025 Baysting Prize For Children's Champion Goes To Sistema Aotearoa
Music Director, Sarah Spence of Sistema Aotearoa, who has taught at the Ōtara based programme for 11 years, says: "Students in some areas of Auckland get given music lessons and music instruments by their parents easily, it's not a problem; why should it be any different in any postcode in Tāmaki Makaurau? Whānau that support Sistema Aotearoa students want success and the joy of achievement for their young musicians. Sistema Aotearoa removes financial barriers for lessons and when ākonga | students commit to learning and caring for their instruments, provide instruments on loan for practice at home - all for free. Last year we worked with just over 1700 students, from pre-school to senior high school, with 62 contributing schools. And Sistema Students enjoy success; they're not shy about achieving – sometimes it's quite loud.' Anthony Healey, APRA AMCOS Aotearoa Head of Operations, says: "We are very excited to celebrate Sistema Aotearoa and everything they do. We know music is an incredibly powerful tool and Sistema have determinedly and passionately gone about providing opportunities to generations of young New Zealanders to engage with orchestral music. None of this is easy, but the outcomes of all this hard work are immeasurable.' Sistema Aotearoa will be honoured and presented with the Baysting Prize for Children's Champion at the 2025 Aotearoa Children's Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka ceremony on Sunday 29 June at Tuning Fork, Spark Arena. Hosted by Suzy Cato with awards presented by tamariki from across Aotearoa, the invite only ceremony is preceded by a public Sounds Fun event, beginning 10am - tickets available from Moshtix.
NZ Herald
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Lunch with... Sistema founder Sir Brendan Lindsay, the plastic-fantastic boss and rich-lister now helping other people click
One of our newest knights, Sir Brendan Lindsay, has an incredible backstory. The following article, originally published last September, was one of the best-read Premium articles in 2024. The man who created Sistema from his garage and later sold it for $660 million opens up on his extraordinary backstory,
NZ Herald
01-06-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
King's Birthday Honours 2025: Brendan Lindsay knighted for business and philanthropy contributions
The founder of plastics storage container business Sistema Plastics Brendan Lindsay has been appointed a knight companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year's King's Birthday Honours. Lindsay received the honour for his services to business and philanthropy, noting his work at Sistema and his
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tax number reveals whistleblower Snowden to be resident near Moscow
Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who leaked classified material from the US National Security Agency (NSA) more than a decade ago, has been located in or near the city of Lyubertsy near Moscow, the Sistema research project announced on Friday. Sistema based its information on Snowden's tax number, which reveals him to be registered in the city. The Lyubertsy tax office is responsible for three other cities in the Moscow area. Snowden's location in Russia has to date been kept secret. In 2013, Snowden funnelled thousands of confidential documents from the NSA and the Five Eyes intelligence agencies of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, along with the US. At the time, he said he aimed to seek asylum in Ecuador, but was stranded in Moscow, after the US authorities revoked his passport. Under pressure from the US, various countries refused to take him in until Russia under President Vladimir Putin offered him asylum. He has since taken Russian citizenship.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Ode To Ōtara: A Symphony Of Hope, Culture And Call For Support
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' was written centuries ago, but this week it became a powerful celebration of unity through music, bringing together youth as they rehearsed for an upcoming concert with the Auckland Philharmonia and the Sāmoan music education initiative, Sol Fa. Dozens of young musicians performed 'Ode to Joy' at a Sistema Aotearoa rehearsal, welcoming Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith to Ōtara's Music and Arts Centre on Tuesday. The rehearsal was part of the lead-up to their annual 'Pese! Fasi! Pūoro!' concert and provided Goldsmith with insight into the talent, discipline, and pride of South Auckland. However, when asked about increasing government investment in community arts, the minister was cautious. 'It's amazing to be out here and to see the smiling little faces as they're exposed to the wonderful world of music,' Goldsmith says. 'There are few greater things than being part of a group making music together. 'We can't walk in with a chequebook and throw money around. We're maintaining arts funding in a very tough environment, and we're encouraging agencies to invest widely, from professionals to grassroots groups like this.' Sistema Aotearoa, which partners with over 60 South Auckland schools to provide free orchestral education, is widely celebrated for its impact on tamariki. But board member Tasha Hohaia says the programme's success has been achieved despite limited resources. 'We make magic happen with the little we have. And with just a little bit more, we could reach more,' Hohaia says. 'It's critical to have Māori and Pasifika whānau supported in classical music. We have so much to offer the world.' Iain Rea, General Manager for Sistema Aotearoa, says the programme goes beyond music education. 'Sistema Aotearoa is much more than a music programme, it's also about community development and the programme has been going for almost 15 years. It's hugely supported by the community, it's as much about community building as it is about music.' One example is Reece Ferrer, 19, who joined Sistema Aotearoa as a child and is now a tutor. 'I joined when I was five, so that was back in 2013. I currently do midwifery at AUT, but I've been with Sistema basically for 14 years. Sistema to me is much more than a music programme. 'It helped me build my social skills and helped me connect with the community in Aotearoa.' Ferrer, who learned the violin and flute, has forged connections with fellow students through Sistema Aotearoa, and is now giving back to her community as a young adult. For parents like Terry Filipo, whose son plays the violin, the change is deeply personal. Filipo's son is a Year Four student at Flatbush School, and she hopes he will gain discipline and self-belief from the programme. Filipo says the programme exposes children like her son to new spaces. 'I look at my son and see a future that's more open because of exposure to classical music. It's an investment, not just in music, but in how our kids see the world. 'It's a practice. Whether it's a sport or an instrument, you learn commitment, and that progress follows discipline. 'It's a type of cultural exchange, which is important not just musically and not just skill-wise but their perspective … it's allowing them to expand on their worldview even as young people.' Filipo stresses the need for government funding and support. 'It's extremely important … Without the funding and without the support that Aotearoa Sistema gets, children that come from certain areas … may not go to schools [with access to] this type of music or even this type of culture.' 'It is an investment, even for our music industry. We have so much to contribute … We don't support small, we support big.' Rene's son has participated in the Sistema Aotearoa programme for three years, starting in Year Two. He plays the cello, and Rene believes the opportunity might not have come without it. She says the programme teaches more than just music; it nurtures confidence and opens doors. She adds that the programme fosters engagement and uncovers hidden talents, strongly endorsing the initiative. 'I think without the awareness of the programme, it may not have been an opportunity that he would have pursued. 'I think it's very crucial, opening up their eyes to different opportunities, different disciplines. So it's not just about the musical ability, but it offers a wide range of, I guess, perspective and life lessons as well that they can carry through to other areas of their lives. 'It's much better to have our kids engaging in this kind of activity rather than on the couch and so forth.' William Kingi, Sistema Aotearoa's youth adviser, says the programme opens doors that would otherwise remain closed to rangatahi. 'Even though this community is under-resourced, we're culturally rich. Classical music allows our kids to participate in spaces that might feel foreign, but instead, they feel like they belong. 'Sistema helps level the playing field. Not a lot, but just enough to change a life.' That potential was visible during the rehearsal, as students beamed with pride while performing for their families and friends.
