Latest news with #Wellington-based
NZ Herald
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
‘It's in the Ballot' brings local election spotlight to Eastern Bay
A new show to help local election candidates get their message out to voters is coming to Whakatāne and Kawerau districts in September. It's in the Ballot is a travelling web show founded by Wellington-based political commentator Sam Somers, along with co-chair and producer Stacey Ryan.
Scoop
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
It's In The Ballot Comes To Eastern Bay Of Plenty
A NEW show to help local election candidates get their message out to voters is coming to Whakatāne and Kawerau districts in September. It's in the Ballot is a travelling webshow founded by Wellington-based political commentator Sam Somers, along with co-chair and producer Stacey Ryan. It's in the Ballot has scheduled five days of production to be held in Kawerau, Whakatāne, Edgecumbe, Tāneatua and Murupara in the month before the election. Mr Somers says he plans to create 30 hours of footage of these events. The founder, host and executive producer of the show, he initiated it after his experiences standing for office in the Greater Wellington Regional Council in both 2016 and 2019. Having attended Meet the Candidates meetings organised by various groups, he found it challenging to get his message across to his constituency. With his supporters, along with support from other candidates, he decided that a webshow was the solution, so hosted It's in the Ballot for eight electorates in the General Election in 2020. In 2022, It's in the Ballot Productions, a non-profit organisation, hosted 34 shows in the Wellington Region for the council elections, including having all candidates elected in Hutt City Council (Lower Hutt) and Upper Hutt City Council participate. This year, a new challenge has been set, to expand coverage by holding over 100 events covering 23 councils in Greater Wellington, Manawatu-Wanganui Region, Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions. The shows are held in local venues and aired live on the It's in the Ballot Website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and their Tiktok page. The format is loosely based on classic New Zealand television series It's in the Bag. Communities are given a chance ahead of the event to submit questions for candidates. Questions are placed in numbered boxes (or 'bags') and each candidate must select a box number and answer the question inside. Each candidate is given two 'butt in' cards which they can play to answer a question selected by another candidate and a 'defer' card, which they can play to defer their question to another candidate of their choice. Candidates also have a chance at the beginning of the show to introduce themselves, much like any other candidate's meeting. Candidates for Whakatāne and Kawerau district councils or Bay of Plenty Regional Council elections can visit to register for the events and the community is invited to submit questions for the candidates. They can also book free tickets to any of the events on the website whether they wish to attend in person or view online. Events for Eastern Bay of Plenty September 9: Edgecumbe War Memorial Hall – Rangitaiki Community Board 3pm, Rangitaiki Māori Ward 4pm, Rangitaiki General Ward 7pm September 10: Tāneatua School and Community Hall (Venue to be confirmed) – Tāneatua Community Board 4pm, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Kōhi Māori constituency 5pm, Eastern Bay constituency at 7pm September 13: Kawerau Town Hall – Kawerau District Council councillors at large 10am, Māori Ward 1pm, General Ward 4pm and Mayoral Debate 7pm September 16: Murupara Area School – Murupara Community Board 4pm, Te Urewera General Ward 5pm, Toi ki Uta Māori Ward 7pm September 18: Whakatāne War Memorial Centre – Kapu to Rangi Māori Ward 1pm, Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board 3pm, Whakatāne-Ōhope General Ward 4pm, Mayoral Debate 7pm
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mana Moana Wellington Shows With Signature Choir And NZSO Now Sold Out
Press Release – NZSO Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepuleai. Wellington has again embraced the hit show Mana Moana and its spectacular fusion of symphony and songs of the Pacific. Both performances by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the 50-strong Wellington-based Signature Choir this Thursday and Friday at the Michael Fowler Centre are sold out. Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea'i. 'We are incredibly humbled and grateful to return home to two sold-out shows,' says Signature Choir Founder and Music Director Helen Tupai. 'After selling out back-to-back performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House in June, coming back to where our Mana Moana journey began and reuniting with the world-class NZSO is the perfect way to close our 2025 Mana Moana season. These sold-out shows are a testament to our communities' unwavering support, and we cannot wait to put on an unforgettable homecoming show!' Following 2022's sensational debut in Wellington and a hit performance with the NZSO in Auckland in 2023, Mana Moana reached new heights this year with a second show at Auckland's Spark Arena in May. Sydney audiences loved every minute of the choir's historic performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last month. 'What an incredible performance! The energy in the room was electric. So privileged to experience this iconic moment,' an audience member told ABC Pacific. Wellington audiences on 24 and 25 July will again experience an energetic, unique, and emotional celebration, bringing traditional and contemporary songs from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The exciting music selection blends beloved favourites from the previous shows with fresh new arrangements, offering an even richer experience for audiences. The stunning mix of traditional and contemporary songs includes the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao, Nepituno —written by Queen Salote Tupou III to commemorate the 1953 Royal Tour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's visit to Tonga—and an exhilarating medley featuring some of the most iconic Fijian songs, and much more. In 2022 a collaborative journey between the NZSO and Signature Choir to celebrate and promote the languages and stories of Pasifika. Their aim was to create high-quality audio recordings and videos of Pasifika songs in partnership with RNZ. This was then followed by a live performance at the Michael Fowler Centre where audience-recorded videos from the show have accumulated in over 1 million views on social media, highlighting the massive impact Mana Moana had and resulted in an incredible musical experience in 2023 and 2025 at Spark Arena.
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mana Moana Wellington Shows With Signature Choir And NZSO Now Sold Out
Wellington has again embraced the hit show Mana Moana and its spectacular fusion of symphony and songs of the Pacific. Both performances by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the 50-strong Wellington-based Signature Choir this Thursday and Friday at the Michael Fowler Centre are sold out. Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea'i. 'We are incredibly humbled and grateful to return home to two sold-out shows,' says Signature Choir Founder and Music Director Helen Tupai. 'After selling out back-to-back performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House in June, coming back to where our Mana Moana journey began and reuniting with the world-class NZSO is the perfect way to close our 2025 Mana Moana season. These sold-out shows are a testament to our communities' unwavering support, and we cannot wait to put on an unforgettable homecoming show!' Following 2022's sensational debut in Wellington and a hit performance with the NZSO in Auckland in 2023, Mana Moana reached new heights this year with a second show at Auckland's Spark Arena in May. Sydney audiences loved every minute of the choir's historic performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last month. 'What an incredible performance! The energy in the room was electric. So privileged to experience this iconic moment,' an audience member told ABC Pacific. Wellington audiences on 24 and 25 July will again experience an energetic, unique, and emotional celebration, bringing traditional and contemporary songs from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The exciting music selection blends beloved favourites from the previous shows with fresh new arrangements, offering an even richer experience for audiences. The stunning mix of traditional and contemporary songs includes the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao, Nepituno —written by Queen Salote Tupou III to commemorate the 1953 Royal Tour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's visit to Tonga—and an exhilarating medley featuring some of the most iconic Fijian songs, and much more. In 2022 a collaborative journey between the NZSO and Signature Choir to celebrate and promote the languages and stories of Pasifika. Their aim was to create high-quality audio recordings and videos of Pasifika songs in partnership with RNZ. This was then followed by a live performance at the Michael Fowler Centre where audience-recorded videos from the show have accumulated in over 1 million views on social media, highlighting the massive impact Mana Moana had and resulted in an incredible musical experience in 2023 and 2025 at Spark Arena.
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Nicola Willis Urged To Step In Now To Get Kiwi Food Aid To Gaza
PSNA is urging the government to step in and require Paypal to refund money it refuses to pass on starving families in Occupied Gaza. Paypal has been freezing accounts which send money to Occupied Gaza – the latest being the account of Wellington-based writer 'Emily Writes' who has posted about her sickening experiences here. 'Paypal is happy to provide backup to Israel's genocide by ensuring food is only available through the Israeli military which is using it to ethnically cleanse starving Palestinians from the north to the south of the Occupied Gaza strip' says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto. 'Using food aid like this is a war crime and we are asking Minister of Finance Nicola Willis to step in and demand Paypal allow kiwis to donate to starving families in Gaza' 'Low and middle-income New Zealanders kiwis are naturally generous but Paypal is not only freezing these accounts but are refusing to refund the money.' 'The New Zealand government has refused to condemn Israel's mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians but they can insist money from New Zealanders wanting to help is not frozen for six months while Israel's war on humanity continues' We are waiting to hear back from the minister.
