Coven

Dancer Moe Laga is one of the founding members of New Zealand’s ballroom scene, having stepped up as a housemother back in 2015. She leads the House of Coven, a group of strutting, fiery, voguing dancers who leave it all on the stage during intense battles.

This group is about far more than dancing. We discover an intricate social system – with its own rules and culture – supporting many young queer people.

Club 121

Olly de Salis used to host house parties, but not just any old parties. DJs would perform on the kitchen bench and pizza would hang from the roof.

Those parties got bigger. Alongside his mate Cam Morris, they moved from houses to venues and launched 121, a nightclub, festival and specialist in dance music.

These two young music lovers turned parties into a business, with the help of other passionate fans. How did they do it?

Waiata

Waiata Māori has taken off on the airwaves, and it’s not down to luck. A new generation of Māori musicians has joined with legends of the industry such as Hinewehi Mohi, to keep growing the reo Māori music scene.

Rei, who releases bi-lingual pop and hip-hop, introduces us to the musicians coming together for te reo.

K-Pop

Across Auckland City, groups of K Pop dancers gather late into the evening. For a country with little connection to K Pop - its super groups have never toured here - Aotearoa has a thriving K Pop scene.

The music is hugely powerful, described as life changing by the young Kiwis enthralled by its sound.

Beatniks

Sam Charlseworth grew up listening to old records from a time when Dunedin was renowned for moody alt-rock bands such as The Clean. When he turned 18, it only made sense to move to Otago.

Now, the teenage musician has found a community of others looking to carry the torch of Dunedin’s music scene. With few venues and no money, Otago’s students are keeping the scene alive with massive house parties and DIY recording studios.

BLKCity

The growth of rap in New Zealand’s African communities has made it a powerful vehicle for telling little-heard stories about immigrant and African experiences in Aotearoa.

Mo Muse, a young Auckland-based musician, introduces us to the tight knit community making African Kiwi voices heard through music and art.