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Nau mai, haere mai!

And just like that, it is a new season! We hope that you guys found some time for warming and relaxation, and that you are in a safe place in the shadow of the weather events that passed us by.

As the days grow shorter and the weather becomes cooler, we bid farewell to summer and welcome the beauty of autumn. There is something special about the feeling of the year opening itself up, and the mahi thickening and beginning to crystallise into results and progress. So far, so good!

For us, this month has been a big one for internal mapping and steering the foundations for some of our new projects. From this, our external content is a bit lighter than usual, but there are still a couple of treats below for your hump-day morning read. Talk soon!

Ngā mihi nui and tena koe on behalf of the IACT whānau.

Whangaparāoa Retreat

On the 20th of last month, we embarked on a team retreat in Whangaparāoa. As remote work becomes increasingly common, the value of seeing your colleagues face-to-face is emphasised! It is so valuable to take the opportunity to get together with your crew and spend some quality time outside of Zoom calls. The two days we had were spent talking, swimming, planning, sharing kai, questioning, and strengthening bonds.

Now only a few weeks later, we are still feeling energised, cohesive, and connected. Our team is better prepared to move forward in 2023 with a renewed sense of purpose, as some of our projects will begin to unfold and reveal themselves over the next few months. Ka pai!

Haere rā to Rachael

This year, we bid farewell to our beloved Rachael Dubois, who has been an integral part of our team since 2022. Her facilitation work has been a great blessing to us and she will be dearly missed. However, we are excited to announce that she is moving on to an exciting new project with Te Rēhia Theatre Company!

Although we will miss Rachael’s presence, we are fortunate that she will still be involved in some of our large-scale facilitation projects coming up later this year. Stay tuned for more details on those projects.

We wish Rachael all the best in her future endeavors and we highly recommend checking out the show she will be involved in.

Media as Allies Updates

Media as Allies has had a strong start to the year, with one training session already completed as well as a inspiring guest Q&A about incorporating a Te Tiriti framework into media practices and institutions.

We have started planning a symposium for later in the year, which will bring together community and media outlets to speak to the mahi of improving representation and addressing biases and disinformation.

The team is looking to expand the size of its core members, and we are welcoming interest in the project from media and community groups. If you would like to be involved or have any questions then you can contact us at [email protected]. Tēnā koe!

#IACTInTheNews and a new Podcast

Our Co-Lead Anjum delivered a speech at the Eastern Bay Community Foundation’s annual fundraising event for Impact 100, highlighting the importance of community involvement and charitable giving. You can check out the article in the photo above, which was penned by the Whakatāne Beacon, which talks about our kaupapa and even gives some advice for making small positive change!

We’re also excited to let you know that Anjum was recently featured in a podcast produced through the AUT, where she touches on a range of topical issues such as local body politics, 3 waters, and constitutional reform.

If you’re keen on listening to the podcast, you can find it on the AUT Media Observatory page. It’s the fourth podcast in the series, and we highly recommend checking it out!

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