We got to sit down with award winning documentary director and producer Alexis Smith.

Originally from Glasgow, with a dream to work within the BBC, upon meeting Alexis the first thing that oozes through her is the real heart and passion she has for documentary film making. Having been in the industry for 10 years, we got to hear about her reflections on this journey, which in her words "it feels like I'm just getting started.’’

We got to sit down with live music photographer Shelley Te Haara, who originates from the far north of Aotearoa in a small town called Ohaeawai.

Shooting photography for over 5 years, we got to hear the story of how this fine art student journeyed from being a music photographer to also becoming an independent music manager, doing PR and running their own online media platform, focused on shining a light on local artists here in Aotearoa.

We got to catch up with poet and Tedx Junior Takunda Muzvondiwa who has made an impression on the poetry scene within Aotearoa. Takunda’s artistic style, and poetry, is often giving social commentary to the lives and experiences of the people that she relates to as a queer, black and African person. Her bachelor of arts- double major in Sociology and Māori studies teaches her about the interactions of people who are like her and people who aren’t.

Born in Western Australia and raised in Otago, we got to sit down and talk to poet Kyra Gillies who has been performing locally and around parts of New Zealand, including Wanaka, Dunedin and at the open mic nights at NZ Spirit Fest while in Auckland. Kyra plans to extend her performances to Raglan, Christchurch and Auckland as life unfolds.

With the rise of non-alcoholic beverages around the world, 2021 saw a sales increase of 33% in the USA for alcohol free drinks. Experts believe this will only continue to increase in 2022. ‘’Data in the newly released New Zealand Health Survey 2020/21 shows the number of New Zealanders who consumed alcohol in the past year has declined by 3.1% and is at its lowest in 10 years, says the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council (NZABC)’’.

Balancing your alcohol consumption can be a difficult task when binge drinking is such a normal part of society’s culture. It is easy to fall into the agreement of going out for ‘just one drink’ and then finding yourself more than one glass deep and waking up with a hangover. We use alcohol as a way to have fun, a way to reward ourselves and a way to relax. Heavy usage can result in some serious health issues, but it does not have to be this way if you can balance your consumption.