March Open Mic Reflections ☁🎻

Thank you for being there - here are some pictures...

Author

Youth Arts New Zealand
April 06, 2026

Dear YANZ community,

We are grateful to have been able to produce the second installment of The Rangatahi Open Mic last month - just 3 months after our pilot event. And we are even more grateful to you for showing up to support the amazing rangatahi performers.

Zeus and the crowd - Photography by Philip Chignell

We hosted March’s Open Mic from our new base of operations, Movespace. The Rangatahi Open Mic was held on one of the last nights in the downstairs event space before it transformed into the joint home for PaCo Pocket Cafe and Nowhere Bookstore.

Although we physically moved the event, the heart of the Rangatahi Open Mic stayed the same. A no-barrier to entry performance opportunity, to rangatahi performers of any genre, in a professionally supported, alcohol free, whānau friendly venue.

Some words from one of the performers…

Maria-Rose

My name is Maria-Rose, and I recently performed at a Youth Arts New Zealand Rangatahi Open Mic for the first time.

On the night, the space felt so unbelievably welcoming, and I especially appreciated the care and kindness from the organisers as they created such a safe environment to face fears.

Performing made me feel so energised and gave me a new found confidence in my own songs, and it showed me that I really had no reason to be nervous or apprehensive about performing. 

After this experience, I feel so confident and an even deeper passion for my art, and I would love to come back and perform at the next open mic because the feeling of getting to share my art with like minded, passionate rangatahi has filled my cup to the brim! 

Scroll for more photography by Philip 📸 

Gab and Solo

Dally the Kidd

Isla

Chanelle

Finally, thank you to Ema and Windon from Holding Space for being our producing partners and sound experts. To Michelle and the FairFood team for sponsoring our kai. And to Kiran from Movespace for generously supporting us.

Instagram Post