Kura is an up-and-coming comedian from Tāmaki Makaurau, hailing from Tūhoe, Kāi Tahu, and Ngāti Porou. Hōhā Guy is her solo comedy debut, showing as part of the 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival. I caught up with Kura while she was in Pōneke performing the show to chat about how she stumbled into the comedy scene and what it means to make Māori comedy.
Read MoreMy mum’s side of the family has been moving between China and New Zealand since the 1880s, but my Por Por and Gong Gong immigrated to New Zealand in the 1930s and 1950s respectively. One of my favourite foods growing up was my Por Por’s wonton recipe, which my mum turned into a dumpling recipe when I was in my teens.
Read MoreI won’t shut up about Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). I don’t think anyone can. At the risk of sounding like every other immigrant daughter who watched that film—yes, it really did change my life. But it also changed much of Hollywood’s discourse surrounding diversity and inclusion
Read MoreFor the 2023 Salient music issue, we wanted to highlight local musicians changing the scene in Pōneke. Wellington has a thriving music landscape, from staples like Meow, Moon, San Fran and Valhalla, to annual central city festivals like CubaDupa and Homegrown, to the student culture that finds its life with live music. But we know that the music scene in Pōneke and Aotearoa has been dominated by male artists. So for the cover, we chose to highlight the women, non-binary, and gender fluid artists who are making themselves heard locally. Enter Girl Best Friend, Milktooth, Maiden Name, and Sheboy: This IS the Pōneke music scene.
Read MoreMandate’s Instagram handle tells us all we need to know: @mandate_otepoti_hardcore.
Read MoreAfter TERF activist Posy Parker's visit to New Zealand, the current political climate has been volatile for queer people. Drag storytimes in Tāmaki Makaurau have been cancelled due to protestors, and both drag performances and non-binary identities are being outlawed in America. I was interested to see how, in Wellington, an exclusively non-binary-casted drag show responded to this. The answer? Sex, and a lot of it.
Read MoreOn 19 April, crowds gathered in their hundreds at TSB Arena to see indie-pop band The 1975 for the Wellington leg of their At Their Very Best tour. Every concert-goer was ready to live out their 2013-Tumblr-girl fantasy.
Read MoreGeneration Zero’s opening night for their exhibition, ‘What if we made art, not the climate crisis?’, felt close and touching. Run by the youth climate activism group, their aim was to curate art through community hui leading up to a competition, receiving over 80 submissions. The winners were featured in the exhibition hosted at Te Auaha from 15-26 April. The focus of the art was imagining what the world in 2050 could look like through art.
Read Morefast forward to march 2023 and i had a ticket to her live show at the wellington opera house. this was my first live poetry reading, and i suspect it’s quite different from the normal poetry reading experience. kaur started her performance by letting the audience know that we weren’t there to snap our fingers, but to make noise and to shout out our feelings so that she could feed off the energy and connect with us.
Read MoreAdding a sex toy to your sex routine—be that with a partner, two, or on your own—levels up your sex life. The Salient Team has reviewed their favourite (or least favourite) toys for your reading pleasure and to help you know what to look for when buying your own. Read at your own risk of TMI.
Happy orgasms xx
Read MoreAny Wellington fresher would avoid the Aotearoa music scene at all costs when the names Six60, L.A.B., and Dave Dobbyn (having played at every NZ festival ever) usually flash to mind. However, if you take one look at @theimage04 on Instagram, you’ll find that Pōneke is brimming with a wealth of talented artists making fresh music that spans multiple genres. That doesn’t mean being an independent band or artist in Wellington is easy—especially for full-time students trying to juggle study and music like Daisy Grae.
Read MoreSalient arts and culture reporter, Jamie Clumpas, took a brief break from raving to find out from one of Pōneke’s most prolific club and venue managers.
Read MoreLast weekend, the Katayanagi Twins took the stage at Jim Beam Homegrown, travelling all the way from Avondale, Auckland. DJ Fine China and Rain have taken to the stage at some of Aotearoa’s biggest festivals, including FOMO, Festival X, Splore, Northern Bass, RNV, Bay Dreams, Homegrown, Plane Sailing, Britomart Block Party, and Le Currents. The pair take to the decks together and mix sick sets with insane chemistry. We sat down and talked about some of their influences.
Read MoreSalient has teamed up with Renters United to bring you this Renting 101 guide, aimed to equip you with the know-how when it comes to advocate for your rights, and making it through your tenancy with your bond intact and your belongings mould-free.
Read MoreAftersun is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, set in the 90s at a Turkish middle-class resort. Paul Mescal, best known for his leading role in Normal People, shines as Calum, a divorced father. Frankie Corio has an impressive debut, as Calum’s extremely-mature 11-year-old daughter Sophie.
Read MoreCORE is a two-person play set entirely in a Wellington apartment, capturing the raw and bittersweet relationship between Asa (Thomas Steinmann) and Erika (Hattie Salmon), a couple in their early 20s.
Read MoreYou either love edibles, or you absolutely hate them. They take around 20 minutes to an hour (maybe even two) to hit, and the baking takes even longer. So, is it worth it? Your lungs will thank you, that's for sure. Just for this issue, we tested out a recipe and confirmed it works. Here it is in two forms: budget and fancy (AKA your paycheck just came in).
Read MoreI’m not here to convince you to buy drugs. If you’re on the fence, just don’t. But, if you’re already on the path, here’s the downlow.
Read MoreMacho Macho: four dudes, one stage. Flashing lights and screeching guitars set the tone for a performance of classically-trained testosterone.
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