Features

In a rare cultural exchange, South Auckland Cook Islands 'mamas' weaving tivaevae have been gifted sacred Indian fabrics from a local Sikh temple. Audio

Tenor Manase Latu talks with Clarissa Dunn about his musical background and future plans. Audio

Peacock spiders are tiny, booty-shaking spiders from Australia, and despite their incredible colouring and patterns the man who’s spent years studying them says his colourblindness could be an advantage.  Audio, Gallery

The astonishingly talented Australian musician Tash Sultana is in New Zealand for four shows. RNZ Music's Kirsten Johnstone caught up with her to dicuss gender, feminism, mental health and the crazy-big setup she tours with. Video, Audio

Simon Morris takes a look at The Equalizer 2 and sees Denzel Washington return to help out some more people with the odds stacked against them. Video, Audio

The NZSO is celebrating science fiction, fantasy, pop culture and graphic novels, with music from TV, films and games. While the orchestra is busy rehearsing, the musicians are also working hard on their costumes... Audio

Christianity's spread across the Pacific was enforced from the top-down, rather than spreading through some kind of social movement. Audio

The traditional Cook Islands handicraft of tivaevae has received a special Indian twist. Audio

For ten years Alison Green has been fielding questions about tricky workplace irritations as a kind of agony aunt of the office in a column, blog and podcast. Audio

Who owns the Moon, who has jurisdiction over space crimes and is Donald Trump's Space Force idea legal? Space lawyer Maria Pozza shines a light on the laws that govern space. Audio

These days, when people wave their hands at a gig, more often then not there's a phone in them. RNZ Music's Melody Thomas lays down the ground rules for using your phone at a concert.

In the second of his two programmes celebrating the high-quality releases on the Nonesuch label, William Dart focuses on a new album from Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) and Nico Muhly. Video, Audio

Journalist and documentary filmmaker David Farrier chats about his new series, Dark Tourist and some of his favourite books, songs and movies with Jesse Mulligan. Video, Audio, Gallery

A trust that offers support to budget advice services is worried about the increasing number of people entering retirement owing money. Audio

Today on Upbeat Joel Amosa and Joe Haddow speak with Clarissa Dunn about their musical backgrounds and aspirations. Audio

In a novel approach, the owner thinks it can preserve the heritage-protected building by capturing it in virtual reality, before knocking it down, writes Max Towle.

English actor Martin Freeman is on top of his game in this apocalyptic road movie set in the outback, writes Dan Slevin.

Nick Bollinger listens to a long lost album from sainted saxophonist John Coltrane. Audio

Sarah Johnston takes us on a trip through space and time with eyewitness accounts of the mysterious Kaikōura Lights and a satin-clad pair in a "craft" above Lower Hutt. Video, Audio

People are now migrating between countries on a level not seen since World War II. Jesse Mulligan asks demographer professor Paul Spoonley about the implications. Audio

A survey has found the average person stops seeking new music at age 27 years and 11 months, after that, we have what's called "musical paralysis". Jim Mora asks his panelists if this is true for them. Audio

A world-renowned fossil expert is concerned about the impact of a restructure at Te Papa on its important natural history collections.  Audio

This week, Upbeat is meeting the five finalists of Lexus Song Quest and asking them about their musical aspirations. Today tenor Filipe Manu and soprano Eliza Boom talk with Clarissa Dunn. Audio

Young children and elderly people are coming together to laugh and play at Wairarapa rest homes. It's the initiative of a local mum concerned about elder loneliness. Audio, Gallery