Arts

That's the sound of the winners of the 2024 NZ Pipe Band Championships, the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band, performing on Saturday afternoon.

About 1500 people took part in the competition… Audio

Thousands turned out to New Plymouth's international music festival - WOMAD - to take in artists from around the world this weekend.

RNZ presenter Charlotte Ryan was there for the first two nights.

… Audio

News for the week with Culture 101. Audio

For a band from Taranaki, making the WOMAD lineup is a dream come true. For Ngāmotu New Plymouth indie group, Fin Rah Zel, this weekend is it. 

Known for its outlier music and visual art scene, the… Audio

There are four shining stars on screen in the new joyous and heartfelt Aotearoa New Zealand film The Mountain - the directorial debut of acclaimed actor Rachel House. 

The first is the majestic… Video, Audio

Dance company Black Grace has just returned from a US tour where thousands of people watched their latest work, Paradise Rumour. The company performed in Portland, Laguna Beach and Chicago. 

Black… Audio

Aucklander, Zara DuCrôs, has been living and studying acting in New York for the last three years. When she's not busy auditioning, she works as a children's birthday party entertainer. From gorgeous… Audio

One of the many musicians hitting the stage at Tauranga's National Jazz Festival later this month is Australian jazz legend James Morrison. He's a multi-instrumentalist, playing the trombone, piano… Audio

Filmmaker Lulu Wang explores the complex power dynamics between Hong Kong's rich expats and their domestic 'helpers' in a new Amazon Prime series. Video, Audio

Pacific students polish up performances for Canterbury Polyfest. Audio

Samoan youth sets festival alight with traditional dances. Audio

Nights' resident film critic, Dan Slevin, joins Emile Donovan with his picks for the weekend. Audio

Aotearoa's premiere string ensemble The Black Quartet delivers a cool, contemporary take on the classical sound. Jessica Hindin, Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper, Joseph Harrop, and Rachel Wells perform… Video, Audio

Pony Baby is the country-music collab of solo artists Jazmine Mary and Arahi. They join Jesse Mulligan to perform tracks from their self-titled debut album. Audio

In episode four of Best of the Fest, Culture 101 co-hosts Perlina Lau and Mark Amery find Aotearoa in full festival swing. 

  Audio

Festival season continues, with the focus this weekend on WOMAD in Taranaki.

English electronic band Morcheeba will be among the dozens of acts taking the stage.

Further south in Wellington… Audio

A new play premiering in May will take audiences inside the iconic Crown Lynn crockery factory. It's titled 'The Handlers'. Poata Alvie McKree is the playwright behind the production, she talks to… Audio

On today’s episode, New Zealand's new favourite boyband MAYJUN are in the studio to talk about their debut single, James from Carb on Carb talks Cuba Dupa, and we discuss the concept of “promise… Audio