New Zealand Society

Boot Camp has begun for the six young boys cast in the lead roles of Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Billy Elliot the Musical. Aged 10-14, they’ve come together for an intensive, two-week workshop to prepare to play their parts. Tap dancing and ballet lessons in the morning are followed by acting and singing classes in the afternoon. It’s a big ask for the boys and their families but do these obstacles enhance their performances? Justin Gregory went to find out.

As the refugee crisis deepens in Europe, Christchurch children have gained an insight into the plight of the many Syrian families affected.

A Christchurch woman is hoping to provide better role models for her peers. Herstory is an online photographic project that showcases women in a variety of jobs. Now its founder has taken the idea further.

'Buffaloes are beautiful' - that's the motto of Phil Armstrong and Annie Armstrong-Wills who raise a herd of water buffaloes just north of Auckland. They hit upon the unusual idea some years ago while looking for a lifestyle project.

The fructose in sugar is like kryptonite to Maori and Pasifika people so Hastings Girls' High School has begun a healthy food revolution in their community.

A pop-up health clinic for young people in Central Auckland has been saved from closure, just for the moment.

Students in the Hawke's Bay are knitting booties for premature babies, making toast, and planting gardens to make life better for people in the community.

Not every family that leaves a neonatal unit does so with joy. After losing seven babies one woman decided to help grieving families through their loss.

NZ Society heads to Christchurch for some swing - southern style. The city has a new, all girl big band and its members range in age from 17 to the mid-70s.

A $37 million dollar white water rafting park caters to both the enthusiastic amateur and the established pro but it also offers students from low decile schools the chance to learn water safety.

Aucklanders love going to the beach but not all of them love poetry. Is it because they just haven't met each other yet? A poet and calligrapher think the obvious solution is to write giant poems in the sand.

Ethiopian coffee, radio shows, and rappers are part of the daily grind for Constable Rob Stanton. Dubbed an honorary African he’s a crucial outlet for the community to voice their concerns even if they are about the police.

Prisoners at Paremoremo jail are prepared for life outside the bars.

What's a university to do when pigeons invade its campus? In Canterbury, the answer has been to employ a predator to patrol the university, specifically an endangered New Zealand falcon.

Inside vast cement silos, artists from across the country are employing videos, photos, sound and computer simulations to discuss infrastructure, interdependence and the busy hive that is our globalized world.

How much attention do you pay to your feet and what is the cost of wearing bad shoes? Footwear designer Takano Keitaro says he sees more damage today to people's feet than ever before.

One hundred years ago a group of New Zealand soldiers caught up in the Irish Easter Rising of 1916 had the chance to change history when one had a clear shot of the rebel leader James Connolly.

Australian slam poet champ Omar Musa will face off with one of our best, Hip Hop hero King Kapisi. They'll meet in an a capella match up, trading rhymes for an hour in front of a live audience.

Hundreds of Auckland Vegan food lovers have swamped New Lynn’s night market for its first Vegan Village evening.

Wellington's dogs and their owners were out in force for The Big Dog Walk With Lots Of Dogs over the weekend. Daniela Maoate-Cox pawsed to catch up with canines and their humans.

Art and activism merge to create large-scale breath-taking murals around environmental issues that affect the oceans.

To mark 40 years of service to Pacific women, PACIFICA Inc is focusing its efforts on preventing family violence. One woman shares her experience of violence.

For a long time, a lot of flutes have remained silent but Riki Bennett is making sure Taonga pūoro are being heard again.

A woman, a dog and thousands of kilometres of New Zealand road. Leisa McNaughton cycles the country with her canine companion, Indy, to raise awareness of mental illness.

A tiny place with big ideas - vegan cuisine using things from the garden and stuff that’s been foraged.

How to propose, take photos or resolve petty disputes with kites.

Ex-marathon runner Bruce Bassett was cycling meters away from his family home when a car door swung open, forcing him to swerve into an oncoming car and a future with paralysis.

Table tennis brings out the competitive streak and these young business people hope to be hitting the right shots in the marketplace soon.

New Zealand's tradition of ocean swimming, starting in pre-European times, is still continued today, whether it's just individuals going for a paddle - or hundreds of people crossing a harbour.

Amelia Nurse hits the beach with Wellington Fringe Festival artists Sarah Tuck and Jess Holly Bates to chat about their sold out Bat's play The Offensive Nipple Show - coming soon to Auckland. We join them on Oriental Beach on closing night.

Interest in the once-popular sport of marching has waned in recent decades, but a dedicated team of girls are still stomping the grounds.

'Every Brilliant Thing' is a UK theatre production that has been referred to as the funniest show you'll ever see about depression.

LGBTI singers from both sides of the Tasman sing through a long weekend in Auckland.

It's been nearly five years since Christchurch woman, Helen Grice, was paralysed in the February 2011 earthquake. She talks to our disability issues correspondent, Katy Gosset, about life in a wheelchair, changed family dynamics and what she wants from the future.

Pigeons are part and parcel of our urban landscape and there are at least 400 million pigeons worldwide. But how did they come to be in our cities and how do you feel about them? A show in Wellington, 'Hello Pigeons' looks to explore the presence of the humble pigeon in our environment and provide an opportunity for people to have their own personal pigeon encounter.

Adam Macaulay reads The Bugs and Me.

Amelia Nurse visits children's author Bianca Begovich - along with her monarchs, children, chickens, and bees - to chat about her passion for teaching kids about the environment.

It's easy enough to buy an instrument off the shelf, but how about making one yourself? Dave Gilberd of Goldbeard Guitars left behind a career as an aircraft engineer to pursue the art of guitar making. But sharing his knowledge is also a passion and he relishes the opportunity to teach people how to make their own Ukuleles. Sonia Sly heads along to a workshop held at Wellington High School to find out more.

Hundreds travel to the Cook Islands to compete in its annual paddling competition, Vaka Eiva, but getting the locals onto longer ocean voyages can be more of a challenge.

The Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club is one of the oldest in the country but amongst the first to adopt new technologies. Club patrol captain Matt Wade has spent the summer trialling a surveillance drone in the hope that it will speed up response times and save more lives. Spoken Features producer Justin Gregory joined Matt at the clubhouse on Auckland’s West Coast to see for himself their new set of eyes in the sky.

At University, Martin Wilson studied politics, international relations, anthropology, psychology, geography, development studies, environmental studies, public policy, commercial law, and economics. He's also a musician - but these days he spends most of his time as Events Manager for Capital Productions in Wellington. Following the success of his annual Birdman event, Amelia Nurse went to have a chat with him at his Aro Valley home.

A tale of lawnmowers, love and living with a disability

New Zealand could halt the spread of HIV – it would just take some will and a lot of money.

Safety in Rivers and Lakes: Nick Mulcahy givses some safety tips

More About Rips: Nick Mulcahy outlines how to identify a rip

Amelia Nurse goes to Titahi Bay to talk to Nick Mulcahy from Surf Lifesaving NZ about preventing drownings

Pay someone to pick up after your dog.

Farewells are never easy, but after 152 years in business it's time for Kirkcaldie and Stains to say goodbye. It's a store that has maintained many of its traditions, including the reintroduction of a doorman in 1998, Christmas windows and as always, a strong emphasis on quality customer service. Sonia Sly finds out what life has been like for some of the longest standing members of staff and what they'll miss about the iconic Wellington store.

Actor and choirmaster Bert van Dijk believes everyone can sing. He puts his money where his mouth is by conducting the Devonport World Song Choir, a mostly amateur community group. He teaches an uncommonly physical style of singing and achieves remarkable results. Quite a shift for man who spent his early years too scared to even open his mouth.

Social entrepreneur Sophie Barclay is cooking up change in her community. She's the founder of Kaitahi, a social feasting initiative teaching people how to cook and as a side dish, building better neighbourhoods. Sophie and her team of volunteers latest effort is a Christmas dinner for those in need. She tells Justin Gregory that Kaitahi began with a simple idea.