Culture 101
Episodes
Big Screens, Small Towns: Starlight Cinema in Taupō's Tamasin Prince
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After appearing in RNZ's story on rural cinemas, Tamasin Prince joins Culture 101 to talk about what's driving booming audiences in small-town New Zea...
Venice Biennale: the jury resigned, Russia returned and New Zealand is back with a pavilion
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Venice Biennale jury resigned two weeks ago after announcing they wouldn't award prizes to countries whose governments have been charged with crim...
Karen O'Leary ahead of Poneke House Party
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and comedian Karen O'Leary joins Culture 101 ahead of her appearance at Poneke House Party, in Wellington.
Kiwi Richard Lewer wins the prestigious Archibald Prize and how he's spending the money
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer has won Australia's most prestigious portrait prize, the Archibald, for his life-sized painting...
Fast Favourites: Dame Gaylene Preston
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dame Gaylene Preston failed her art school degree. The F appeared in the paper the morning results were published. What followed was a move to Cambrid...
Tamar Torrence
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tamar Torrence is three years into a PhD in neuroaesthetics at the University of Auckland, studying what happens neurologically when people have peak ...
Lucy Ryan: the Hamilton Gardens documentary
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Perlina wanders through the Hamilton Gardens with director Lucy Ryan where she explains that the gardens' founder, Peter Sergel, designed all 30 garde...
The Big Screen with Kate Rodger
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Rodger joins Culture 101 with reviews of The Weed Eaters and Devil Wears Prada 2.
7 Days Co-founder Nigel McCulloch
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nigel McCulloch grew up in Rotorua with a garage full of VHS tapes, courtesy of his father's video delivery business. He never connected that upbringi...
Morgana O'Reilly
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Morgana O'Reilly's one-woman show Stories About My Body started as an idea she half-jokingly pitched to a friend: run onstage topless, read from a 199...
Carin Smeaton wrote three poetry books in three years
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Poet Carin Smeaton didn't plan a trilogy. She started writing Hibiscus Tart for her sister, then Death Goddess for her mother, then Age of Orpah for h...
The Small Screen: Karl Puschmann's May TV picks
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Karl Puschmann joins Culture 101 with his television and streaming picks for May, including New Zealand Spy on TVNZ+, Jazz Thornton's story Stalked on...
The Hastings Art Gallery
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hastings Art Gallery launched a free art bus for schools last November, providing transport for students from Hastings, Napier and Central Hawke's Bay...
From novice workshop to Comedy Festival within a year
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Southside Queens of Comedy are six Maori and Pasifika wahine from South Auckland who came together through a free community comedy workshop in 202...
Rose Matafeo's successful decade in the UK and once meeting Nelson Mandella
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rose Matafeo came home from London to star in New Zealand Spy, a new local comedy set in the 70s about the country's intelligence agency recruiting th...
Anna Jullienne on playing the nanny
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marion Crawford, known as Crawfie, was nanny to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret for 16 years before a very public falling out with the royal family....
Todd Atticus designs a book cover live in the window of Wellington's Unity Books
03 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Artist and book cover designer Todd Atticus is parked up in the window of Unity Books in Wellington this week, designing cover artwork for Mia Farlane...
Cannabis, cannibalism and a $19,000 budget: Kiwi film, the Weed Eaters
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Weed Eaters is a Kiwi comedy-horror set in North Canterbury, following two couples on a New Year's camping trip who encounter a particular strain ...
Lisa Reihana’s ANZAC artwork featuring 180,000 shimmer discs
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Reihana has spent more than three decades using film, photography and installation to centre Maori and Pacific perspectives in history. She repre...
The Big Screen with Dan Slevin
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Slevin reviews three new releases: Michael, Antoine Fuqua's biopic of Michael Jackson starring the pop star's nephew Jaafar Jackson; The Time Trav...
Specialist costume designer LJ Shannon on seven years dressing supervillains on The Boys
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Jean Shannon is a superhero speciality costume designer whose credits include Iron Man, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Murderbot. For the pa...
Brett Graham’s latest work and art always being his destiny
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brett Graham has been a prominent figure in contemporary Maori art since the 1990s, with work shown at the Venice Biennale and in collections around t...
Tyrone Te Waa: painting mattresses, marae memories and tuning peg teeth
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Taumarunui-based artist Tyrone Te Waa's latest work draws on the mattress room of the wharenui at his marae, a space associated with play, sleep and h...
Nina Kiri: Undertone, the A24 horror film made for $500k that's grossed $20 million
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Canadian-Serbian actress Nina Kiri is best known for playing Alma in The Handmaid's Tale, but her latest role leads Undertone, an A24 horror film buil...
Beulah Koale on eating only apples for three days and taking on Arthur Miller at Silo Theatre
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Silo Theatre's new production of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge features a mainly Pasifika cast and is playing at Q Theatre in Auckland until ...
Donna Hay: coastal celebrations, air fryers and the case for photographing your food
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donna Hay's cookbooks have been a fixture in New Zealand homes since the 1990s. Now the Australian food stylist and author has a new series on Disney+...
Global Book Crawl: Jared Raines from The Great Kiwi Bookstore in Kaiapoi
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Global Book Crawl runs until next Sunday, connecting independent bookstores across 73 cities worldwide through a shared passport readers get stamp...
Fast Favourites: Ant Sang
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ant Sang broke through in the early 2000s as head designer of bro'Town and has since become one of New Zealand's most respected graphic artists, with ...
& Juliet lands in Auckland: director Hamish Mouat
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
& Juliet is a jukebox musical built around the back catalogue of Swedish songwriter Max Martin, the most successful chart producer in Billboard Hot 10...
Depot Devonport turns 30
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For 30 years, Depot Devonport has been a home for artists, makers and audiences on Auckland's North Shore, nurturing local talent and connecting commu...
The Big Screen with Dan Slevin
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Film critic Dan Slevin reviews three new releases: Undertone, a Canadian supernatural horror film in which a paranormal podcast host receives mysterio...
Chris O'Connor from Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's Music Therapy Week, and Chris O'Connor is a registered music therapist at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre in Auckland whose career has taken ...
Gretchen La Roche: Creative New Zealand's new 15-year strategy
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Creative New Zealand has released two landmark strategies. Tu Mai Ra, Toi Aotearoa sets a new course for the arts through to 2040, marking the agency'...
Dr Sue Watson turns her adoption memoir into a play
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Sue Watson has written publicly about her adoption journey, and now she is taking that story to the stage. Working with writer and director Renee L...
Sarah Adams: the 100-year story of Queen Anne Chocolate
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Adams has spent years researching and compiling a book on the first 100 years of Queen Anne Chocolate, tracing the brand from its origins throug...
Natascha McElhone: The Truman Show, Californication, and playing Sherlock's mother
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
British actress Natascha McElhone has worked alongside Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Jim Carrey and George Clooney, and spent seven seasons on Californic...
John Smythe: 20 years of Theatreview, and the F word... funding.
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Theatreview turned 20 this week, having gone live on 2 April 2006. Founded by John Smythe, the site now holds nearly 15,000 reviews and remains the on...
Fast Favourites: Angela Bloomfield
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Angela Bloomfield first appeared as Rachel McKenna in 1993 and became one of Shortland Street's most recognisable characters, known for ambition, chao...
What happens when you simply pay artists to do their work
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Weaving the People is a new documentary available on RNZ Video, following ten Waikato artists who spent a year embedded in their communities as part o...
Jennifer Ward-Lealand
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Auckland Theatre Company's Helen Clark in Six Outfits opens in just over a week. Written by Fiona Samuel, the play follows Helen Clark's journey from ...
Austin Bell photographs over 2,500 basketball courts
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New York-based photographer Austin Bell specialises in aerial landscapes, and his project Shooting Hoops has taken him to over 4,500 outdoor basketbal...
Film maker Florian Habicht captures 24 hours of Aotearoa
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Florian Habicht is one of New Zealand's leading documentary filmmakers, best known for finding ordinary people and drawing out extraordinary stories. ...
Auckland Arts Festival Young Critics Panel
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Auckland Arts Festival's Young Critics Programme pairs rangatahi with festival shows, asking them to file reviews within 24 hours. Two participant...
Saana Kelley, the Emmy-winning foley artist with three million followers
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you don't notice Saana Kelley's work, she's done her job well. Almost three decades into her career, the foley artist has earned an Emmy for Shogun...
Holly Shervey on Crackhead, her deeply personal show already picked up by HBO Max
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Crackhead is a bold new local drama created, written by and starring Holly Shervey, drawn from her own experience in psychiatric care.
Gabi Lardies from the Shanghai Biennale with the first Kiwis to exhibit there
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, four New Zealand artists are exhibiting at the Shanghai Biennale, China's longest-running art biennale and one of the most influen...
Actor to auctioneer: Daniel Pengelly’s second act
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Pengelly spent more than twenty years in theatre as a performer, director, and former artistic director of both The Court Theatre and Centrepoi...
Psychologist and painter Rachael Mayne
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After 15 years as a psychologist, Rachael Mayne decided it was time to take a break and pursue her painting full time. What started out as an escape a...
The man behind the biggest animated films of the last century
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For the past 30 years, Kyle Balda has been involved and behind some of the most successful animated films of the century. Serving as supervising anima...
Thirty-Six questions that lead to love inspires theatre show
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty-Six is a new play inspired by the viral New York Times article about the 36 questions designed to lead to love. It suggests that intimacy can b...
Inside Helios: artist Luke Jeram
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Internationally renowned UK artist Luke Jeram is known for large scale installations including the global Play Me, I'm Yours piano project. His latest...
Rocky Horror world record holder Kristian Lavercombe
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kristian Lavercombe holds the world record for the most performances in The Rocky Horror Show and is now touring New Zealand as The Narrator.
Country Calendar celebrates its 60th
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand's longest running television programme turns 60. Since its first broadcast in 1966, Country Calendar has chronicled rural life across Aote...
Pleasure, power and politics: WET at Te Pou Theatre
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
WET is a bold new play about pleasure, power and politics, on stage at Te Pou Theatre in West Auckland as part of the Auckland Arts Festival. The stor...
Fast Favourites: Brodie Kane
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist, broadcaster and entrepreneur Brodie Kane joins Culture 101 for Fast Favourites. Originally from Waikuku Beach north of Christchurch and no...
Tenor: My Name is Pati director Rebecca Tansley
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new documentary charts the rise of tenor Pene Pati, from South Auckland to some of the world's leading opera stages.
The Red Phone Project creators at Aotearoa New Zealand Festival Of The Arts
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At The Performance Arcade on Wellington's waterfront, The Red Phone Project pairs strangers in neighbouring telephone boxes for guided conversations u...
The Big Screen with Boris Jancic
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Jancic joins us to unpack Baz Luhrmann's latest Elvis documentary, revisiting the life and cultural legacy of Elvis Presley through archival mat...
Australian Comedian Joel Creasey on his friendship with Joan Rivers
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Australian comedian Joel Creasey is heading to Christchurch for the Court Theatre's Rainbow Festival. His international break came in New York, suppor...
Immersive theatre Werewolf at Circa Theatre ahead of North Island tour
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As part of the Aotearoa Festival of the Arts, Werewolf transforms Circa Theatre into a makeshift safe house overseen by three wardens. The audience be...
Fast Favourites: Award winning actress Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty years after its premiere, Hone Kouka's Waiora Te Ukaipo returns for the Wellington and Auckland arts festivals. Set in 1965 and inspired by Kou...
Sirāt film director Oliver Laxe on defying Oscar odds
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Laxe joins Culture 101 to discuss his latest feature, Sirat.
Ramon Te Wake headlines Auckland Pride closing party
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ramon Te Wake speaks to Culture 101 about returning to the Pride stage to headline the Out of the Gutter street party, closing the 2026 Auckland Prid...
Comedian Jack Whitehall’s reverse nepotism and cult classic remake
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The 1989 cult film The 'Burbs, directed by Joe Dante and starring Tom Hanks, now has a new streaming era successor. Released by Peacock and available ...
Te Papa curator Lissa Mitchell on Slow Burn: Women and Photography exhibition
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Curator of Historical Photography Lissa Mitchell speaks to Culture 101 about Slow Burn: Women and Photography Slow Burn, an exhibition showcasing mo...
The Big Screen: Kate Rodger’s take on GOAT, Crime 101 and Train Dreams
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Film critic Kate Rodger joins Culture 101 to review Crime 101, GOAT, and Train Dreams.
Fast Favourites: Auckland Philharmonia Principal Percussionist Eric Renick
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Principal percussionist Eric Renick, who will perform in the production, speaks to Culture 101 about bringing Béla Bartók's opera Bluebeard's Cast...
Island Life: Living on Rakiura Stewart Island inspires local exhibition
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rakiura, Stewart Island is home to a microcosm of artists who find inspiration from this remote location. Summers are often spent hosting tourists and...
Mark Hadlow's Grumpy Old Man in Lycra goes on national tour
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With 150 theatre productions under his belt, actor Mark Hadlow has a very long CV. International audiences may recognise him from King Kong, The Hob...
Bringing the cobbles to the Capital: Beloved soap opera gets a comedy reboot
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
First airing in 1960, Coronation Street is the world's longest running soap opera. At its peak it was attracting 20 million viewers during weeknights ...
Morris & James pottery to be immortalised in a limited edition book
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After almost 50 years in business, iconic Matakana pottery company Morris and James closed its doors last year. But now the legacy of the ceramics stu...
Fast Favourites: Psychiatrist and author Dr Hinemoa Elder
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our Fast Favourites guest this week can be described as many things, author, speaker, listener, mum, mentor and advocate. And before that, a kids TV p...
Freedom in finding fame later for Louise Bourgeois
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The French-American artist, Louise Bourgeois found fame later in life with her reputation and market value soaring after her death.
Kiwi and international performers flocking to Wellington Fringe Festival
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fringe Festival is back in Wellington - starting this month from the 13th of February until the 7th of March.
Major rebuild forges ahead at Auckland's historical St James
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Major rebuild forges ahead at Auckland's historical St James theatre.
The Big Screen: Dan Slevin
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Big Screen: Dan Slevin.
Poetry Takeover: Spoken word resurges amongst young people
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Poetry has taken off in the past decade, with a resurgence, especially amongst young people. Written poetry, poetry performance like - slams or poetry...
Cora-Allan on reviving Niuean barkcloth after 100 years
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When artist Cora-Allan was asked to create the burial garments for her Niuean grandparents - it was a request that would change the course of her life...
Fast Favourites: Alison Quigan on her latest role as a snail
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most people will know Alison Quigan for her long-term role as receptionist Yvonne Jeffries on Shortland Street. But that's just one slice of the pie. ...
Artist Karma Barnes first Kiwi to exhibit at Beijing International Biennale in six years
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Karma Barnes talks with us about CO-Lapses, her atmospheric installation of suspended vessels that slowly release coloured sands to form shifting land...
Irish storytelling nights now a global sensation
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Seanchoíche (that's shan-a-key-ha, if you're wondering), is a global series of storytelling nights that Ciaran founded to celebrate real people and r...
The Big Screen: Kate Rodger on Hamnet, Marty Supreme
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
One of Aotearoa's most trusted film voices, Kate shares what she's loving right now at the movies and why it's worth seeing it on the big screen.
Celebrated chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi on comfort food, home cooking and the Kiwi bakery
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Known for helping introduce Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours to everyday home cooking, Yotam Ottolenghi popularised ingredients like sumac an...
Acclaimed Kiwi illustrator Ruby Jones launches first solo exhibition
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator Ruby Jones chats about the work that first drew international attention to her. After the Christchurch mosque attacks, she created an illu...
Fast Favourites: Kiwi legend Lucy Lawless
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy Lawless, one of Aotearoa's most iconic actors, takes part in Fast Favourites. Known for Xena: Warrior Princess, Pike River, and My Life is Murder...
Kiwi chef Anthony Hoy Fong
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony Hoy Fong has carved out a hugely successful career, cooking for US presidents, Oprah and has worked with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neill to desig...
Playwright Anders Falstie-Jensen wins Bruce Mason Award
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year's Bruce Mason Playwrighting Award has been awarded to Anders Falstie-Jensen. In 2015, Centrepoint won the Adam Award for Best New Zealand Pl...
Best Films of 2025 with Kate Rodger
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the lead up to Christmas we've been looking back at the best books and television of the year. This week - it's time to look at the best films - wi...
Theft, fraud and forgery: Art and crime
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Penelope Jackson speaks to Culture 101 about the fascination with art and crime and why writing about it can be complicated and difficult.
Not Only Fred Dagg: Lorin Clarke on her father's legacy
20 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we think of the late comedian, writer, satirist, and performer John Clarke - aka Fred Dagg, words like legend and icon often come to mind. But fo...
Fast Favourites with comedian Michele A'Court
20 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stand-up comedian, writer and MC, Michele A'Court - is one of Aotearoa's most recognisable faces. She joins us for our final Culture 101 of the year ...
Peata Larkin leading charge to save music and community centre
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tamaki Makaurau contemporary artist, Peata Larkin is known for her work which often explores the intersection of pattern, spirituality and Maori ident...
Best Television of 2025 with Karl Puschmann
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TV reviewer Karl Puschmann shares his top TV picks for the year.
Panto Season in full swing at Circa with director Simon Leary
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He speaks to Culture 101 about whether panto in Aotearoa is different to rest of the world and their approach to casting and staging for this producti...
Legendary James Cameron on Avatar Fire and Ash
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary James Cameron on Avatar Fire and Ash.
Battle to become Ultimate Elvis Artist: Taurean Kenny Mill
13 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Come January, the top Elvis impersonators from Australasia will descend on New South Wales to battle for the title of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artis...
Exhibition spotlights pioneering New Zealand photographer Steve Rumsey
13 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RNZ's Angie Skerrett has been finding out about the photographer who wasn't afraid to see things differently through the lens.
Fast Favourites with Professor and author Deidre Brown
13 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The academic, teacher, mentor, art historian, and multi-award-winning author joins Perlina Lau share some of her cultural favourites.
Best Books of 2025 with Time Out Bookstore's Jenna Todd
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Best Books of 2025 with Time Out Bookstore's Jenna Todd.
Sea shanties and singalongs
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Perlina Lau talks to the creator of a new musical, based on a beloved children's book written by the late Margaret Mahy.