Dione Joseph Photo: supplied
Over the years we've charted the rise of Maori, Pacific Island, Asian and Pan-Asian voices on our stages and screens.
Now the creative voices of New Zealanders of African and Caribbean descent are increasingly being heard and read. And this is largely through the efforts of one woman - writer, director, dramaturg and journalist Dione Joseph.
Dione is the founder of Black Creatives Aotearoa that mentors young talent and develops works by Indigenous and People of Colour.
Among others, Dione mentors talent like Diane Mesh who hosts the "Black Out" Series - weekly, live-streamed interviews with international movers and shakers.
Meanwhile Dione Joseph has her own creative life. She directs plays, she writes for the New Zealand Herald, as well as academic articles on theatre and performance. And - pre Covid-19 and recent motherhood - she was travelling the world presenting work and studying indigenous performance.
Lynn Freeman talks about the world of a Black Creative Aotearoa, and in particular, the origins of the "Black Out" series:
