Participants (part 1)

This summary provides an overview of an audio recording from Shift hui 2016, featuring interviews with participants Mani Bruce Mitchell and Taupuruariki Brightwell, conducted by Rowan Moulder. The recording, which has a duration of 27 minutes, took place at Tapu te Ranga Marae in Wellington, New Zealand, and delves into personal experiences and themes of the conference.

During the interviews, participants shared the reasons why they attended Shift hui. Common motives were the desire to make new friends, connect with the rainbow community, and participate in fun activities such as talent shows. Workshops were offered at the event, though attendees had mixed engagement, some forgetting to attend, while others looked forward to specific ones such as 'Vogue Vogue'. A notable aspect was the division of participants into 'planetary groups', providing smaller subsets for more intimate interaction and support, which was particularly beneficial to those who found large groups overwhelming.

Discussions highlighted that being part of the event allowed attendees to feel safe, be themselves without fear of judgment, and that the chance to openly express oneself was highly valued. Newcomers appreciated the opportunity to meet others who understood them and could relate to their experiences, providing a sense of belonging. The importance of respect and having fun was emphasized as key takeaways from the event.

The organization of the event received praise with coordinators acknowledged for creating a welcoming and supportive environment. However, suggestions for improvement were made, including having smaller groups to facilitate stronger connections within them, and perhaps more emphasis on lesser-known identities. Additionally, some envisaged more workshops focusing on creative and joyful activities to balance the serious discussions that took place.

On the point of leadership and representation within the event, it was noted that there were multiple youth leaders or 'moons', 'asteroids', and others who provided varying levels of support and guidance. The event was seen as a legacy, observing the growth of former attendees into current leaders was inspirational. The sense of community and emphasis on safety were outlined as vital to the essence of Shift hui.

Concerning the downsides, some mentioned the need for more sleeping facilities and suggested the venue might have become too small for the growing number of attendees, indicating the success and growth of the event.

In conclusion, Shift hui provided a significant platform for young people within the rainbow community to gather, learn, and feel empowered. It highlighted the importance of inclusivity, representation, and the necessity of such events in fostering well-being and camaraderie among youth. The perspective of having a larger space for future events speaks to its success and the need for continuous support from the community.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Mani Bruce Mitchell Taupuruariki Brightwell

2010s, anxiety, aotearoa new zealand, auckland, being yourself, coming out, competition, confidence, crafts, dress up, drugs, education, equality, faith, food, friends, gay, gender identity, gender neutral, hamilton, hui, identity, insideout kōaro, intersex, kapiti coast district, love your condom (lyc), mani bruce mitchell, marae, music, new zealand aids foundation (nzaf), non-binary, pacific, paraparaumu, patchwork hui (2013), people of colour, pronouns, queer, queer straight alliance (qsa), racism, rainbow youth, respect, rowan moulder, safety, school, shade, shift hui, shift hui (2016), stereotypes, support, tabby besley, talent show, tapu te ranga marae, taupuruariki brightwell, therapist, tommy hamilton, trans, transgender, tuakana, wellington, whanganui, workshop, yoga, youth, zumba (fitness)

artist, audience, belief, binary, building, button, canada, change, church, coming up, community, dance, data, design, environment, events, face, family, fun, gender, growing up, hat, hawaii, health, hit, hope, humanity, individual, job, journey, knowledge, language, laughter, leadership, lgbt, listening, love, love yourself, opportunity, other, pain, parents, people, podcast, rainbow, rainbow flag, resource, role model, sexual health, sleep, space, strength, struggle, stuff, time, training, trust, video, volunteer, work, youth