Rose Matafeo - Moderator

Rose is a comedian, writer and actor. She started stand up at the age of 15 and has since staged six solo shows as part of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. In 2010 she won Best Newcomer at the NZICF, going on to win the prestigious Billy T Award in 2013. Rose made her Edinburgh debut in 2016 with her show Finally Dead, which enjoyed success from both audiences and critics. In 2017 she garnered 5 star reviews for her latest work “Sassy Best Friend” – a show which won her the 2017 Fred Award at the NZICF. Rose wrote, produced and starred in the TV3 show Funny Girls, a six part sketch series featuring a team and cast of talented female writers and performers. They are currently filming their third series.

Panel:

Jessie Moss

Jessie Moss is primary school teacher, musician, writer and Te Reo Māori enthusiast who lives in Newtown, Wellington with her partner and their two daughters. She spends any spare time reading, thinking and writing about society, our histories and how we live today. Focusing on politics, music, education, gender and how Pākehā interact in Te Ao Māori.

Ladi6

Ladi6 has collaborated with numerous local artists, toured Europe extensively and in 2013 worked with US artist Waajeed to produce Automatic. This year Ladi6 was nominated for best soul Album of the Year and best single of the year at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards and the latest ep release Our Royal blue 3000 was number one in the alternative charts and number one in the Heatseeker charts and debuted in the top 10 New Zealand albums chart.

Dianne Swann

Dianne began her career as vocalist and songwriter for her band Everything That Flies, she then went on to become one of the original members of When the Cats Away, and released a solo song Something Good, which achieved NZ Top 20 chart status and a Silver Scroll nomination. Dianne left WTCA to continue her love of songwriting and moved to London and formed the critically acclaimed band The Julie Dolphin with Brett Adams. The couple moved back to New Zealand after 13 years in the UK and formed The Bads. Swann is “still at it“ as they say, and has clocked up some incredible memories including playing live to 85,000 people, signing to two international labels, recording with Radiohead, having her song ‘Birthday’ chosen as NME single of the week and touring Australia with Tim Finn. (And many more memories besides.)

Geneva Alexander-Marsters

Geneva has set her mind on World Domination, because why not? She fronts Auckland outfit SoccerPractise, a band that blends sound and vision into a delish bi-ligual self-aware fluid product. Music has always been an escape from conventional madness, a way of harnessing her own self-confidence and maintaining the responsibility of expressing relevant issues through this medium. Earlier this year, Geneva's involvement in the Pop Waiata project allowed audiences to engage with Te Reo Maori on Public transport. It is her aim to provide as many platforms as possible to normalise Te Reo Maori in daily life, and of course: World Domination.