Workshops

Meet our workshop hosts for The Muster in Tokanui

  • Morina Colyer and Saniya Thompson are the powerhouse duo behind South Pole Dance – an inclusive Waihōpai Invercargill studio offering pole, chair, aerial silks, hoop and more. With a body-positive, empowering approach, they help students of all shapes, ages and abilities build strength, confidence and creativity through dance. You might’ve seen them performing at events like the Invercargill Cabaret Festival or competing as award-winning aerialists. At the heart of their mahi is community, self-expression and joy. Through teaching, performing and creating safe, vibrant spaces, Morina and Saniya are transforming the perception of pole and aerial dance in Murihiku Southland and beyond.

    At The Muster, they’ll dazzle with a sassy evening performance. They’ll also be running two workshops over the weekend – no dance background needed, just bring yourself and be ready to leave the session feeling fierce and fabulous.

    Chair Dance Workshop

    Join South Pole Dance for a fun and empowering Chair Dance Workshop where you'll learn a dynamic choreography in and around a chair. Whether you're looking to tap into your sensual side, get a full-body workout, or simply reimagine the potential of your dining room furniture, this class is for you! Open to all fitness levels and no prior dance experience required, this workshop is designed to make you feel strong, confident, and inspired. Your instructors, Morina and Saniya are experienced dancers, performers, and instructors.  They create a supportive, welcoming space where everyone can shine.

    Floor Flow Workshop

    Get ready to roll, slide, and sizzle in South Pole Dance’s Floor Flow Workshop! This playful class focuses on grounded, fluid movement with a cheeky twist – think body rolls, sweeps, and expressive choreography that gets you moving with confidence and flair. It’s a perfect blend of fitness, fun, and feminine energy, designed to help you unlock your cheeky side and shake off the day. No experience needed, and all fitness levels are welcome. Come as you are, and leave feeling sexy, sweaty, and unstoppable.

  • Katherine Mitchell is a fisher, hunter, grower, and citizen scientist with a passion for promoting food resilience. As manager of Fiordland Charters, she uses her time on the water to teach clients about sustainable fishing practices and to foster respect for Fiordland’s fragile marine environment. On land, Katherine supports her local community garden and runs community cooking classes, showing how to make the most of local, seasonal produce. Her work — both on the water and in the kitchen — is driven by a vision of a future where New Zealanders can confidently grow, harvest, and catch their own food, working in balance with nature. 

    At The Muster Katherine will be running a workshop to help get you started on your sourdough journey.

  • Kristina Placko is the founder of Stray South Fishing Outfitters NZ, a Southland-based guiding and fly fishing education business created to share the joy, challenge, and reward of fly fishing with others – especially women. Kristina's background in construction, and her journey into the world of guiding, has been one of growth, grit, and self-discovery, and it’s that same journey she now invites others to experience through her workshops.

    Her focus is on creating welcoming, empowering spaces where women can build skills, confidence, and connection in the outdoors – whether they’re picking up a rod for the first time or looking to expand their knowledge. Sharing her experience isn’t just a job – it’s a vocation and her legacy. Through Stray South NZ Kristina is passing on the lessons she’s learned, helping to shape the next generation of anglers as river stewards, leaders, and adventurers.

    At The Muster Kristina will be running a workshop on an introduction to fly fishing, and you'll also find her in the Artsbreak Area where she'll help you transform a fishing fly into a key ring.

  • We’re thrilled to welcome Michèle A’Court ONZM back to The Muster. One of Aotearoa’s most loved comedians, writers and actors, Michèle A’Court lit up our inaugural Muster in 2024 with her wit, wisdom and sharp-as-ever comedy – and she’s bringing it all back to Tokanui this March.

    Author of two bestselling books, Stuff I Forgot to Tell My Daughter and How We Met, Michèle is a regular columnist for NZ Woman’s Weekly. On screen, she’s appeared in favourites like 7 Days, Shortland Street and The Brokenwood Mysteries – and she’s also been a host and guest on podcasts and web series including the award-nominated feminist series On The Rag. Expect belly laughs, sharp truths and fearless humour!

    Stories Out Loud

    At some point in our lives, we will all be asked to tell a story in public. Maybe at a wedding, or a funeral, or a conference, or just around the dinner table.

    Stories are how we connect with each. Telling our stories can be healing, or a celebration – for ourselves and each other.

    This workshop will talk about:

    ·      Finding your story

    ·      How to structure your story

    ·      Finding the humour

    ·      Dealing with performance nerves

    ·      Mic technique and stage presence

    We will work in pairs, and then present to the group - with a view to telling your story on Saturday night for those who would like to.

  • Rosalie Koko (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Olosega) is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. Born in Australia, she completed her Bachelors of Māori Visual Arts through Toioho ki Āpiti, the Māori visual arts programme based at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuro Massey University, in 2023. Her work traverses the realms of textiles, carving and painting. Rosalie combines and remixes Indigenous art forms of kōwhaiwhai, whakairo, raranga and siapo (aute). She pays homage to her tīpuna, to mana wāhine and to the taiao. She sees her toi as a way to nurture the vā; the spaces between people across time and space, in both the physical and spiritual realms. Her art invites viewers into spaces of intergenerational memory layered with love, resistance and sovereignty.

    Across the weekend Rosalie will be running four workshops.

    Workshop 1: Fetū laufala weaving
    Participants will learn how to weave a fetū, a star weaving form used to make garlands. This weaving form is an entry level technique which can be built upon to create larger works. Rosalie will teach participants to make the fetū using laufala or pandanus, a staple plant which is integral to life across Moana Nui. For thousands of years it has been used in Sāmoa to make clothing, fine mats and much more.

    Workshop 2: Ula lipine/ribbon lei
    Ula or lei/garlands are ubiquitous across Moana Nui at birthdays, weddings or graduations. They decorate people’s necks at any celebration, made from shells or lollies or sweet smelling flowers. Rosalie will teach participants to make their own ula līpine or ribbon lei. They are a beautiful way to show pride and joy in a loved one.

    Workshop 3: Appliqué & embroidery
    Rosalie will give participants a talk on the patterns used in Sāmoan artforms like siapo (barkcloth). Rosalie will discuss the significance of the patterns and the way they relate back to the natural world. Participants will learn to apply these patterns in appliqué and embroidery on felted wool to make their own patches.

    Workshop 4: ‘Elei fabric printing
    Rosalie will take participants through a talk on Sāmoan patterns commonly used on siapo (barkcloth). She will host a workshop inspired by siapo ‘elei, the Sāmoan printing technique on barkcloth. Participants will be provided with ‘upeti, carved woodblocks to use for printing on cotton. Guests will be able to make their own printed sample to take home, and work together to print on a communal textile.

    With the support of Pacific Arts - Creative New Zealand

  • Sarah has been exploring, writing and talking about menopause since 2019 when perimenopause impacted every aspect of her health and wellbeing in a significant way.

    One conversation at a time, her mission is for everyone to be informed, understood, supported and celebrated during this normal, inevitable and powerful stage of life.

    Sarah grew up on a farm in Hawke’s Bay between Hastings and Taihape on the Ngaruroro River not far from the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges. She now lives in Pōneke Wellington with her partner, two children and a shed full of bikes. 

    As a guest speaker and advocate, Sarah facilitates conversations and shares resources about ruahinetanga/menopause with workplaces, networks and associations all over Aotearoa and the world. So far she’s shared her lived experience, knowledge and campaign for change with over fifty organisations. Sarah was at the first Muster in Mōtū, and in Tokanui she'll be running a workshop, Let's Talk about Menopause. She'll also be part of the Wāhi Hauora Health & Wellbeing Space, supported by Manatū Wāhine Ministry of Women.

  • Janelle (Tainui Āwhiro, Ngāti Hauiti) is a wāhine Māori who brings big heart, deep whakaaro and real talk to every space she enters. Raised with strong connections to kaupapa Māori, te taiao, and her tūpuna, she carries mana and humility into her work in leadership, education and strategy. As Kaihautū of Riki Consultancy she leads courageous change across Aotearoa – from boardrooms to marae. Whether supporting tangata Tiriti or holding space for wāhine, Janelle’s style is always the same – straight up, full of aroha, and founded in tikanga. Off the clock, she’s a league mum, reformer pilates battler, and proud Māmā, doing her best to honour the wāhine toa who paved the way.

    At The Muster Janelle will be running two workshops: Being a Good Haumi: Tangata Tiriti in Action and Mana Wāhine: Embodying Ancestral Strength

  • Raised on a sheep and beef farm in Clinton’s Slopedown Valley, Dr Rachel Copland (FRNZCGP FASLM MBChB BHB focused PGCertWH) holds Tokanui as a place of adventure, learning and beauty. Swapping gumboots for textbooks, she headed to Auckland for medical school and postgraduate hospital work before a decade of moving between the North and South Islands – and a stint in Australia where her two children were born.

    Now settled in Queenstown with her family, Rachel works as both a GP and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, and also runs a hormonal health clinic with Oxford Women’s Health. A lifelong learner, she brings a holistic, evidence-based approach to medicine, empowering her patients and community to thrive.

    Rachel will be running two workshops during The Muster focused on women's health and wellbeing.

    Food, Facts & Feeling Good: Eating Well in a Confusing Food World.

    Hormones, Heatwaves & Hope: Making Sense of Midlife & Menopause for Every Body

  • Anna Guenther is the co-founder and Chief Bubble Blower of PledgeMe, Aotearoa’s first licensed equity crowdfunding platform and one of the first in Australia. She has helped hundreds of founders and doers raise the funds they need to grow their ideas — and has crowdfunded her own ventures many times too. Since launching, more than 1,700 creative, community and entrepreneurial campaigns have raised over $75 million through @pledgeme

    Anna has also worked for MIT and Harvard, and holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship from the University of Otago Business School, focused on crowdfunding. She’s also held several roles at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, supporting companies to grow for the good of Aotearoa and the world.

    At her Muster workshops, Anna will share her personal experiences raising funds — along with the stories of others who’ve been there and done that — offering clear, practical tips, feedback and expertise. Anna will also be taking part on our business panel.

    Anna’s two workshops are:

    Finding your Feet in Funding

    Want to get started in thinking about how to fund the start of your business? We'll run through all the options and some examples, and respond to your questions too. 

    How to Raise

    PledgeMe have distilled their experience supporting over 1,700 founders and doers to successfully raise funds into a practical workshop. You’ll come away with a practical understanding of how to raise the funds needed to grow your business. 

  • Motueka-born and raised, Miriana Stephens (Ngāti Rārua, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngā Potiki) is a director of Wakatū Incorporation. She currently leads AuOra, Wakatū’s mātauranga Māori, research and innovation arm, which reconnects whānau to whenua and protects traditional knowledge, genetic resources and the wellbeing of our taiao and people for generations to come.

    Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts in New Zealand History and a Law Degree majoring in Commercial Law. Miriana started her own business 20 years ago, focused on entrepreneurship and education. She has co-authored publications including the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy and Taking Care of Business series.

    She was awarded the 2016 Aotearoa NZ Māori Woman Business Leader award and continues to serve in governance roles, including as a director of the Riddet Institute, a trustee of AGMARDT and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, and chair of the Te Āwhina Marae Redevelopment Programme, which recently completed 20 new whare for whānau in Motueka. Miriana has four adult children - some still at home!

    Miriana will be running two workshops at The Muster.

    WORKSHOP 1: He Tirohanga Whakatūroa – Planning for 25, 100 and 500 Years Ahead

    Most of us plan for the season ahead, but our tūpuna, ancestors, planned in generations. This workshop explores practical tools for long-term, whenua-led planning across 25, 100 and 500-year horizons. Participants will reflect on what they want to protect, grow, change, and pass on, and will leave with a draft intergenerational plan they can take home to continue with their whānau.

    This workshop introduces participants to intergenerational planning through a te ao Māori lens. Too often our planning cycles are short-term, driven by seasonal pressures or immediate challenges. Our tūpuna, ancestors, however, viewed time differently, through whakapapa, stewardship, and legacy. In this session, Miriana will guide participants through the 25-year horizon (investment and succession decisions), the 100-year horizon (land use change, climate shifts, and whānau leadership), and the 500-year horizon (values, whakapapa, and custodianship). Participants will take part in a reflective and interactive activity to begin their own long-term plan using a simple template they can take home. This wānanga suits anyone wanting to think beyond the present and anyone considering legacy, whenua, and future generations.

    WORKSHOP 2: Whiria te Tangata – Working with Diverse Communities for a Shared Kaupapa

    Great communities are woven, not managed. This workshop introduces tikanga-based tools for bringing diverse people together around a shared kaupapa – whether on the farm, at the marae, or in your wider community. Participants will learn a simple framework for engagement and will practise applying it to real-life scenarios in a supportive, interactive setting.

    This workshop explores how to bring communities, whānau, and groups together in ways that are strengths-based, tikanga-led, and grounded in trust. Drawing on real experiences across farming communities, marae governance, regional food strategy work, and emergency response, Miriana will guide participants through a practical framework and participants will work in smaller groups using real scenarios to practise applying the framework to challenges such as conflict, low engagement, generational differences, or multi-stakeholder projects. This session is ideal for anyone working with people, whether on farms, in whānau businesses, rural organisations, or community projects  and will leave participants feeling more confident in navigating relationships, building collective action, and supporting positive change.

  • Born and bred in Southland, Stacey is a proud rural woman with a solid connection to the land and her community. She holds a double major in Geography and Zoology from Otago University and spent seventeen years working in environmental monitoring for the regional council, covering water quality to fish monitoring and everything in between across the region. Now working as a Catchment Coordinator for Thriving Southland, Stacey is all about empowering communities to lead their own environmental solutions. She and her husband Callum farm in Western Southland, where they’re raising their two kids, Charlie, 9, and Eliza, 7. Whether she’s out connecting with Catchment Groups or juggling family life on the farm, Stacey brings a practical mindset, a love for the outdoors, and a genuine commitment to making a difference.

    The workshop Stacey will be running at The Muster is:

    The Life Within Our Waterways
    Ever wondered what's really living in your waterways? From eels to trout to creepy-crawlies too small to see, our streams are packed with clues about the health of our land. Join the Titiroa Catchment Group with Thriving Southland for a hands-on session exploring environmental DNA (eDNA) – the cutting-edge (and easy) way to uncover the life of your streams. Learn how samples are collected, what the results reveal, and how farmers can use this knowledge to make real improvements to water quality on the ground.

  • Rangihuatake Sharne Parkinson has long been immersed in Māori arts, kaupapa Māori events, and teaching. Through her business Harakeke Down South, she has created projects and programmes ranging from small, intimate gatherings to large community events. Using Toi Māori as a pathway, she helps people deepen their understanding of culture and strengthen their connection to the natural world and to each other. Her wānanga weave mātauranga Māori, toi Māori, and rongoā Māori – Māori arts, knowledge and healing – and she has shared these with schools, marae, prisons, and communities across Aotearoa. Passionate about toi Māori, Rangihuatake has been honoured with awards for both her artistry and the difference her work makes in people’s lives.

    For The Muster, Rangihuatake will be leading workshops based on traditional Māori instruments such as taonga puoro and hue. These sessions offer a chance to listen, learn, and reconnect through sound, story, and hands-on experience.

  • Anna Thompson has been taking care of the pelvises of Southland for more than 20 years. As a born and bred rural Southlander, she was eager to spread her wings after high school – but, as is often the case, she quickly returned to Southland after university and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.

    As a pelvic floor physio, Anna helps the women, men and children of Southland with their pelvic healthcare. She helps with things like bladder and bowel control, prolapse (think bearings – yes, we can experience that too), pregnancy and postpartum care, pain with sex, period pain, and more.

    Anna is beyond passionate about empowering you to get to know your own body – how to prevent pelvic floor issues and how to address them yourself.

    Anna will be running two workshops at The Muster.

    The Secrets of the Pelvic Floor

    Get your Sh*t Together

    You can also get a free pelvic floor check while at The Muster.

  • Originally from Murihiku Southland, Tui Johnson (Kāi Tahu), is a multidisciplinary artist now based in Central Otago, working across pottery, painting, illustration, graphic design and animation. She believes in the magic of making with your hands and draws inspiration from the natural world, slow living, and the connection we form with everyday objects. Raised in a creative household and shaped by her Kāi Tahu, English, Irish and Scottish ancestry, Tui has a deep love for the outdoors – especially the rugged southern coastline of Te Waipounamu. Passionate about creativity, connection and collaboration, she brings a playful and grounded energy to everything she does, from her own projects to her workshops.

    At The Muster she will be running a one hour workshop on simple handbuilding pottery techniques.

  • Jo Robertson, a seasoned sex therapist with a Master of Science in Medicine, specialises in relationships and wider sexual culture. She explores the relationship between media, gender messages and sexual trends, examining how they shape intimacy and modern relationships. Beyond private practice, she runs Tricky Chats, a parenting course that helps families navigate conversations about sex, porn, technology, and consent. Jo has delivered a TEDx talk ‘Why we need to talk about porn’, and is an international speaker on intimacy, parenting, and sexual culture.

    As well as being a keynote speaker, Jo will be running two workshops.

    Intimacy: Real Questions, Real Answers

    Left to their own devices - parenting in the digital era

  • Alice Soper is known for running it straight and speaking the same. She’s been playing rugby in Wellington women’s teams since age thirteen and is a staunch advocate for getting women in sport over the advantage line. 

    As a freelancer, Alice writes a weekly column for the Herald on Sunday and has contributed to many different media outlets over the years. An accidental activist, Alice is keenly interested in the intersection of politics and sport - unpacking what the action on the field says about our wider society. 

    When she's not writing, Alice has hosted award winning sports podcasts, a children's TV show, MC'd and presented at events and created, produced and directed content for clients such as World Rugby. In her spare time she has coached her local women's rugby team and advocated at both a regional and national level for women in her sport. 

    Alice's Southland's connection comes from her parents, who met at Gore High. At The Muster Alice will be running a workshop as well as being one of our keynote speakers.

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