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Briar Wood has reimagined the lives of Rongo and Te Rangahau, two 19th century tu puna of her iwi, Ngapuhi, in a new collection of time travelling poetry.Rongo was the daughter of leader and warrier Hongi Hika and married another, Hoone Heke. Te Rangahau lived on the Hokianga with her husband, stevedore John Leaf, and cared for their twelve children. Briar's also a writer of fiction and essays, and now lives in Whangaarei after growing up in South Auckland and working in Britain. Briar's been shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and her poetry widely published and anthologised. Briar Wood tells Lynn how this collection is very personal. It also stretches across time into today's world with poetry about contemporary Te Tai Tokerau.

A play about a worm that almost never saw the light of day, is about to premiere in Tamaki Makarau. It comes from the vivid imaginations of father and son Peter and Carl Bland, and it's the latest production by the boundary-pushing NIGHTSONG company. THE WORM is Nightsong's first foray into theatre aimed at families - their previous plays include Mr Redlight, Te Po, 360, and Head. Ben Crowder is directing THE WORM after securing a cast that includes Dave Fane, whose not long off the TV show Our Flag Means Death. It's a free show, after the company successfully applied to the Local Activation Fund which is administered by Auckland Unlimited. Ben Crowder - THE WORM premieres on the 30th of June at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre in Auckland.

Lynn meets Wellington poet James Brown, whose latest collection is called The Tip Shop. It's a treasure trove of surprises and appropriately includes some 'found poems'. The collection also offers glimpses into Jame's life from his time as a nightime supermarket shelf filler, learning how to roll boulders through to a rather long list of musts and must nots. James Brown describes himself as 'a Sunday poet who fell in with the wrong crowd'.

Gracie Matthews is bringing new life to old clothes. In the latest in our occasional series about people who repair and restore, we focus on the intricacies of repairing often fragile vintage clothing. Gracie Matthews offers a variety of costume and sewing services, her skills honed by nearly 18 years working on costumes for theatre and film. She's now based in Clevedon and often travels offering sewing and repair workshops. She tells Lynn about some of the special TLC vintage clothes require to survive the rigors of 21st century life.

Two strangers meet at a miniature garden and are invited to dig up a ceramic vegetable or eel, to gift to the other to take home. This is the idea behind Twin Cultivation - a two-week installation created by ceramic artist Cindy Huang , (wharng) designer Micheal McCabe, and producer Rosabel Tan. It's a work for our times, encouraging people to be kind, gentle and generous with each other.

After the death of a close friend in 2003, a group of Tauranga based mothers decided to stage an extravaganza to offer women over 40 the chance to express themselves however they damn well please. The inaugural Tarnished Frocks and Divas in 2005 was a relatively modest affair, for one night only to an audience of 180. Fast forward, and audiences now flock to the venue in their thousands, making it a highlight of Tauranga's entertainment calendar. A new documentary Frocks and Divas, follows the production of the 2019 Tarnished Frocks and Divas show from auditions through to the big event. Lynn talks with the film's directors, Paul and Sass Innes.

Creating a distinctive Maori orchestral sound by integrating the style and colour of traditional Maori music with the vast range of an orchestra, is the goal of award winning composer and sonic artist, David Mason. He's busy working on five new compositions this year as the National Youth Orchestra's Composer in Residence. The orchestra is about to premiere one of them, Wahi Ngaro. Lynn speaks to David about how he explores the juxtaposition of his Maori heritage with his work as a classical composer. David Mason will be performing at the Michael Fowler Centre on Thursday 7 July, and the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 9 July.

Film, ballet, television, theatre and opera - Emma Kingsbury has made a name for herself as a designer across them all. Her latest commission is to design a new interpretation of Cinderella for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company, in a style she describes as Avant Baroque Maximalism. Emma's TV show designs include Blacklight and HBO's Finding Magic Mike, while ballet commission include The Crucible for Scottish Ballet and The Firebird for Texas Ballet. She arrived in New Zealand earlier in the week and joins Lynn to talk about Cinderella, opening at the newly refurbished St James Theatre in Wellington.

An art collective of self proclaimed ex-pat misfits that formed in London back in 2018, is about to unveil their first exhibition over here in Aotearoa. The Water Tastes Different Here includes work by international DJ Lady Shaka, fashion designer Lyall Hakaraia, and our guest Jessica Palalagi who's the queer-led In*ter*is*land Collective's co-founder. Jessica's returned to New Zealand after 16 years in London, to take over as General Manager of the Arts Foundation, and to continue her work with the Collective from here. Lynn Freeman took Jessica back to 2018 to find out about the collective's early ambitions. The Water Tastes Different Here will open at Auckland's Tautai Gallery later this week.

The last decade's gone by in a flash for the organisers - 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of National Flash Fiction Day. As part of the celebrations, today sees posters go up around the motu, starting a national 'Languages of Aotearoa' campaign. The winner of the annual Flash Fiction award will also be announced today. And to set the scene, Lynn Freeman talks to organisers Vaughan Rapatahana and Michelle Elvy. Incidentally, they've also launched a new call for submissions for a book of micros in translation, or with translingual elements.

It is her dream job but one that carries a massive responsibility to the country's contemporary Maori artists. Larissa McMillan, Ngapuhi, is the first director of the Wairau Maori Art Gallery, part of the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangarei. Larissa's an experienced freelance arts writer. She's only been in the job for two months, but has big plans for the gallery. She tells Lynn Freeman that promoting Maori artists, Maori curators, and Maori culture are all priorities - particularly growing national and international audiences for the work. Lynn asked Larissa why she applied for the role of Te Ringa Hautu Toi/Gallery Director.

Artist Stevei Houkamau originally planned to study Ta Moko before she was seduced by the feeling of clay in her hands and her ability to carve into it. It was 2011 when she met members of the Nga Kaihanga Uku - the Maori Clayworkers Collective. They included the late Manos Nathan, Baye Riddel and the artist who would become her Tuakana or teacher, Wi Taepa. Stevei's gone on to establish her own distinctive style of uku carving, referencing whakapapa, customary vessels and tattoo practices of Ta moko and Tatau. She's just opened her first solo exhibition - Ira Tangata Ira Atua - in the South Island/Te Waipounamu at Nelson's Suter Gallery. Stevei tells Lynn Freeman that her first encounter with the Collective uku artists got off to a shaky start.