Arriba PR & Communications

20/08/2024

Beyond excited to announce I am on the publicity team for WOW 2024!!!
Thrilled to help give this incredible event on Aotearoa’s calendar the exposure it deserves! Love my job!

15/08/2024

It's really heartening to work with a client who is making a huge difference to a community right in our own background. 18 months ago, Cyclone Gabrielle unleashed a devastating storm on Hawke’s Bay. The cyclone caused severe damage on over 1,500 homes, displaced more than 1,400 people, and tragically claimed the lives of 11 individuals. Over 2,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes.

Since then my client, post Treaty settlement agency Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa has been doing incredible mahi to repair homes that have been destroyed, rehouse kaumātua and whanau and with an eye to the future, expand its horticulture am Haumako.

Since transitioning from traditional sheep and beef farming, Tātau Tātau has successfully planted 18 hectares of apples on Tara Orchard north of Wairoa in collaboration with Ohuia Incorporation. Haumako continues to champion talent development through its horticulture cadet programme, which has achieved notable success. Recent graduates, including five who have secured management positions within Haumako’s Whakapau and Tara orchards, exemplifying the programme’s effectiveness. The Trust now has plans to grow its water storage and orchard infrastructure, as well as develop a first stage packhouse. Really thrilled with this radio package about their inspiring horticulture programme which aired on Radio NZ National's Country Life programme last week. It just goes to show the face of adversity, people can come together, demonstrating that even in the darkest times, the human spirit can shine brightly.

15/08/2024

So thrilled to be doing the PR for this incredibly important organisation who are making a huge difference in our own backyard. Love my job and the impact of PR.

06/08/2024

Wow!!
It’s been a HUGE few months Arriba! PR working on the country’s most prestigious opera competition- the Lexus Song Quest 2024 which has helped launch careers including Dane Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major!
So thrilled to have secured for the team more than 50 pieces of media coverage so far - internationally, nationally and locally!!
Here’s just a snippet of the coverage - my hubby and I were fortunate to be able to experience the Grand Final Gala too on the weekend- what a fantastic event!!

05/08/2024

At a time of uncertainty there are some incredible opportunities if you want to consider a career move into teaching public speaking, communication and speech a drama - there is SO much demand for these teachers, and so many opportunities for development through Speech New Zealand. Also being the boss of your own business is not too shabby! Was quite chuffed to be approached by the Education Gazette for an interview on my recent experience at The Globe and Royalty Shakespeare Company via the Deidre Snedden Scholarshop!

13/06/2024

12/06/2024

Check out our client New Zealand Portrait Gallery on Seven Sharp re their latest exhibition - The Adam Portraiture exhibition! 🙌🙌❤️

A Taranaki artist has just won a major NZ portraiture prize. Maryanne Shearman's work is now hanging in the National Portrait Gallery.

08/06/2024

I'm delighted to have taken on a new client contract to lead the communications for the Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust.

Tātau Tātau is a post-Treaty of Waitangi settlement group, charged with managing settlement assets on behalf of its members.
It “nearly 9000′' iwi members and that this is mana motuhake - or "self-determination - “at its best.

Since working for the Trust over the past 4 weeks I am proud to have achieved a lot of coverage across national, regional and local media (broadcast, print and digital), getting their story told and more importantly the work they are doing for the Wairoa community which has been severly impacted since Cyclone Gabrielle - from a major home repairs programme getting whanau back into their homes, to calling for government increased support in social housing, to celebrating the first return of whenua to iwi and hapū as part of their treaty settlement.

Here's just one example of many important that need to be told we secured on Maori Television last week- of an elderly couple in Te Wairoa district in Hawke’s Bay who have finally returned home 18 months after Cyclone Gabrielle buried their house in silt, thanks to the home repair programme by the Trust.

Rawinia and John Waihape are back home and safe again in their whare which they've owned for the past 53 years.

16/05/2024

Absolutely delighted with this piece of PR for our client Prime Property Group which was the LEAD story on Seven Sharp last night!
A 50 million dollar project on an iconic building in Wellington which has engineers around the world wanting to know more about their extensive seismic strengthing work using damper technology 🙌👏

29/04/2024

So excited about meeting the legendary Dame Miranda Harcourt!

2024 marks the 60th year of Speech New Zealand and we invite you to share in our celebrations next Monday with a fantastic webinar from Dame Miranda Harcourt DNZM.

Dame Miranda Harcourt shares her insights and expertise on revealing and connecting character through text whilst portraying and enveloping the emotional journey.

You don't need to be an EPC member or an educator to attend this online workshop. Dame Miranda Harcourt is a world-acclaimed acting coach who has worked with Hollywood stars from Nicole Kidman to Zac Efron and has committed her career to the impact of drama as a therapeutic force, working throughout all New Zealand’s prisons and with the Deaf community.
We are so lucky to have her join us in May - you don't want to miss out! Book now!
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/dame-miranda-harcourt-how-to-connect-develop-and-reveal-the-character-tickets-881131737747?aff=oddtdtcreator

14/04/2024

So I did this thing. Meet The Teacher 😂

09/04/2024

As a PR I’m used to getting my clients in the media and staying well and truly in the background… thanks for the lovely write up Nicholas Boyack, am very excited about this amazing opportunity! 🙌 https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350224672/drama-teacher-wins-globe-scholarship

11/03/2024

Three years ago I founded my own Speech and Drama and public speaking business Arriba Speech Limited. What a journey it has been! The business has grown from 45 students to almost 90 students in that time and I’m super excited to introduce my first student teacher I have taken on to help with the epic growth of my business.
Zoe Dzapasi is an amazing role model and former student of mine. She is an example of the opportunities Speech and Drama qualifications provide.
Below is an intro Zoe wrote herself ☺️

Kia Ora, I’m Zoe Dzapasi, a recently graduated St Orans student. I’m incredibly passionate about speech and drama. This passion has taken me many places and given me many opportunities over the last 3 years. In 2022, I competed in the Sheila Winn Shakespeare festival at a national level and spoke in Parliament on multiple occasions. I also delivered a TEDx talk as part of TedX Paparangi.

I received my Associate Diploma in Drama Performance with Distinction in 2022 under the tutelage of Mrs. Reed. Besides drama, I’m passionate about speaking and have represented several countries in Model United Nations conferences and served as the opposition leader at Model Parliament. In 2023, I was the Secretary General at the Model Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Many of your daughters may already know me from my involvement with the school as the 2022 student board representative, an arts and student council member, debating coach, and most recently, House Captain of Rutherford House for 2023.

In 2024, I’m looking forward to starting my first year of university, pursuing a Bachelor of Health with a major in health psychology and health promotion. My plan is to eventually have a career in consulting and public policy and service delivery.

Speech and Drama have opened many doors for me and instilled a lifelong love for public speaking and the arts. I hope to support the students of St Orans College in making the most of their opportunities and achieving their goals, both in lessons and exams.

03/03/2024

Absolutely thrilled with this epic piece of PR on the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the-Arts which made the lead segment of TVNZ 1 6 o’clock news this evening
A lot of hard work went behind the scenes to make this happen so just delighted with the outcome - awesome for Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts and WellingtonNZ!

01/03/2024

WellingtonNZ is going off!! So honoured and pumped to see the incredible Witi’s Wahine as part of Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts 🎭
How lucky are we to live and work in the coolest Capital in the world!

28/02/2024

It would be an understatement to say the start of the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts has been a success - in fact it has been epic!! I have absolutely loved doing the PR on this huge project and am loving the shows! Tomorrow night I will be at St James Theatre🎭 watching Witi’s Wahine which is much-loved wāhine from Witi Ihimaera’s books come to life in this theatrical masterpiece.

12/12/2023

Thank you for generously letting me take my 5 Associate Diploma students out for morning tea to celebrate their graduation 👩‍🎓 and also my own graduation 🧑‍🎓
These five girls are wonderful human beings. They are driven, determined, work incredibly hard, are wonderful role models at St Orans College and are most importantly KIND.
It’s been a pleasure seeing them grow over the years and celebrate their achievements. Receiving the Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama 🎭 is no mean feat. It requires a lot of extra work outside of their own NCEA studies, work and extra curricular activities but it will give them the edge in the future. So proud! Love me job 😍

10/12/2023

Lesson planning for next years Speech & Drama classes - love exploring new plays and can’t wait to dive deeper into them over summer - exciting when play scripts arrive from New York too

10/12/2023

Back at this morning with the doing a live cross Inteview with curator of Good Bones exhibition Chelsea Nicholas!
The exhibition, featuring life sized sculptures of animal skeletons knitted in wool by the incredible Michele Beevors has opened - go check it out you won’t be disappointed!!

07/12/2023

Exciting afternoon with .official interviewing the incredible artist Michele Beevors at Re her exhibition Good Bones which opens free to the public from this Saturday!

The exhibition, which consists of 14 pieces, is inspired by natural exhibits and her feelings of grief on extinction. Michele says while most people knit socks, or sweaters, she knits memorials to elephants, gorillas, and giraffes. The collection includes two life-sized giraffes, an elephant and 54 frogs. Michele’s life-size knitted giraffe skeleton stands towering four metres tall. The work has taken her around 18 years to create!!
Definitely something to head along to over the summer !

01/12/2023

Today I had the pleasure of visiting atelier. She is the only artist in the country that paints exclusively from life. Such a rarity. Tatyana currently lives in Wairarapa where she embraces the beautiful rural setting and slower pace of life. I went away with this beautiful painting today (scroll across) and am the proud owner of 3 of her works so far. If you want to purchase one of her amazing pieces she is holding an exhibition called Tatyana Kulida: Wairarapa Felt at the in Masterton opening on 9 December!
Visit www.aratoi.org.nz for more information ☺️

24/11/2023

Working hard dealing with media queries and arranging interviews for which kicks off this weekend!
This pic taken by collab partner extraordinaire on the ground with Ron Mark, Chair of being interviewed by Piers Fuller of
It’s been a joy working with on the PR for this epic event!

10/11/2023

Another busy day of PR for - great to have .official along to interview and talk all things Hatupatu ☺️
Can’t wait to see the story aired soon!

08/11/2023

We’ve loved working on the PR for Wings Over Wairarapa and this has to be one of the highlights hands down! What a beautiful piece that has required a lot of planning, persistence and stars to align - thank you Michael Holland from Seven Sharp you are a legend!

08/11/2023

Getting excited!!!! Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts 🎭

08/11/2023

26/10/2023

With my work wife from celebrating our PR colabs, before we get treated to - one of the international headliners in the 😍

24/10/2023

It's been such a joy doing the PR on the Wellington Jazz Festival in colab with the wonderful Anna Colville-Smith from ACS Marketing Consultancy

We can't wait to check out one of the international headline acts Cecile McLorin Salvant tomorrow night but in the meantime the festival kicks off today and I am so stoked with this awesome piece of PR that aired on The AM Show this morning featuring the incredible Zela Margossian Quintet. Thanks to James Fluery for an awesome cross - you rock!

It's not too late to get tickets - the festival runs over 5 days and there are over 100 gigs so there is something for everyone!

https://www.jazzfestival.nz/