Annie Duynhoven is an Actor, Writer and Producer, born in raised in Taranaki.  

A graduate from both The Actors’ Program (2018) and South Seas Film and Television School (2014), Annie furthered her education in Comedy and Improv at ‘The Upright Citizens Brigade’, and ‘The Groundlings Theatre School’ (2019). Annie’s primary goal is to create work that she longs to see, as well as to highlight and enhance her strengths. With a background in film, Annie looks forward to transitioning those skills to theatre. 

Cypha is an actor and artist hailing from Tamaki Makaurau, After being a part of Massive Nui Ensemble for several years he performed  Heart Go…Boom (2023)  and continued as a teaching artist with Massive Theatre Company. Most recently he was the assistant director and set designer on Oi Fred (2023) at the basement. 

Cypha wants to create work that’s genuine and distinct, but grounded in the spectacle that it presents. Most of all he can’t wait to sink his teeth into all that is Indian Ink. 

Emily Hurley (she/they) is a queer artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau with a multi-disciplinary practice that includes design, animation, puppetry, acting, and devising theatre. She graduated with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts from Unitec in 2018 and since then she has worked as an actor, director, designer, and an Art & Drama teacher. Notable works include  “Lunar State” directed by Kate Parker, “Watch Party” , “HEATWAVE” , “The Judas Sheep” , “Kill Puppet Bill”, “The Wedding” and most recently the Pride elevates supported season of “Cowboy Dreaming”. Emily is a founder of Lunar Collaborative, a queer, feminist theatre collective that aims to support the work of critical-voice artists with a focus on experimental theatre. 

Isabella Temm is an actor, director, writer and teacher who has been working full time in Tāmaki’s performing arts industry for the last four years. In 2016, she was accepted into Le Cours Florent, a bilingual acting conservatoire based in Paris, and then went on to complete a postgraduate degree with Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Since returning home, Isabella has completed two national tours with Ugly Shakespeare Co., as well as co-adapted an original script based on Shakespeare’s epic Titus Andronicus. She has assistant directed three mainstage National Youth Theatre productions (Frozen Jr., Wendy, Oliver!) with casts of 250+ rangatahi, as well as teaching their weekly after school classes, and performed three shows with Tim Bray Theatre Co. (The Christmas Show 2023, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Twits). Isabella has also directed two of Tim Bray Theatre Co.’s incredibly popular Hit the Stage school holiday programmes. Her further training includes working with renowned UK physical theatre company Frantic Assembly’s masterclass devising workshops, acting for screen with Elena Stejko and stage combat with Marcello Marascalchi.  

Next Gen will be Isabella’s first time working with Indian Ink after being a long time lover of their work. She is incredibly excited to bring fun and creativity to the mahi as well as learn from her fellow thespians! 

I am a resilient and bubbly woman who thrives on being busy. After moving to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2020 and joining Massive Theatre Company’s Massive Nui Ensemble, I then went on to study at The Actor’s Program in 2021. After my studies, I travelled around New Zealand for six months, performing educational theatre in high schools. This year, I got to work with Luke George and Daniel Kok, working on their ‘Still Lives’ live art piece for Festival Of Live Art (F.O.L.A.) 

I am looking forward to getting stuck into Indian Ink’s theatre making process, as well as learning about their creative and business processes. My goal for this program is to learn how to go from having an idea, to following it through all the way to performance, as well as to build a network of fellow theatre lovers who want to make work together. 

Molly Tate is an actor, writer and deviser from West Auckland. Since achieving the accolade of New Zealand’s Top Scholar for Drama in 2022, Molly has been studying acting with Elena Stejko, writing original work for stage and screen, and engaging with live theatre in Tāmaki. Operating under the belief that theatre should move its audience, Molly seeks to create work that critiques society, inspires thought and incites change by engaging with audiences through relatability, atmosphere and warmth. 

Muna Arbon is an actor, writer, aspiring director, and an all-round creator. She graduated with a bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts in 2017 and since then has had a varied career in the arts. She has acted for screen, theatre, and even spent a few years behind the scenes as an art director, her latest venture includes starting a production company with friends called Magnetic Boots Productions. Muna is extremely excited to be a part of Next Gen so she can continue learning and also growing her creative community. 

Nikeidrian Peters graduated from Excel School of Performing Arts in 2021 with a Diploma in Stage/Screen Acting. Since then, he’s been working as a freelance actor predominantly in theatre and is also a founding member of Grindhouse Theatre. He also works as a proud furniture mover. Nikeidrian has a keen interest in covering his blind spots through this program and is excited to make new connections with other aspiring creatives. Some of his favourite things to do in his spare time include eating anything his nana cooks, reading, and hitting the gym. 

Sanjana Khusal (સંજના ખુશાલ) is a Gujarati-Kiwi writer and producer based in Pukekohe, Tāmaki Makaurau. She has graduated with a Masters of Arts, specialising Screen Production at the University of Auckland. As a second-generation New Zealand-born Indian, Sanjana is inspired by the multicultural experience of living in Aotearoa. She is determined to reveal the underbelly of Aotearoa’s ethnic landscape. 

Sherry Zhang is a Chinese New Zealander actor, writer and editor working across prose, theatre and poetry. She has trained with Massive Theatre Company. Her co-written play with Nuanzhi Zheng was shortlisted for the Playmarket b4 25 Award, and staged at The Basement Theatre with ATC’s Here & Now Festival in 2021. With a background in journalism and creative non-fiction, Sherry is excited to grow her creative toolkit for telling diverse and engaging stories. 

Hey, I’m Shreya! I fell in love with theatre and screen in high school and haven’t stopped doing it since. I love writing and creating stories and telling them through performances. I’m always down to shoot a scene or have a laugh in rehearsal spaces with other passionate rangatahi. Other than film and theatre I absolutely love reading, cooking and going out to my favourite spots around the city. I can’t wait to work more with Indian Ink and share some more amazing art! 

Tane Te Pakeke-Patterson (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Hateatea) is a performer and director who graduated from Unitec in 2022 with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts majoring in Acting. Since graduating he has performed in Massive Theatre Company’s emerging artists’ production ‘Heart Go… BOOM!’ (2023) and directed his first play ‘Oi Fred!’ (2023).

Tane is passionate about work that aligns with the whakataukī “kia kawea tātou e te rēhia!” meaning “let us be taken by joy and entertainment!”