NZTA exists to encourage the talent already in our community. Singers, dancers, musicians, actors, artists and creators — whatever you do, we want to know about it and give you a stage for it.
Get the opportunity to perform live on stage at our flagship festivals like Ugadi, Diwali and Sankranti in front of hundreds of attendees.
Build your profile within the New Zealand Telugu community and connect with other talented artists.
Whether you sing classical Carnatic, dance to Tollywood hits, play instruments or perform stand-up comedy, there is a place for you.
Children learning their first steps, students, working professionals and seniors — we make room on the programme for all of them.
Help us pass down our rich Telugu arts and culture to the next generation growing up in New Zealand.
There is no form to fill in and no audition. Just send us a message with a few details and our cultural committee will add you to the hub — we review it regularly when planning event line-ups.
What to include
Parents are welcome to send details on behalf of their children. We only use what you send to plan programmes and get in touch with you.
India's arts are vast, and our community carries far more of them than most people realise. Here are 52 art forms we would love to put on stage — from the classical traditions of the Telugu states to the hip-hop crews our New Zealand-raised kids are building.
This is not a closed list. If what you do is not here, tell us anyway — some of our best-received acts have been things nobody thought to ask for.
The eight classical traditions recognised across India, led by our own Kuchipudi and Perini.
Andhra Pradesh
Our signature dance-drama, famous for its speed, expression and the brass plate finale.
Telangana
The vigorous warrior dance of the Kakatiyas, performed to the beat of the drum.
Tamil Nadu
Geometry, rhythm and abhinaya — the most widely learned classical form in New Zealand.
North India
Storytelling through spins, intricate footwork and ghungroo patterns.
Odisha
Sculptural tribhangi poses drawn straight from Odisha's temple carvings.
Kerala
Epic theatre in elaborate green make-up, headdress and eye-driven expression.
Kerala
The gentle, swaying 'dance of the enchantress' in white and gold.
Manipur
Soft, circular and devotional — Raas Leela told without a single sharp edge.
Assam
Monastery dance from Assam's sattras, set to borgeet and khol drumming.
Village and festival forms that get a whole hall on its feet — no training required.
Telugu states
Paired sticks, big circles and a rhythm the audience always claps along to.
Telangana
The thunderous drum entry that opens almost every Telangana procession.
Telangana
Flower-stack songs and pot dances — our most-loved women's festival tradition.
Deccan
Mirror-work costume, silver jewellery and a bold, grounded step.
Gujarat
Navratri's circle dance — the easiest way to get everyone participating.
Punjab
High-energy harvest dance with the dhol driving every single beat.
Maharashtra & Rajasthan
Spinning skirts and expressive storytelling from western India.
Assam & Eastern India
Spring harvest steps and masked martial dance from India's east.
From temple keerthanas to the latest Tollywood chartbuster — every voice has a slot.
South India
Kritis, varnams and raga alapana in the Thyagaraja and Annamacharya tradition.
North India
Khayal, thumri and bhajan built on the slow unfolding of a raga.
Tollywood & beyond
Telugu, Hindi and Tamil film songs — always the crowd favourite of the night.
Pan-India
Annamayya keerthanas, bhajans and group singing for pooja and festival mornings.
Pan-India
Semi-classical, ghazal and lyrical sets for a softer part of the programme.
Contemporary
Pop, a cappella and East-meets-West arrangements from our younger singers.
Solo recitals, accompaniment for dancers, or a full band — tell us what you play.
South India
Saraswati's own instrument and the deepest sound in the Carnatic ensemble.
Carnatic & Western
The essential accompaniment for vocalists, and a fine solo voice on its own.
Pan-India
Bamboo flute for classical recitals, bhajans or a quiet interlude between acts.
South India
The rhythmic backbone of any Carnatic concert or dance performance.
North India
Crisp bols and tight cycles for Hindustani, bhajan and fusion sets.
Pan-India
The auspicious sound that opens weddings, processions and temple events.
North India
Hindustani strings — meditative solos that hold a room completely still.
Contemporary
Modern band setups, backing tracks and live accompaniment for singers.
Some of our most memorable moments come from people who never dance or sing.
Telugu states
Ballad storytelling with tambura and gummeta — history, humour and song in one.
Telugu literature
The extraordinary Telugu literary feat of composing verse under live challenge.
Pan-India
Full plays, short skits and social-message pieces in Telugu or English.
Contemporary
Observational comedy and mimicry — the fastest way to win over a hall.
Contemporary
Bilingual MCs who can hold a five-hour programme together are pure gold to us.
Pan-India
Telugu and English poetry, recitation and youth debate and speech contests.
Work we can exhibit, project or use across our events, stage sets and publications.
Pan-India
Sankranti muggulu, kolam and coloured floor art at the entrance of every event.
Andhra Pradesh
Kalamkari, Madhubani, Warli and Pattachitra — India's great painting traditions.
Contemporary
Canvas, digital art and illustration for exhibitions and event artwork.
Pan-India
Henna stalls are one of the busiest corners at every festival we run.
Telugu states
Doll displays, clay work, embroidery and handmade craft for festival exhibits.
Contemporary
Cover our events, build the archive and help tell the community's story.
Contemporary
Posters, stage backdrops, saree draping and costume design for our shows.
Everything our New Zealand-raised generation brings to the stage alongside tradition.
Tollywood
Film choreography and mass numbers — always the loudest applause of the evening.
Contemporary
Crews, street styles and fusion pieces that mix Bollywood with hip-hop.
Contemporary
Shape a group item, train children for a showcase or direct a whole segment.
Contemporary
Sets, mixes, original tracks and sound engineering for our bigger events.
Contemporary
Short films, reels and documentaries about Telugu life in New Zealand.
Kerala & Tamil Nadu
India's ancient martial arts — a spectacular, high-impact stage demonstration.
Pan-India
Group yoga demonstrations, asana displays and pole gymnastics.
Pan-India
Live cooking, festival food traditions and workshops that teach as they entertain.
Magic, puppetry, calligraphy, a brass band, a science demo for kids — if you can put it in front of an audience, we want to hear about it.
Tell Us About ItUse the contact form and pick the Talent Hub topic. There is no fee and no audition to get on the list.
Our cultural committee keeps a running list of community performers, grouped by art form.
When we plan Ugadi, Sankranti, Diwali and other events, we go back to this list first.
NZTA TALENT HUB
Send us your details and join the community of performers who bring our festivals to life.