The Cultivator

A systems thinker by nature, Zita recognised that music was never the destination—it was the doorway.

By creating the conditions in which artists, Elders, researchers and communities work together, she saw the possibility of something larger than a residency: a living ecosystem in which Creative Practice, research, technology and philanthropy strengthen one another over time.

As the founder and Cultivator of usic. and Beats Beyond Borders, Zita brings together Indigenous South African, First Nations Australian and Swiss musicians from the Yenish community, alongside Elders and cultural practitioners, through Creative Practice.

Together, they create new collaborative works while preserving, reaffirming and integrating Indigenous and culturally significant knowledge into contemporary life—and carrying it forward into the next one thousand years.

The inaugural residency will generate a collaboratively created album; a feature-length documentary; a collaborative dance work between Jazzart Dance Theatre in South Africa and Bangarra Dance Theatre in Australia; and a live Master’s research project in which the residency itself becomes the research environment through Practice as Research.

Zita sees usic. as a living ecosystem in which music becomes the doorway through which cultures meet, Creative Practice flourishes and enduring human relationships take root.

Her work has never been about changing people. It has always been about cultivating the conditions in which people discover their own capacity to grow.

Zita Arends

Born in South Africa and now an Australian citizen after almost two decades of living and working in Australia, Zita Arends occupies a unique position between cultures.

Living deeply within different societies has enabled her to recognise profound historical, artistic and cultural synergies between Indigenous South African, First Nations Australian and Swiss Yenish communities—connections that inspired the creation of Beats Beyond Borders and the founding of usic.

A registered physiotherapist with more than twenty years of clinical experience, Zita has dedicated her professional life to creating environments in which people discover their own capacity for growth.

Her work has expanded beyond physical rehabilitation into systems thinking, leadership, research, community development and Creative Practice. Throughout her career, one principle has remained constant: meaningful and lasting change happens through relationships—and through cultivating environments in which people can discover their own capacity to grow.

Her philosophy has been profoundly shaped by her long-standing meditation practice in the tradition of Vipassana, as taught by S. N. Goenka. This personal practice informs her leadership through presence, humility, discipline and compassionate service.

It sits quietly beneath the work of usic.—not as a belief system, but as a practice that influences how the Grove is cultivated.

Beats Beyond Borders Vol. 1

Fifteen years in the making, Beats Beyond Borders Vol. 1 is a cross-cultural exchange and immersive Residency Programme bringing together emerging Indigenous South African musicians, First Nations Australian musicians and Swiss musicians from the Yenish community.

Join us in April 2027 as we transcend trauma and create the change in the world we want to see—for our children’s Children.

The question has never been whether culture survives.

The question is whether we create the conditions in which culture can continue to grow.