/ ABOUT
E whai ana tātou i te hua o te whakawhānuitanga manaakitanga, kia tauawhitia ai tātou katoa!
E whai ana tātou i te hua o te whakawhānuitanga manaakitanga, kia tauawhitia ai tātou katoa!
E whai ana tātou i te hua o te whakawhānuitanga manaakitanga, kia tauawhitia ai tātou katoa!
E whai ana tātou i te hua o te whakawhānuitanga manaakitanga, kia tauawhitia ai tātou katoa!
E whai ana tātou i te hua o te whakawhānuitanga manaakitanga, kia tauawhitia ai tātou katoa!
Arts Makers / Kāhui Ringatoi Aotearoa (AMA) believes in the power of arts, culture and creativity to enrich the lives of all New Zealanders. AMA aims to raise the standard of support for visual artists and the arts sector as a whole. It is time for art makers to shape the policies that directly affect our arts communities, work and wellbeing.
Since 2020, AMA has become an established advocacy network tuned into the discussions taking place amongst our extended whānau, friends and peers. We hear the widespread frustration that our creative community feels and use this knowledge to inform the trajectory of our work directly.
The current state of affairs is impacted by the threat to arts funding and the bias in society in undervaluing art and artists. AMA has contributed to the campaign for Resale Royalties in the secondary market and has created the first set of guidelines on Artist Fees in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Arts Makers Aotearoa has identified the need for a diverse collective of makers to self-organise and create initiatives that can sustain the members of our creative community. We believe that working together is the surest path to meaningful change and radical imaginaries.
Areas of Discourse
01 / care
manaaki
How can we ensure equitable inclusion and representation of art makers that reflects the diversity* of Aotearoa?
manaaki
How can we ensure equitable inclusion and representation of art makers that reflects the diversity* of Aotearoa?
02 / nurture
āwhina
How are arts organisations, the education sector, local councils and central government engaging with and listening to the concerns of arts makers?
āwhina
How are arts organisations, the education sector, local councils and central government engaging with and listening to the concerns of arts makers?
03 / support
manaaki
How can we support and sustain skill sharing and development within our arts communities?
manaaki
How can we support and sustain skill sharing and development within our arts communities?
04 / sustainability
toitūtanga
What does health and sustainability look like for you as an arts maker and us as an arts community?
toitūtanga
What does health and sustainability look like for you as an arts maker and us as an arts community?
05 / education
ako
How are the arts and arts makers valued within our education systems?
* In regards to cultural identity, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, ability status, social class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental health status, and / or any other characteristic.
Who is behind the scenes of Arts Makers Aotearoa?!
AMA was founded in 2020 by Heidi Brickell, Judith Darragh, Mark Harvey, Rebecca Hobbs and Richard Orjis. Post conception, Roxanne Hawthorne and Sophie Sutherland were adopted into the whānau to help shape and grow our online presence.
AMA’s number one strength is our arts community. We are a small organisation focused on advocacy for the working artist. We want to create supportive infrastructure for our community and include our members as much as possible in AMA’s public programmes.
If you are interested in helping out AMA in any way such as providing insight into your needs as an artist, speaking in one of our Zui’s, or you have an exciting advocacy project, send us an email! AMA encourages our members to get involved.
Judith Darragh ONZM
Judith exhibits throughout Aotearoa and is renowned for her sculptural assemblages, collage, photography, video, and poster art – with many works held in public collections. Alongside co-editing Femisphere, a zine / publication supporting women’s art practice Judith was central to the development of Artspace Aotearoa, as well as artist-run spaces Teststrip, and Cuckoo. Judith has also been an educator, and mentored many artists over the past 30 years.
Judith exhibits throughout Aotearoa and is renowned for her sculptural assemblages, collage, photography, video, and poster art – with many works held in public collections. Alongside co-editing Femisphere, a zine / publication supporting women’s art practice Judith was central to the development of Artspace Aotearoa, as well as artist-run spaces Teststrip, and Cuckoo. Judith has also been an educator, and mentored many artists over the past 30 years.
Dr Mark Harvey
Mark, Ngāti Toa, Ngāto Raukawa, Clan Keith, is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland as well as a performance artist and live artist working with choreography. Marks practices are conceptually driven and often dialogue and test out notions of minimal endurance with constructions of idiocy, seriousness and deadpan humour, drawing from his visual arts and contemporary dance influences.
Mark, Ngāti Toa, Ngāto Raukawa, Clan Keith, is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland as well as a performance artist and live artist working with choreography. Marks practices are conceptually driven and often dialogue and test out notions of minimal endurance with constructions of idiocy, seriousness and deadpan humour, drawing from his visual arts and contemporary dance influences.
Rebecca Hobbs
Rebecca completed a BVA (HONS) at the Victorian College of the Arts and received the Samstag Scholarship, attaining a MFA from the California Institute of the Arts – after which, she completed a practice-led research DocFA project entitled Ngā puia o Ihumātao at the University of Auckland. Rebecca’s socially engaged creative practice prioritises collaboration to create multimedia artworks that celebrate dynamic bodies and their relationship with specific sites.
Rebecca completed a BVA (HONS) at the Victorian College of the Arts and received the Samstag Scholarship, attaining a MFA from the California Institute of the Arts – after which, she completed a practice-led research DocFA project entitled Ngā puia o Ihumātao at the University of Auckland. Rebecca’s socially engaged creative practice prioritises collaboration to create multimedia artworks that celebrate dynamic bodies and their relationship with specific sites.
Dr Richard Orjis
Richard is an artist, tertiary educator and curator from Tāmaki Makaurau. Richard completed his PhD from AUT in 2021 that focussed on queer and indigenous representation in contemporary art. Richard has exhibited extensively in private and public institutions across Aotearoa, Australia, North America and Europe.
Richard is an artist, tertiary educator and curator from Tāmaki Makaurau. Richard completed his PhD from AUT in 2021 that focussed on queer and indigenous representation in contemporary art. Richard has exhibited extensively in private and public institutions across Aotearoa, Australia, North America and Europe.
Roxanne Hawthorne
Roxanne is a graphic designer, creative, and advocate for the arts. Originally trained in advertising, her design studio Lovely focuses on more socially-minded brands, alongside designing graphics / props for film and tv. Lovely has been involved with AMA since its formation, helping develop and design the collective’s identity and online presence. Roxanne also dedicates time to pro-bono work within the political, environmental and arts sectors.
Roxanne is a graphic designer, creative, and advocate for the arts. Originally trained in advertising, her design studio Lovely focuses on more socially-minded brands, alongside designing graphics / props for film and tv. Lovely has been involved with AMA since its formation, helping develop and design the collective’s identity and online presence. Roxanne also dedicates time to pro-bono work within the political, environmental and arts sectors.
Sophie Sutherland
Sophie is the AMA administrator, coordinator and social manager. Sophie is also an artist and writer, having recently graduated with a Masters of Visual Arts from Auckland University of Technology. Sophie has exhibited at ST PAUL ST Gallery and the Audio Foundation. Alongside her own practice, and the work Sophie does for AMA, she is a facilitator at RM Gallery and Project Space.
Sophie is the AMA administrator, coordinator and social manager. Sophie is also an artist and writer, having recently graduated with a Masters of Visual Arts from Auckland University of Technology. Sophie has exhibited at ST PAUL ST Gallery and the Audio Foundation. Alongside her own practice, and the work Sophie does for AMA, she is a facilitator at RM Gallery and Project Space.