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.

 ako 

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AMA was founded in 2020 by Heidi Brickell, Judith Darragh, Mark Harvey, Rebecca Hobbs, Richard Orjis and Roxanne Hawthorne. Through arts funding Sophie Sutherland and Natasha Matlia-Smith were previously employed as Project Managers / Administrators delivering AMA’s founding mahi. The current team is made up of Zoe Black, Judy Darragh, Mark Harvey, Siân Torrington and Victoria Walsh, donating their time in advisory roles, along with Roxanne Hawthorne as graphic designer and Claudia Jowitt as the Project Manager for AMA’s current funding.

 Zoe Black 

Zoe, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Pākehā, is the deputy director of Objectspace in Tāmaki Makaurau. Her curatorial practice has focussed on community development and advocating for critically underrepresented craft and object art forms. She is currently Norwegian Crafts’ Curator in Residence, working on projects that create a dialogue between Indigenous making practices in Aotearoa and Sápmi.

 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.

 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.

 Roxanne Hawthorne 

Roxanne, is a graphic designer, art director, and social advocate of Irish, Rotuman and German descent. Originally trained in advertising, her design studio Lovely tends to focus on socially-minded brands, alongside designing graphics / props for film. Rox also dedicates time to pro-bono work within the environmental, political, animal rights and arts sectors. 

 Claudia Jowitt 

Claudia is an artist, educator, administrator and creative advocate of Pākehā and iTaukei (Fijian) heritage. She has a MFA from Elam, a BArtDes (Hons) and BVA from AUT. She been exhibiting both nationally and internationally since first completing her undergraduate degree in 2009. Jowitt has a breadth of experience working in the arts sector and is passionate about both supporting representation of Pacific peoples in the arts and creating professional development resourcing for artists.

 Siân Quennell Torrington 

Siân, (she/her, Pākehā) explores alternative structures through materials. Holding space and sharing creative processes is part of her practice, enabling conversation, connection, and collective imagination. Siân has regularly exhibited nationally and internationally, been commissioned to make works for public art institutions, and has been awarded two international artist residencies. Torrington graduated with an MFA with distinction from Massey University in 2010.

 Victoria Walsh 

Victoria, originally from Nova Scotia, is a dedicated advocate for the creative sector in Aotearoa. She focuses on mobilising and empowering creative communitites, with a strong commitment to te ao Māori and mana motuhake for Indigenious practitioners. In 2003, Vic played a pivotal role in the Stop the Cuts campaign, opposing the Auckland Council’s proposed $36.5M cuts to arts funding. Her work centres on supporting creatives and advoating for systems that uplift cultural sovereignty and artistic sustainability.