/ A B O U T
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
Nau mai ngā ora, Nau mai ngā pai, Nau mai kia nui kia hāwere ai.
01 / care
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?
03 / support
tautoko
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?
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 screens ︎︎
Who is behind the screens ︎︎
︎︎ at AMA?
Arts Makers Aotearoa was founded in 2020 by Heidi Brickell, Judith Darragh, Mark Harvey, Rebecca Hobbs, Roxanne Hawthorne and Richard Orjis.
Through arts funding Sophie Sutherland and Natasha Matlia-Smith were previously employed as Project Managers / Administrators delivering AMA’s founding mahi. And ngā manaakitanga to recently departed board member Siân Quennell Torrington, and designer Roxanne Hawthorne who spearheaded AMA’s online presence + print projects from 2020-25.
The current AMA board is made up of Judith Darragh, Zoe Black and Victoria Walsh, donating their time in advisory roles, and Claudia Jowitt as Project Manager / Administrator with CNZ funding.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.