CHAIR

Sophie (she/her, Ngāi Tahu) is a dedicated arts advocate with a strong background in arts management and event curation. She is currently the Artistic Director of both the Wānaka Festival of Colour and its sister programme, Aspiring Conversations. In alternate years, she also serves as Festival Director for the internationally acclaimed Adam Chamber Music Festival in Nelson.

Sophie previously led a range of significant cultural events, including the Nelson Arts Festival, Opera in the Park, Te Ramaroa Light Festival, the Nelson Summer Events programme, and the Upsurge Bay of Islands Arts Festival. Her extensive national and international network within the performing arts sector underpins a proven track record of delivering outstanding, memorable arts experiences. She is passionate about fostering creativity within communities and creating opportunities for audiences to come together through the power of live performance.

TRUSTEE

Hayley (she/they, Tangata Tiriti) brings over two decades of leadership experience in Aotearoa’s non-profit health sector, with a strong focus on values-led governance, strategic development, and cross-sector collaboration. She is currently General Manager of Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians Aotearoa (MEDSAC), a national organisation supporting clinicians responding to sexual and intimate partner violence.

Alongside her professional work, Hayley has a lifelong passion for the arts, shaped by both local involvement and international experience including several years living in Oaxaca, Mexico, a region renowned for its vibrant creative culture. She contributed to the delivery of Performa 13, the fifth edition of New York’s biennial performance art festival, which featured more than 100 live works across galleries, public spaces, and cultural institutions. She has also served on the committee of the Nelson Film Society and remains an active supporter of the arts in Whakatū. She is committed to fostering a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable arts ecosystem across Te Tai-o-Aorere, and believes deeply in the power of art to connect and inspire, and in ensuring it remains accessible to the whole community.

TRUSTEE

Kirsten (she/her, Tangata Tiriti) brings more than 25 years’ experience in arts marketing, strategic communications, and audience development in both Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She served as Head of Marketing for the Royal New Zealand Ballet from 2000 to 2006, and later led communications at Creative New Zealand. Internationally, Kirsten has worked in the commercial arts and publishing sectors in the UK, contributing to major institutions and independent ventures across performance, visual arts, and cultural heritage.

Now based in Whakatū Nelson, Kirsten is delighted to be able to support the region’s creative future as a trustee of Te Tai-o-Aorere Arts Development Trust. She brings experience from both the commercial and tourism sectors and is interested in how the arts can contribute to regional identity, connection, and economic resilience.

TRUSTEE

Ko Tutumapou te Maunga,
Ko Kurahaupo te Waka,
Ko Te Hoiere te Awa,
Ko Te Hora te Marae,
Ko Ngāti Kuia te Iwi,
Ko Ngāti Apa Ki te Ra Tō, Rangitane, Ngāti Koata, Ngāi Tahu te hāpu,
No Whakatū ahau,
Ko Vicky Thorn tōku ingoa.

Born and raised in Whakatū, Vicky is passionate about fostering growth in our community through all forms of Toi, with a strong commitment to sharing knowledge and promoting Toi Māori for He Tangata.

Throughout her career, Vicky has led initiatives that transformed systems and processes, building trust with diverse stakeholders — from senior executives and iwi leaders to government agencies — across Whakatū and Te Tauihu. With a deep belief in the power of Toi to connect, inspire, and strengthen communities, she is looking forward to contributing to the growth of the trust, watching it develop from a young manu pūhouhou (hatchling) into its full potential.

TRUSTEE

Magdalena (she/her, Tangata Tiriti) is a registered architect and co-founder of Fineline Architecture, a practice based in Whakatū Nelson. Her work explores the relationship between architecture, culture, and environment, with a focus on creating spaces that support wellbeing and belonging.

She is the current Chair of the Te Tauihu (Nelson Marlborough) Branch of Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA and contributes to advocacy initiatives across the urban, community, and environmental spheres. As a trustee of the Arts Development Agency, Magda is passionate about bringing creativity into the everyday life of the city and getting art into the nooks and crannies of Nelson’s streets and urban environment.