People 

Hūtia te rito o te harakeke. Kei hea te kōmako e kō?
Kī mai nei ki ahau. He aha te mea nui ki tēnei ao?
Māku e kī atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

If you were to pluck out the centre of the flax bush, where would the bellbird sing?
If you were to ask me "What is the most important thing in the world?"
I would reply, "That it is people, people, people."
Traditional Maori proverb


ART invests in creative people, their ideas and enterprises, and backs their drive to make things happen.

ART has developed it's programmes to help creative entrepreneurs from throughout the Auckland city region realise their aspirations, giving 'more runway' to the development of their ideas, aspirations and enterprises.

Some of the people and their enterprises that ART has invested in in the past are Diversityworks, Toi Whenua, Taonga Toi, artweb, Cube, The Big Idea (through Cube), Objectspace (through Cube) and The Church Auckland.

ART works with many partners, sponsors and funders who each provide vital resources, networks and expertise to realise the aims of each of the ART programmes

The Arts Regional Trust are:
Dr Hinemoa Elder (Chairperson)

Ko Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa me Nga Puhi nui tonu oku Iwi Ko Hinemoa Elder toku ingoa


I am a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and many years ago trained as a dancer and earned my living as a choreographer and actor. I am committed to supporting creativity as part of what it is to be healthy, and what builds resilience in whanau and communities. My medical practice enabled me to participate differently in supporting creative activities and I came into this role as Chair of ART Te Taumata Toi -A -Iwi having been the Chair of the Auckland Theatre Company Trust board for 5 years. Our current focus at ART is on how to invest in creative entrepreneurs in regionally significant ways. To get people with great ideas to refine their thinking, knowledge and skills to make innovative, quality, radical things happen. To provide them with more runway to enable them and their projects to fly further, higher and for longer.

Nigel Arkell (Deputy Chairperson)

I began my own accountancy practice in 2006 to advise privately owned businesses as well as maintain the Trusteeships I had whilst being a Partner at Ernst & Young. I had been with Ernst & Young and its predecessor firms for over 30 years and was a Partner for 25 years, deciding to resign from Ernst & Young after the International firm directed that all Partners must resign any management positions they had with clients, including Trusteeships effective 30 June 2006.

I am enjoying growing my new practice where I can continue to have long lasting client relationships so that I am in a position to anticipate clients' business needs.  I often work as an 'outside financial advisor' meeting regularly and as required to assist with business issues as they arise.

I am one of the founding Trustees of the Arts Regional Trust and was appointed Deputy Chairman at its first meeting in 2002. I am passionate about the arts, particularly the visual arts, and enjoy my involvement in ART and helping entrepreneurial practitioners realise their potential.

Sandi Morrison, QSM

I have worked for the past 25 years with public and private sector interests to develop partnerships, projects and new services to support economic, social and cultural development. I was a member of the Strategy Leaders Group responsible for developing the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy AREDS. I chair and represent the Regions' Economic Development Agencies on the ARC Economic Development Forum, and work on strategic issues impacting on economic development, skill shortages and the labour market. I am passionate about the contribution that the creative and cultural sector can make to the growth of new economies. I support a number of new regional initiatives in the creative industries and am a member of Auckland City's Creative Industries Advisory group. I am also a Chair of EDANZ the Economic Development Association of NZ, and a foundation Trustee of the Arts Regional Trust ART/ Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi and The Big Idea / Te Aria Nui Charitable Trust. I have also contributed to national policy development as a Ministerial appointment to the Hillary Commission and the Council and Arts Board of Creative New Zealand / Toi Aotearoa.

Peter Shand, PhD

I am the Associate Head of School at Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland, and hold a PhD in Art History from the University of Auckland and an LLM specialising in Intellectual and Cultural Property from King's College, London. The areas of research I am most interested in reflect those two strands of inquiry and consider contemporary and historical artistic and design practices, theorisation of art and design, fashion, copyright and the inter-relation of creative practice and law. Recent curatorial projects I have undertaken include shows on New Zealand fashion houses 'Zambesi: Edge of Darkness' (2005) and 'We fought fashion and lost: WORLD 1989-2005' (2004) at the Auckland War Memorial Museum and an international photography project 'artconneXions' (2005) at Gus Fisher Gallery, The University of Auckland. He also serves on the Board of te tuhi, Manukau City.

Bev Smaill

I am a Company Director, with a background and training in commerce, with a passion of the arts, particularly architecture, design and visual arts. I have over 30 years experience and involvement working with arts organisations throughout the Auckland region. Until recently, I have been a longtime resident in Manukau City and still serve on several Manukau City not for profit organisations, including the board of Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts. I am also a member of several committees overseeing Manukau City Council initiatives, as well as being is a foundation member of the Arts Regional Trust.