TAHI Charitable Trust

Chair
She/Her

Beth is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts programme at Victoria University in Theatre and an experienced touring and festival producer.

Based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch - Beth is the Event Coordinator at Te Pa Convention Centre, accounts manager for Safety Matters, board member, and the national administrator for PAYPA (Performing Arts for young people Aotearoa). With a background in producing national touring works at the National Theatre for Children across 37 centres in Aotearoa and as the producer of numerous festivals and projects nationally, including Eat Drink Play, being the logistics manager for CubaDupa and the Producer for TAHI from its inception in 2019 til 2022.

Engaged with TAHI since its inception, Beth has been integral to the festival and its activity through programming, production management, funding and logistics. Elected as the board chair in 2024, Beth is excited to bring her knowledge of the festival to the charitable trust and a strategic lens to the organisation's future.

Trustee

She/Her

I completed a diploma of Performing Arts Drama at EIT, a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Theatre at University of Waikato and a Masters Of Theatre Arts from Victoria University and Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School. I was then employed at Hawke’s Bay Opera House as the Tech and Ops Coordinator and moved to Arts Programming Manager over 2007-2011, then I moved to Oamaru where I was the Director of the Oamaru Opera House focusing on building the presence of the venue within the community. I moved to Tauranga as the Manager of Baycourt Theatre where I developed a curated programme of events and worked on creating a venue that is accessible to the whole community. I moved back to Hastings to take up the role of Manager of Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre where I was involved in the earthquake strengthening and refurbishment project and the re-opening of the centre after 6 years of being closed. My current role at Hastings District Council is as Manager Arts & Culture, managing Toitoi, the Hastings Art Gallery and driving the establishment of an arts and culture division within Council, working to raise the profile and advocacy for arts and culture internally, and externally on a local, regional, national and international level. Along with my role on the TAHI board I am also on the board of PANNZ (Performing Arts Network of NZ) and a member of Te Rōpū Mana Toi, Creative New Zealand’s arts advocacy advisory group.

Trustee

He/Him

James has worked in the Arts, Culture and Creativity sector since moving to Aotearoa in 2005. James is currently working as a funding coach for Funding HQ, supporting a wide range of arts, culture, and heritage organisations to grow their capability and capacity across funding, sponsorship, and private philanthropy. Prior to this role, James was Arts, Culture and Heritage Manager for Tauranga City Council. James has worked in leadership roles for a range of arts organisations, including as Manager for Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, Chief Executive for Q Theatre, and General Manager for Massive Theatre Company. Originally from Maidenhead in Southeast England, James trained as a theatre director at Rose Bruford Drama School in Greenwich, South East London, and worked for a variety of arts venues in London, including the Lyric Hammersmith, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, and The Orange Tree Theatre. James served on the executive board of the Performing Arts Network New Zealand (PANNZ), co-chairing the organisation for four years. As part of his work with PANNZ, James was involved in the development and launch of NZ's National arts touring agency, 'TourMakers', and worked closely with the executive and management team of PANNZ to grow the annual arts market into a key event for festivals, producers, and venues, both in NZ and Internationally. James is a 2013 Alumni of the Leadership New Zealand programme, a trustee of the Incubator Creative Hub in Tauranga, and on the board of the Alzheimer’s society Western Bay of Plenty. James is passionate about creating opportunities for young and emerging artists to develop their craft and bring their stories to wider audiences. He is an advocate for the arts in all forms and its ability to bring communities together.

Trustee

She/he/ia

Jthan - Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Magiagi, Sapapāli'i, Lotofaga - is a Wellington based performer, producer, choreographer, and drag queen. Known for creating and headlining Māori drag girl group; 'The Tiwhas!', Circa Theatre's annual pantomimes, and touring the motu with theatre for children; Jthan is no stranger to the stages of New Zealand’s theatres, most recently performing in 'Cringeworthy; Swinging in the 60's!' at Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North. Jthan is also one of the founding members of Ghostlight Productions and was also the 2022 recipient of the Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance at the Wellington Theatre Awards. Jthan's previous TAHI experience was as a writer in ONO at Circa Theatre 2023.

Trustee

She/Her

Kerryn is a Wellington-based freelance director, producer, teacher of drama and Mum of two. She has a PhD in devising theatre for and with young audiences. Since 2015 she has taught regularly in Victoria University’s theatre programme. She is the coordinator for the MFA (Creative Practice) in Theatre at Victoria University and producer of the annual Six Degrees Festival. She also teaches Drama in Teacher Education.

Kerryn regularly directs at Wellington's professional theatres. She specialises in directing new New Zealand plays and productions for/with young people. She also devises and creates large scale site-specific/generic works, (Pandemic, Sniper, Adrift, My Shout- Another Round at the Thistle Inn, Black November 1918) Kerryn has directed many touring shows that have travelled around New Zealand for; Duffy Theatre, Capital E National Theatre for Children, Handstand Productions, Ensemble Impact and Arts on Tour. She teaches social drama in Ryman Retirement villages for Voice Arts Trust, and is the national facilitator for PAYPA ( Performing Arts for Young People Aotearoa)/ ASSITEJ New Zealand.

Trustee

She/Her

My name is Moira Fortin, I am an actress, dancer and lecturer at Languages and Cultures at the University of Otago in Aotearoa/New Zealand where I am currently living. I completed a PhD In Theatre Studies (2016 - Victoria University of Wellington), where I looked at the interplay of ‘traditional’ cultural elements in the creation of contemporary Rapa Nui, Māori and Samoan theatre. I hold a Master of Arts in Pacific Island Studies (2010 - University of Otago ) and a Bachelor’s degree in Acting (2003) from Universidad Católica in Chile. I am the author of the book Rapa Nui Theatre: Staging Indigenous Identities in Easter Island (2023), which examines the relationships between theatrical productions and socio-political aspects of Rapa Nui culture from precolonial times to the present. My current research interest relates to translation, linguistically and physically, performing in La Panamericana (2019), the Spanish version of The Motorway (2017, 2018, 2019), a bilingual and intercultural take on Cortázar’s La Autopista del Sur, investigating how the change of language affects the acting, the movement, and the overall production of the play.

Trustee

He/Him

Borni Te Rongopai Tukiwaho (Tūhoe, Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa, Whakatohea)- is a theatre and festival producer, director, singer/musician, film and theatre actor, and is a national arts sector strategy & wellness consultant. He actively produces alongside his brother Tainui Tukiwaho, founder of Te Pou Theatre (the Auckland home for Māori theatre) https://www.tepoutheatre.nz/ closing a successful production of award winning show The Sun and the Wind at Circa Theatre in late 2023. It will be appearing at the Auckland Arts Festival in 2024 before undertaking a five centre North Island tour. Unapologetically leading from his cultural roots, all aspects of his work are anchored in his whānau understanding of tikanga, placing Te Ao Māori at the centre. Alongside his brother, he will be presenting Tainuis’ series of whakapapa iwi stories from 2024 starting with The Best of Tūhoe: Tutakngāhau (2024/25) and leading into Te Arawa: Rangiteaorere (2025/26), followed by Tuwharetoa: Haehaeora (2026/27).

Trust Secretary

She/Her

Fay Van Der Meulen is a Freelance Performing Arts Manager based in Pōneke, Wellington. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Theatre from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington where she excelled in Producing and Production Management.

Since leaving university, she has performed at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival; founded the Fringe-award-winning production company Blue Flicker Productions; produced and managed a touring production across the South Island; led marketing campaigns for TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance and The Performance Arcade; worked on the Stage Management team for WOW World of Wearablearts, managed the Box Office at Circa Theatre, toured work to both national and international Fringe Festivals, and much more. Fay has produced a plethora of productions in the New Zealand Fringe Festival where she now works as the Artist and Venue manager.