Ōtautahi Creative Spaces is powered by a small team which is passionate about creativity and wellbeing.
Kaela is our numbers person, balancing the books as our Finance Manager. She also does all things admin, dotting the i's and crossing the t's gives her great satisfaction.
Passionate about creativity, connection and community, Kaela has her own art practice mostly in collage and painting and has done mahi in grassroots organisations for many years. Outside of this, she can be found at markets, op shops, the beach and reading a good book in a comfy spot.
Hadani is passionate about supporting others on their artistic journey, viewing creativity as crucial for mental wellness and overall health. Hadani believes that everyone has creative potential, whether they have discovered it yet. In addition to being an advocate for artistic exploration, Hadani is a long-distance trail runner. Drawing inspiration from her ventures into the rugged wilderness of Aotearoa/New Zealand, she translates her experiences into vibrant oil landscape paintings.
Henni finds great joy being part of this vibrant arts community and manages our programmes and people, along with facilitating the Writers Group. Henni creates space for artists' leadership and opportunities for their creativity to flourish, including getting involved with the Christchurch art scene. Outside of work, Henni loves getting into the outdoors and making pottery.
The founder and strategic director of Ōtautahi Creative Spaces, Kim is focused on the sustainability of our creative community long term, through relationships and partnerships. A staunch advocate for arts and mental health, Kim amplifies the voices of our artists to create change. Outside of work she can be found on islands, in op shops, in her wild garden and talking art.
Tom works closely with the artists, supporting their creative engagement and well-being. Alongside this, Tom oversees our youth partnerships. His own background spans both fine arts and social work, having now worked in the social work field for five years. Tom loves how creativity pushes us to make brave choices and advocates how a strong sense of creativity can help us become more confident in other areas of our lives.
Emma is a ceramic artist that enjoys working and creating as part of a community. She is inspired by the artists' endless creativity and the innovation they bring to pottery projects. Outside of work, Emma can be found in her pottery shed, in front of the sewing machine or out walking.
Rebecca brings experience as a participating artist and digital native to install exhibitions in our 3d gallery. Rebecca’s own art practice is wide ranging from ink to digital art. Her art springs forth with humour and intrigue.
Janie is a relieving artworker who loves meeting and creating with artists. Janie previously worked with Artsenta's outreach programme in Central Otago which allowed her to work with incredible people, a range of mediums, and drink copious amounts of tea (the dream). Janie is a musician and loves escaping the city by exploring in the mountains.