Waitākere Arts and Cultural Development Trust

Trust Board Members

Jermaine Reihana

Acting Chair
Ngāti Hine / Ngai Tūpoto

Jermaine Reihana was born and raised in Waitakere, attending Kura Kaupapa at Hoani Waititi Marae where he also became a long time member of Nga Tumanako Kapa Haka Roopu. Graduating with honours in Māori Visual Arts (2012) from Massey University, Palmerston North, he then went on to take part in the 2013 Te Atinga 25 years of Māori Art Exhibition which helped to establish his professional arts career.

Jermaine is a kaiako for the Kākano Youth Arts Collective based at Corban Estate and has worked on art projects with a number of community-based arts organisations.

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Jarcinda Stowers-Ama

Trustee
Ko Takitumu te vaka
Ko Tumu-te-varovaro te ipukarea
E te Moananui o Kiva

Jarcinda is a New Zealand born Cook Islands and Samoan artist, project manager and producer. Living arts and te peu Kuki Airani – the ways of Cook Islands culture and values – were the foundations of her upbringing in West Auckland.

Jarcinda is the Director of the Pacifica Arts Centre (based on the Corban Estate) and serves as a trustee on the Objectspace board. She is also a founding member of Turou Takitua, a Cook Islands storytelling collective that is inspired by the knowledge and art practices passed down by her elders.

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Pita Turei

Trustee
Ngai Tai Ki Tamaki / Ngāti Pāoa / Ngā Rauru Kiitahi

Pita is a local iwi advocate who has become known as a noted storyteller and respected orator connecting a new generation with the ancient histories of Tāmaki Makaurau.

With an early career in theatre and dance, Pita has toured both nationally and internationally with organisations including the Adelaide Ballet; Limbs Dance Company and Taiao Dance Theatre.

A creative collaborative practitioner and multi-disciplinary artist, he has since worked widely across the creative industries and spent many years in the film industry as a director, actor and photographer while also being significantly involved with Ngā Aho Whakaari Māori On Screen.

Pita has worked on several large-scale public art projects across Tāmaki Makaurau including at the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Waterfront, Spaghetti Junction, SH20 Landscape Design and Te Wao Nui Auckland Zoo. He was a finalist in the Te Wero Bridge Design competition.

Pita is currently a member of Taumata-ā-Iwi advising Auckland War Memorial Museum and is a resident artist at Corban Estate.

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Bernie Harfleet

Trustee

Professionally, Bernie has worked with people with intellectual disabilities for 35 years.

A practicing artist, Bernie often collaborates creatively with partner Donna Turtle Sarten. The pair are well known for their social arts practice that shines a light on some of the darker injustices of life. Together they used to share a studio at Corban Estate Arts Centre for five years.

Part of their art practice is the idea of community involvement, which they term ‘Community Activated Art Action’. After hearing a Coroner’s report in 2015 that stated a child’s death was in part due to the family’s damp and cold living conditions, they started ‘Give a Kid a Blanket’ (GaKaB) as a piece of Art Action.

GaKaB remains a living artwork and in 2019 became a registered NZ Charity for which Bernie is co-founder, trustee and administrator. Bernie and Donna also run ‘Potluck Communal Kai’ a monthly community meal in Ranui, fill local Pataka kai, and support ‘Feed the Homeless - Auckland’.

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Stan Fong

Trustee

Stan Fong is an animation professional who has over thirty years experience in the industry. He has had significant involvement in various aspects in the industry and has worked extensively in different regions, including Europe, Asia, and North America, where he resided for ten years.

In 2015, Stan returned to Aotearoa and collaborated with Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutuku to establish Kurawaka Animation and Design. The primary goal of this program is to offer talented tamariki an opportunity to enter the animation industry and nurture their creative skills.

Building upon the success and impact of the Kurawaka program, Stan partnered with AMA Training, a NZQA accredited P.T.E., to form AMA Digital in 2022. This institution provides a tertiary level digital arts program with a view to building a career in the industry.

Both Kurawaka Animation and Design and AMA Digital, is making a significant contribution to the animation and digital arts community in New Zealand, fostering the growth of young talent and helping them pursue successful careers in the industry.

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Janet Cole

Trustee

Janet’s lifelong passion for dance and writing has continued through her professional roles in journalism, taking creative action for justice and the environment, establishing community-Council partnerships and leading integrated art and sustainable city programmes. With Waitakere City Council for 13 years, she established Keep Waitakere Beautiful and was involved in regional and town centre revistalisation. Her contract work on sustainable catchments developed her interest in partnerships, and growing meaningful engagement with Mana Whenua.

Her governance experience includes the board of EcoMatters and Helensville Enterprise Trust (Community Recycling Centre), before stepping into her role as Kaihautū Chief Executive of Kaipātiki Project in 2016 - 2024. Joining the Environment Hubs Aotearoa board six years ago, with the last two as Co-Chair, she led growth in support and funding for the 21 member Hubs through a 5-year collective contract with Ministry for the Environment and growing national partnerships.

Janet now works for Zealandia Consulting, part of a team designing digital solutions to address environmental challenges around Aotearoa. She lives with her partner in the Waitakere River Valley at Te Henga, in an earth house surrounded by local art, where they brought up three boys and continue to be active community members.

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Amber Curreen

Trustee
Ngāpuhi / Te Roroa / Te Rarawa

Amber Curreen is a kaupapa-Māori focused arts leader who is a co-founder of Te Pou Theatre, Auckland’s Māori home for theatre. Amber currently leads the Executive Direction of Te Pou Theatre and Te Rēhia Theatre Company.

Through these and other organisations Amber has produced national and international tours of works to festivals and venues, directed, written and performed in theatre works and is the Festival Director of the annual Kōanga Festival. Amber is also on the board of the Performing Arts Network New Zealand.