Emerging Leader Award for Cultural Storyteller

Renee Liang has been recognised as a 2010 Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader. Renee is a paediatrician, poet, playwright and short story writer.  She also profiles emerging artists and cultural storytellers on The Big Idea.

“My shared passion for medicine and arts has often converged in my projects, and that’s because I believe they are the same thing.   I’m interested in the stories people have to tell, the history behind their stories, and the environment they come from.

“I don’t think that the work we do should be determined by degrees or job titles, but by what makes us happy and excited.  By choosing things that drive your heart rate up and make your skin buzz – by following your bliss - you are more likely to succeed.”

The Sir Peter Blake Trust annual awards were presented on Friday June 25 by Pippa, Lady Blake and Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand at Government House in front of 200 invited guests.

Scientist Ray Avery received the supreme Blake Medal for Leadership. Renee was one of six emerging leaders recognised for showing great potential along with Maori Leaders Ngarimu Blair and Jamie Tuuta, Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Dr Karen Willcox, Founder of Catwalk Catriona Williams, Gen-I Chief Executive Australasia Chris Quin.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Pippa, Lady Blake said the Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Awards show the depth of leadership in New Zealand.

“When the leaders recognised come from such a diverse background such as business, non-profit, medicine, science and Maoridom, it shows that New Zealand’s future is in good hands.

“This year’s recipients are a shining example of what is achievable when people commit to a vision, have belief in themselves and others, and motivate everyone to achieve. It is exactly what Peter did too,” she said.

The Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards officially launch Leadership Week (June 25 - July 2), which aims to raise awareness of the importance of great leadership and showcase the work that is being done to develop leadership capability throughout the country. Over 85 events are being held across 15 regions.

Renee Liang

Renee Liang is a consultant paediatrician and researcher.  With an interest in community and child health, her medical research looks at human development trajectories from early life to adolescence. 

Renee is currently leading the Asian Advisory Group for Growing Up in New Zealand – a longitudinal study designed to gather information to improve the lives of all New Zealand children.  She has previously undertaken a clinical project looking at the health of aboriginal children in Far Western New South Wales. 

Renee is also a widely published poet, short story writer and playwright – her plays Lantern and The Bone Feeder have played to sold-out audiences.   By drawing on her diverse talents in both medicine and the arts, Renee is helping to define the cultural landscape of New Zealand and supporting community development.

In 2006, Renee participated in the development of An Absolute Rush – a grassroots performing arts initiative for at-risk youth in South Auckland, run on almost no budget, but a groundswell of energy and community support.  Believing that writing and performance empower youth by allowing them to speak in their own voice, Renee organised speakers and ran poetry workshops for the students which resulted in a collection of moving stories, of hopes and dreams.  She also looked at the benefits from a youth health perspective, and recorded footage for a documentary.

Her arts activities similarly run along themes of personal development and empowerment, bringing different communities together.  Renee  is a founding organiser of several initiatives, including Metonymy – a way of sparking creative collaborations by ‘blind dating’ artists from different disciplines; Funky Oriental Beats – a series of events designed to propel Kiwi Asians to participate in the burgeoning arts scene in Auckland; and the Guerilla Poets, who aim to demystify literature by literally bringing poetry onto the streets. Through her fortnightly blog on The Big Idea, Renee profiles emerging artists and comments on cultural directions.

Her ability to bring people together was reflected in her selection this year for the Emerging Pacific Leaders’ Dialogue – an initiative to strengthen the capacity of the Pacific region’s future leaders to manage challenges collaboratively, positively and creatively.  Renee visited Samoa, Fiji and Tonga to share information and forge networks, and now works with fellow alumni to find ways to benefit the region. 

As well as her medical degrees and specialist qualification as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Renee also holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland, and has recently graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Drama Studies. 

Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards

The Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards were established in 2005 to inspire and celebrate great leadership. The Awards are open to all New Zealanders and selection includes a rigorous process reviewing nominations for leaders from all sectors of society.

The selection panel for this year’s awards is made up of a group of New Zealand leaders in their own right including: Sir Ron Carter (Chair), Sir John Anderson, Professor Sir Paul Callaghan, Mick Brown, Sir Eion Edgar, Alison Paterson, Jane Huria, Dr Lester Levy,  and Hon. Fran Wilde.