Programme Development Kaipara Arts

The Kaipara Centre for the Arts Charitable Trust is a newly formed trust (2024) with the purpose to “provide for, foster and support the arts, artists, community and creative enterprise for the well-being and benefit of arts practitioners, community and the public”.

Our trust board consists of five individuals, all residents of the Kaipara: Zoe Williams-Erickson (arts management and funding), Tony Bozzard (local business owner), Lady Alexandra Smith (arts and community), Laura Worrall (artist), and Leigh Bowness-Barker (local business owner and marketing/PR).

The trust formed in a bid to establish a physical centre for the arts in the Kaipara, alongside a programme of arts activity designed to reach across the Kaipara.

Our kaupapa is strongly aligned with He Rautaki Toi ā Rohe ō Kaipara. This is the first strategy of its kind for the Kaipara District, and sets out the vision, goals, and objectives that Creative Northland, Kaipara District Council, and the creative sector want to achieve over 2022- 2032.

Over the past two years, the Trust has worked to build strong foundations—incorporating as a Charitable Trust and securing funding for a feasibility study in 2024, completing the study and securing programme development funding in 2026. These steps are helping position us for sustainable, long-term impact.

In 2026-27 the Trust is focused on programme development, continued fundraising initiatives, launch of programme, public profile and website.

You will build a dynamic calendar of events, partnerships, and opportunities that creatively and strategically respond to identified community needs across a diverse rural landscape.

Purpose:

The purpose of this role is to deliver key recommendations identified in the KCFA recent feasibility study.

1. The most significant need is for a ‘facilitator’ to activate arts opportunities across the district.

2. The need for increased arts and culture opportunities across the district.

This specialist contract role will research and develop an annual programme of arts activity for the Kaipara region, and will work alongside the trust supporting a series of funding applications to realise delivery of the programme.

The programme is open to a range of music and performing arts events, visual arts, workshops, and subsidiary community programmes (e.g youth programming, well-being, vocational development, older adults) and will be designed to reach across the Kaipara from east to west, utilising existing community venues.

This exciting and newly formed role will be pivotal in developing a high-value arts and culture programme for the Kaipara region.

Responsibilities:

• Liaise with local and national arts and community organisations and individuals to develop an annual programme of activity that meets identified needs.

• Develop project budgets to support the programme of arts activity.

• Compile artist/performer/organisation information and quotes to support funding applications.

• Liaise with venues across the Kaipara.

• Develop a database of arts and community stakeholders.

• Develop policies and procedures to support responsible and compliant community engagement and event delivery.

• Develop an evaluation framework.

• Attend Trust meetings

Person specification:

• Tertiary degree level qualification in Arts, Community or Events Management

• 5 – 10 + years in Programme development, Arts programming/curation, festival or venue management

• Respect and awareness of cultural protocols

• A high level of attention to detail, independence and self-motivation.

• In-depth knowledge of, and experience in the arts sector, alongside commercial acumen.

• Experience in programme development within a rural or widespread / diverse setting also an advantage

• Experience in leading programmes and collaboration

Contract structure:

Fixed term contract (12-15 weeks)

May – July 2026 (start date negotiable)

Remote/ online work with occasional attendance at board meetings.

12 hrs p/w (flexible)

Remuneration:

$55 - $60 p/h