Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Helen Clark announced today the appointment of new members to the council and the arts boards of Creative New Zealand.

To coincide with the expiry of his term of appointment on Te Waka Toi, Dr Pita Sharples has been appointed to the Council of Creative New Zealand for a term of three years. Also appointed to the Creative New Zealand Council are Peter Brunt, a Samoan New Zealander and lecturer in Art History at Victoria University, and Rob Garrett, Head of the Otago Polytechnic School of Arts in Dunedin. Each of these appointments is for three years.

Murray Shaw, whose term of appointment on the Creative New Zealand Council expired this year, replaces Chris Finlayson as Chair of the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand. Other appointments to the Arts Board are Alastair Carruthers, Chief Executive of Chapman Tripp in Wellington, Graeme Gorton, who retired as General Manager of the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, in February, and Judith Fyfe, a solicitor and past lecturer in oral history at Victoria University.

Keri Kaa, artist and broadcaster from the East Cape, has been appointed to Te Waka Toi, along with Mika, a well known Maori performer, and Professor Timoti Karetu, Executive Chair of the Kohanga Reo National Trust, and chair of Aotearoa Traditional Mäori Performing Arts Society.

Current members of the Creative New Zealand Council, Dr Marilyn Waring and Ngahuia Te Awekotuku have been re-appointed, each for a term from 1 July this year until 31 October 2003.

“I am delighted that these people have all agreed to serve on Creative New Zealand boards. They bring an impressive range of skills and experience to their positions. I am confident that Creative New Zealand will be well served by its new, and re-appointed members, " Helen Clark said.

Creative New Zealand encourages, promotes and supports the arts in New Zealand. It has an Arts Council and two boards, the Arts Board and Te Waka Toi each with seven members.

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