Dr Benjamin Pitman - Chair
An artist and designer, Benjamin has also been involved in education, training and development since 1970, teaching at senior secondary, industry and university level. He spent many years as a Māori community leader in Sydney and was foundation secretary of Sydney Marae Incorporated and leader, Māori Satellite group, Rotary Club of Sydney CBD, serving also on the Sydney CBD Board as Community Services and International Director. He was made a Paul Harris Fellow in 2009.
He is active in Te Tiriti o Waitangi claims for Te Parawhau and Ngāti Hau. A great-great grandson of the Ngāti Hao o Ngāpuhi chief, Patuone, older brother of Tamati Waka Nene.
Current Positions: Chairman, Te Parawhau ki Tai (Te Pouwhenua o Tiakiriri Kukupa Trust); Secretary and Leader, Business Development Unit, Akerama Marae; Member, Wairau Māori Art Gallery Charitable Trust Board and Trustee; Member, Haerewa Māori Advisory Board, Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tamaki; Trustee, Te Mana Toi o Hikurangi – Hikurangi Art Station; Member, Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery Project Control Group and, Project Action Team; Chairman, Creative Northland.
10 Things you didn't know about Benjamin:
- I am a painter
- I went to Hukerenui School and Northland College
- The first Māori to graduate with a BFA from Elam School of Fine Arts, in 1971
- The first Māori to graduate with MFA(Hons) in 1977
- I was a teacher at BOI College, Rosmini and St Mary's College
- I’ve been writing the story of my great-great grandfather, Patuone for 15 years
- I lived in Sydney for 32 years and 2 years in Kaua'i, Hawaii
- I am also an Australian citizen
- I own a 1762 stone village house in Azille, France
- I speak French
Dr Carol Peters - Trustee (WDC Representative)
Carol is our WDC appointed representative to the board. She is a strong advocate for the arts, social and community development.
Her links in Northland include One Double Five Community House Whare Awhina, best known for its free legal services; Tai Tokerau Emergency Housing Trust; Open Arms day centre for the homeless; and Northland’s Food Rescue. She is also a key member of Tai Tokerau Climate Change Action and a founding member of Northland television channel and video production company CNorth.
10 Things you didn't know about Carol P:
- I built our own house
- I have collected shells all my life
- In our ngahere, there are glow worms
- I illustrated children books for a living in Singapore
- My 3 children were born in different countries – Saudi Arabia, Singapore and New Zealand
- I was the first ‘ticket girl’ for the first rodeo in Whangarei
- I have painted and drawn all my life and exhibited with friends as the ‘Stroppy Tarts”
- All our family still live on our family farm in Maunu. We have lived there for 5 generations – since 1907
- For 20 years my high jump was the record for Whangarei Girls High School
- In 1982 I coded an early animation of a cat. It was written on a 8 bit, 16 kb, ZX Spectrum Computer
Carol Ashton
Carol loves her job as Programme Manager for Springboard Trust in Northland, supporting Principals with strategic planning and leadership development programmes.
Carol says ‘I am really excited by the opportunity to become a trustee for Creative Northland, and to contribute to fostering creativity, especially for our young people’.
10 Things you didn't know about Carol A:
- I love World Music
- I love to create with fabric – especially upcycling items
- I am a proud foundation member of Intercept Fabric Rescue
- I came to Northland as a very young teacher in Kawakawa
- I am the proud mother of three wonderful young men and three delightful stepchildren
- I am Granny Carol to six grandchildren
- I spent six years teaching in International Baccalaureate schools in Indonesia and China
- My wife Dee and I love to cook, and entertain - a passion for sourdough bread and soups
- My best ever travel experience was hot air ballooning in Cappadoccia, Turkey
- My second best was a cruise up the coast of Alaska
Geoff Bartlett
10 Things you didn't know about Geoff:
- I play bridge
- I am left handed
- I grew up in Sydney
- I have been living in Whangarei for 3 years
- I played baseball for over 20 years
- I have had three books commercially published
- Last year I had a feature film script optioned in NZ
- In Australia, I taught workshops in improvisation
- I acted in the play, Calendar Girls at the Octagon theatre in 2017
- I was a travel writer for 10 years
Ataria Rangipikitia Sharman
10 Things you didn't know about Ataria:
- I play bridge
- I am left handed
- I grew up in Sydney
- I have been living in Whangarei for 3 years
- I played baseball for over 20 years
- I have had three books commercially published
- Last year I had a feature film script optioned in NZ
- In Australia, I taught workshops in improvisation
- I acted in the play, Calendar Girls at the Octagon theatre in 2017
- I was a travel writer for 10 years