Tauranga’s artistic health has just had a boost, thanks to two key appointments made by theTauranga Arts Festival board.

A new general manager and an artistic director have been appointed for the Tauranga Arts Festival’s annual events spanning the 2025-2027 period.

Sarah Cotter will farewell her Tauranga City Council events development manager position and take over the general manager’s role early next month.

Megan Brown, who currently delivers the Taranaki Arts Festival programme, will start as artistic director in November.

Her primary focus will be curating the biennial Tauranga Arts Festival and, on alternate years, the Escape readers’ and writers’ festival.

Tauranga Arts Festival board chairwoman Kathryn Lellman said the board was thrilled to have secured such high-calibre people and Tauranga Moana stands to benefit from what they will bring to the community.

”Tauranga Arts Festival aims to expand minds, delight audiences, and encourage all corners of our community to become vibrant, active and connected. Sarah and Megan are both passionate about achieving this.”

Cotter would bring to her role senior leadership experience and deep involvement in stakeholder engagement, brand marketing and communications strategising.

Sarah Cotter. Photo supplied.

In the past 10 years, she has worked as a general manager (engagement) with the SPCA; as CancerSociety corporate, community and event fundraising manager; head of the Mediaworks Foundation and as BNZ campaign manager.

Brown, originally from the United Kingdom, has been Taranaki-based for 14 years, serving as Taranaki Arts Festival Trust artistic director since 2021.

She will be delivering Spiegel Fest 2024 in Taranaki in November before starting her Tauranga role.

Both women are great believers in community involvement and engagement, and feel a strong commitment to seeing arts festivals grow, increasing the percentage of new attendees.

They will look to continue weaving community members into artistic programmes, along with national and international artists.

Cotter would be filling shoes vacated, in March, by Nikki Hansen, who worked in many roles (including general manager) within the festival since 2015.

Brown would take over from Gabrielle Vincent who will see this year’s Escape festival through to its October 2024 fruition.