Gisella Carr

Gisella Carr’s career has included Chief Executive roles at both WOW and Film New Zealand; senior roles at Te Papa, Creative New Zealand, the Royal New Zealand Ballet; and entrepreneuring shows for four years around New Zealand as Director of the NZ Students Arts Council.

Her ten-year consulting practice included creating the Arts Laureate Awards as the initiating strategist for the Arts Foundation of New Zealand; teaching at Victoria University of Wellington and Toi Whakaari; and strategic projects for central government, local and district councils and cultural agencies across New Zealand.

She is the author of several publications. She is currently Head of Creative Capital for Wellington City Council, leading since 2021 the Council teams charged with shaping and executing the vision for Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, Wellington’s new central library as well as more recently the wider Te Ngākau Civic Precinct. The new facility opened to acclaim earlier this year and has had 300,000 visits in the eight weeks since opening.

She is currently on the boards of the National Army Museum, Nelson AI Sandbox and VUW New Zealand School of Music | Te Kōkī - Community Advisory Group.