Creative Technology Northland Core Organising Group

Kim Newall (MCT) is a creative technologist, performance artist and educator. His multimedia practice includes immersive real-time performance and interactive and generative installations. Kim’s passion is applying emerging and creative technologies (such as Augmented Reality, Arduino, IoT) within community-based settings and with grassroots audiences. Kim has a Master of Creative Technologies and has taught in the Bachelor of Creative Technologies programme at AUT, and currently teaches digital arts part-time at NorthTec. 

Jarred Taylor (BPhil, BIR) facilitates immersive experiences through an orchestration of analog and digital mediums.  Jarred coordinates workshops and events for the Quarry Arts Centre, Whangārei Night Lights and Northland Burners (a local chapter of Burning Man held annually in the Nevada desert).  Jarred’s passion is outdoor immersive art installations and virtual reality in the metaverse (working with Afterspace & Memtell GmbH, Germany).

Craig Neilson works confidently with high-and-low tech tools to creatively produce anything from kinetic sculptures to custom electronics, digital content, crowd-pleasing remixes and very elaborate pranks. He is a “turbo nerd who can talk to computers” but has a formal education in creativity and humanities (BA Soc.Sci, M.CW). He is enthusiastic to support and promote the various endeavours of the Whangārei local creative scene.

Olivia Garelja is a multi-disciplinary creative who enjoys blurring the lines of reality and challenging our minds to rethink what it’s seeing. She exercises her photographic passion for showcasing alternate worlds around us. Holding a 1st class honours in Design from AUT, teaching experience, her other minor quals over a multisector dabbling decade within the tech and retail industry. Olivia is General Manager of Creative Northland.

​​Jade Morgan (BAA) is a digital media artist and educator involved in creative tech, mixed media and the internet. Her cross-disciplinary practice has included installations both physical and online, and has curated several group creative technology exhibitions in Northland Tai Tokerau. She taught digital art and digital media production, developing through to Bachelor level courses at NorthTec. With a strong focus on community-based learning she inspires others to enjoy and explore their creativity

Leonard McDougall is a creative entrepreneur that specialises in graphic design. He helps run NGEN Room a digital tech hub by managing an education programme for rangatahi that helps to build future pathways in the tech industry. He is passionate in just about anything creative and is currently trying to make cool tiktok content.

Charm Hauraki is a photographic digital artist, using photography and photoshop to blend multiple images into compelling and visually stunning realities. She has worked locally, creating and exhibiting, and internationally mentoring other photoshop artists, and assisting in running a yearly international charity art project called The Heart project – Christmas Wish. Her aptitude for project organisation and orientation towards community has led her also to take on the role of community coordinator in Kamo, Whangarei, and as an assessor for the Whangarei District Council creative communities fund.  

Verena Pschorn is a community project manager and artist with a background in social science (MA), as well as a professional nerd dabbling in anything creative and tech. She is especially passionate about her work with the youth tech trust Questionable Research Labs, where she facilitates girls and game design groups and ferries teens around so they can make short movies about chickens. Her many creative projects range from designing games to planning  nerdy, artsy, out-of-the-box community events that make the world a more interesting place.

Lawrence Levine is a global entrepreneur and innovator. He created the world’s first fetal ultrasound computer system and went on to create numerous innovative online platforms, communication systems and technology businesses. He is now a respected authority on information technology and security, as well as online communication platforms.  In 2013 Lawrence started horn which provides a variety of web-based communications including MIDIable (allowing for web based multi-party MIDI communication.) Lawrence is currently on the Executive Board for The MIDI Association (MIDI.org), coaches numerous start up enterprises around the world, and is an active supporter of creative technology and STEAM education in Northland.