Lisa Berndt

Creativity has always felt like a life force to me — an essential part of any community that sparks connection, curiosity, courage, and the ability to imagine better futures together. I’m passionate about enabling communities to work collectively toward meaningful social change, so advocating for arts, culture, and creativity has always been something I carry in my heart.

I grew up in Germany surrounded by a rich cultural landscape, eventually completing my Master of Arts in Cultural Sciences and Communication & Media. Taranaki has been home for more than a decade now, and I bring over 20 years of experience in the cultural sector, from project management to community engagement, from grassroots collaboration to strategic delivery.

My mahi spans both of my passions: creativity and our taiao. Alongside my role as Co-Chair with Creative Taranaki, I’m the Strategic Lead – Biodiversity Corridors at Wild for Taranaki, working with conservation communities to strengthen connection, collaboration, and collective action. What I love is how similar these worlds actually are - both Creative Taranaki and Wild for Taranaki exist to uplift communities, build capability, and weave people together around shared purpose. Whether it’s creatives or conservation communities, the heart of the work is the same: empowering people, nurturing relationships, and helping collective visions take shape.

Before joining Wild for Taranaki, I worked as the Public Engagement Coordinator at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/NPDC and earlier delivered a wide range of arts and cultural projects through the Goethe-Institut Wellington. Across all of these roles, my focus has stayed constant: creating spaces where people feel connected, inspired, and able to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

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