Dr Emma Bugden is a writer and consultant currently working in cultural sector economic development for Whanganui District Council. In this role she has led the city’s successful bid for the title of New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Design and established the Whanganui Film Office. Previous roles include Director of ARTSPACE Aotearoa and Programmes Manager/Senior Curator at The Dowse Art Museum. Her PhD in management studies examined the impact of funding on small-scale arts organisations. Emma is Co-Chair of the Blumhardt Foundation and, with her partner, is four years into an urban regeneration project in the former civic centre of Gonville, Whanganui.
