Rae Baker brings over 20 years of festival and cultural leadership to the role of General Director of the New Zealand Comedy Trust.
A self-described ‘skiwi’ – Scottish by birth, Kiwi by heart – Rae has built her career across Aotearoa and Scotland, leading organisations and events where creativity, community and commercial sustainability intersect. She served as Festival Director of the Queenstown Winter Festival, where she delivered record audience numbers, and spent eight years heading entertainment at Edinburgh University Students’ Association in close partnership with Gilded Balloon and Pleasance during the Edinburgh Fringe.
Through her own consultancy, Rae has supported festivals and arts organisations across New Zealand to grow their strategy, governance and funding resilience.
Rae is deeply committed to building a comedy sector that is inclusive, culturally grounded, and accessible to all New Zealanders.