Guest Speaker: Mayor Dave Cull

Posted: Sunday Oct 15, 2017

Creative Cities Southern Hui warmly welcomes MAYOR DAVE CULL as delegate and guest speaker. Dave will be participating in events for the duration of the Hui, and speaking at Creative Connections on Thursday 30th November.

‘Dunedin is a place where creativity, writers, books and literature thrive and I’m excited at the opportunity this Hui presents to further showcase our city’s creative identity to the world.’

As Mayor of a UNESCO City of Literature, it will come as no surprise that Dunedin’s Mayor Dave Cull has a strong background in writing.

Born in Invercargill, Dave attended Southland Boys’ High School before moving to Dunedin to complete a BA in Political Science at the University of Otago.

He then had an extensive career in the media, including television and radio presenting and extensive print journalism. His writing includes magazine and newspaper columns and a number of books with Random House, Hyndman Publishing and Longacre Press. They include Vineyards on the Edge; A Toast to Martinborough and the Wairarapa; The Great New Zealand Kitchen Book; Garden Landscaping; Icebergs: The Antarctic Comes to Town; and Big Weather South.

Since becoming Mayor of Dunedin in 2010, Dave has focused on both economic and environmental sustainability as Dunedin realises its vision of being one of the world’s great small cities.

Under his leadership, Dunedin has become a much more outward looking city with ever-strengthening international relationships providing fruitful cultural, educational and business links. Dunedin’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature has been at the heart of much of that engagement.

Creative Connections aims to explore creativity as the touchstone of healthy, sustainable communities and celebrate the power of collaboration to inspire.