Ms Anderson spent five years managing the Arai te Uru Whare Hauora before taking her new job a month ago. Both roles were for community based organisations and in both she worked with people who were passionate about what they were doing, she said.
‘‘A lot of people go above and beyond their paid employment'' to ensure such organisations' success.
Funding and community dynamics were also similar, she said.
Ms Anderson is excited about the challenge of managing the theatre through the proposed $9.8 million upgrade. Without the upgrade, the theatre would not be able to stage productions with complex sets because of the inadequacy of the counterweight system used for raising and lowering scenery. The Otago Theatre Trust is yet to launch the fund-raising appeal for this project.
She plans to work on audience development, encouraging more people to regularly attend the theatre.
The theatre upgrade would play a part in this because it would enable more shows to be staged.
Ms Anderson is keen to see greater collaboration with other theatres, in the hope bigger touring shows may see South Island venues as a regular part of their itineraries, rather than an add-on.
Part of this may include encouraging Dunedin theatre-goers to change their last-minute ticket buying habits.
Ms Anderson, who paints, is relishing the opportunity to be formally involved with the arts again and doing it in Dunedin was an added bonus.
‘‘I absolutely love Dunedin.''
Now in her early 30s, Ms Anderson studied fine arts at Otago Polytechnic after leaving Logan Park High School. She did not complete her studies, instead spending several years with an alternative arts collective called Super Eight and running what was then known as the No 5 gallery in Dowling St.
A stint in a gold mine in West Australia followed before she decided, in her early 20s, to complete a double degree - a bachelor of arts in community and family studies and a bachelor of commerce in management.
She gave birth to her daughter three days after her mid-year examinations.
While working on her Phd thesis and doing some private consulting she was offered the manager's job at the Arai te Uru Whare Hauora.
Ms Anderson believed she was chosen for her new job because of her diverse background, encompassing the creative arts, management and working with a community. She also enjoyed thinking strategically.
This involved not only knowing where the trees were, but also being aware of the bark on them, while still being able to see the forest, Ms Anderson said.
