Creative New Zealand

Creative New Zealand is the national arts development agency; developing, investing in and advocating for the arts.

A Crown entity, it was established in 1994 under the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act, and replaced the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand.

Creative New Zealand’s vision, as set out in its Strategic Plan 2010–13, is Strong and dynamic New Zealand arts, valued in Aotearoa and internationally.

Our values are:

  • Supporting artistic freedom
  • Acknowledging the contribution of the arts to society
  • Aspiring to excellence
  • Partnering with Maori as tangata whenua
  • Recognising diversity

Under the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 1994 (s 5 Principles), Creative New Zealand is required to:

  • Recognise the cultural diversity of the people of New Zealand
  • Recognise in the arts the role of Maori as tangata whenua
  • Recognise the arts of the Pacific Islands’ peoples of New Zealand

Review of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 1994

A review of Creative New Zealand’s legislation was promised in the National Party’s arts, culture and heritage policy in the 2008. A bill effecting the proposed changes was introduced into the House on 25 June 2010.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage – working with Creative New Zealand, Te Puni Kokiri and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs – carried out the review as well as targeted consultation with the arts sector.

The Bill creates a single board responsible for policy, strategy and funding allocation, replacing the current division of responsibilities between four separate bodies: the Arts Council, the Arts Board, Te Waka Toi and the Pacific Arts Committee.

The Bill provides for a board of thirteen members, including at least four members with knowledge of Maori arts and at least two with knowledge of Pacific arts. Under the current structure, there are 28 board and committee members.

The Bill continues the requirement on the Arts Council to allocate funding for Maori and Pacific arts and the arts of the diverse cultures of New Zealand. It also requires the Arts Council to involve Maori and Pacific peoples in assessment processes relevant to Maori and Pacific arts.

The purpose and principles of the Act, including the principles set out above, remain unchanged.

Over the course of its 2010-13 Strategic Plan Creative New Zealand is committed to:

  • reviewing its Cultural Diversity Strategy (June 2006) with the view to it becoming a wider diversity strategy encompassing access to, and participation in, the arts for disabled New Zealanders
  • developing a community arts policy.
Projects 2011
Te Waka Toi Awards

The annual Te Waka Toi Awards recognise leadership, outstanding contribution and leadership in Maori Arts. . The awards celebrate kaumatua who have worked tirelessly to ensure the retention and development of Maori arts in their communities. Te Tohutiketike a Te Waka Toi, the supreme award, acknowledges a lifetime of excellence in the arts. Past recipients include Sir Howard Morrison, Diggeress Te Kanawa, the late Hone Tuwhare and Witi Ihimaera. In 2010, the supreme award was renamed Te Tohu Aroha mo Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu in honour of the late Maori Queen and the 2010 award was made to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Every year Te Waka Toi offers two scholarships to post-secondary Maori students of Maori arts across artforms (e.g. visual arts, music, theatre, and dance) and in arts-related areas (e.g. curation, arts writing, conservation). The scholarships are awarded based on artistic and cultural merit, academic merit and leadership qualities. For more information please visit our website.

Maori Arts-Residencies

In 2011, Te Waka Toi will award the Toi Sgwigwialtxw Residency, at The Evergreen State College, located in Olympia, Washington, North America. This residency is for an artist who has demonstrated excellence in his or her chosen artform. For more information please visit our website.

The Creative New Zealand Toi Oahu Residency at the University of Hawaii is a two-month residency that is open to established Maori artists in the fields of visual arts and craft/ object art. This residency will not be offered in 2011.

Tohunga Tukunga Mentoring Programme

Te Waka Toi has established a Tohunga Tukunga Mentoring Programme. This programme provides Tohunga with an opportunity to share their knowledge and skills with senior Maori artists. This programme aims to actively assist in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge and skills for future generations of Maori artists. For more information please visit our website.

Toi Ake

The Toi Ake programme supports the preservation and development of toi Maori for hapu/iwi. Whakapapa-based roopu may apply to Te Waka Toi for funding or consultant assistance to undertake a Toi Ake project. For more information please visit our website.

Health of Maori Heritage arts research

In 2008/09 Te Waka Toi completed the Health of Maori Heritage Arts research in consultation with Maori. The purpose of this research was to provide greater clarity and insight into the health of Maori heritage arts in Aotearoa New Zealand, and help inform Creative New Zealand on how it can best target support and funding for Maori heritage arts from 2010. Results of the research will be published in early December 2010.

Implementation of the outcomes of the research is planned across a three-year period, 2010–13, and involves targeted interventions to raise the profiles of heritage artforms, encourage dialogue and co-operation between practitioners and support agencies and provide funding to support specific activities designed to increase skills and participation in the artforms.

Distribution Strategy – Maori arts activities

In order to support the delivery of arts experiences outside the main centres, Creative New Zealand developed a Distribution Strategy in 2008/09. The strategy is being implemented by all three funding bodies: the Arts Board, Te Waka Toi and Pacific Arts Committee. Te Waka Toi has identified several activities to be progressed in 2011:

  • a Maori Arts Presenter Fund (to support touring of quality Maori art works within New Zealand and build the audiences for Maori arts in identified areas. (It is expected an identified area’s Maori population will comprise more than 10% of the overall population of the identified area.)
  • a related audience development programme to deepen the engagement of audiences with Maori Arts, increase the frequency of current Maori arts audiences/participation and encourage new participants.
  • a short course to provide arts practitioners with opportunities to gain knowledge and develop the skills required to successfully organise the touring of performing art works and writers within New Zealand. The course will take account of the cultural needs and perspectives of practitioners with a focus on touring works by Maori and New Zealand Pacific artists
Creative New Zealand Partnering with Maori Strategy

In 2008, Creative New Zealand introduced a Partnering with Maori strategy. The strategy acknowledges the unique position of Maori as tangata whenua and includes a training plan for staff. The long-term goal of the strategy and training plan is for all Creative New Zealand staff to have the appropriate skills, tools and understanding to empower them to work confidently, professionally and in good faith with Maori.

Arts Pasifika Awards

A key event supported by Creative New Zealand is the annual Arts Pasifika Awards. The Pacific Arts Committee hosts the awards, which encourage and celebrate excellence in Pacific arts in New Zealand across four award categories. For more information please visit our website.

Pacific Arts -Residencies

International residencies in Hawaii and Samoa will be offered in 2011.

The Fulbright–Creative New Zealand Pacific Writers’ residency in Hawaii enables a New Zealand writer of Pacific heritage to work at the University of Hawaii for three months on a creative writing project exploring Pacific identity, culture or history.

The Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Committee, in partnership with the National University of Samoa, offers a residency in Apia, Samoa at the National University of Samoa. The residency is an important component of Creative New Zealand’s commitment to investing in New Zealand Pacific communities and strengthening and building cultural identity through the arts. For more information please visit our website.

Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust

The Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust is one of Creative New Zealand’s recurrently funded organisations. Tautai provides a programme of activities and support, ensuring a continuity and confidence in a broad range of services established over several years, which have been shown to meet the needs of the artist membership. Tautai’s core activities have been constantly reviewed and evolved for continuous improvement within the available resources.

Tautai promotes, supports, and encourages contemporary pacific artists primarily resident in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a large and growing group of artists that are now experiencing wide acclaim. Such recognition must continue to be built upon in order to realise the artists’ professionalism and develop income opportunities that will sustain their talents independently. Refer to Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust for further information.

Pasifika Festival 12 March 2011

Creative New Zealand has regularly supported the annual Pasifika Festival which takes place at Western Springs, Auckland, in March every year. This is an opportunity to celebrate Pacific cultures on a large scale, with Ngati Whatua recognised as Tangata Whenua. Creative New Zealand, as a sponsor, is given space at the Festival to show case Pacific artists, organise art forums and encourage Pacific artists to engage with the people.

Health of Pacific heritage arts research

In 2008/09 Creative New Zealand, in consultation with the New Zealand Pacific community, completed the Health of Pacific Heritage Arts research. The purpose of this research was to provide greater clarity and insight into the health of Pacific heritage arts in New Zealand and help inform Creative New Zealand on how it can best target support and funding for Pacific heritage arts. Results of the research were published in June 2010.

In 2009/10, Creative New Zealand held a series of 11 fono with 295 individuals from the Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Tokelauan, Tuvaluan and Niuean communities to present the results of the research and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, raise awareness of Creative New Zealand’s role and build capability around support for the Pacific heritage arts. Further fono to work with the Cook Islands community are planned for 2010/11

ARTSpeak Pasifika

The Pacific Arts Committee supported a Pacific Arts Summit in March 2010. The purpose of the summit was to focus on ‘capability building’ opportunities for mid career and established Pacific artists and to focus attention on Creative New Zealand’s current development initiatives.

Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is embedded across Creative New Zealand’s four outcomes, and is a key focus under the strategic priority New Zealanders participate in the arts, through the impact Community arts participation – New Zealand’s diverse communities participate in and develop the arts.

Creative Communities Scheme

Creative New Zealand provides funding for local community-based arts participation activities through the Creative Communities Scheme (CCS). The scheme supports and encourages local communities to create and present diverse opportunities for accessing and participating in arts activities within their geographic area, as well as for defined communities of interest.

The scheme is a partnership between Creative New Zealand and the 67 territorial authorities (TAs). Each TA takes responsibility for delivering the scheme in its area. Each year the scheme supports around 2,400 projects within diverse New Zealand communities.

A review of the Scheme was conducted in 2008/09, and improvements to the programme launched on 1 July 2010. Applications for support under the Scheme must meet one of three funding criteria:

    • Broad community involvement – The project will create opportunities for local communities to engage with and participate in arts activities
    • Diversity – The project will support the diverse arts and cultural traditions of local communities, enriching and promoting their uniqueness and cultural diversity
    • Young people – The project will enable and encourage young people (under 18 years) to engage with and actively participate in the arts.

Refer to our website for further detail on the Scheme.

Framework for Asians’ Engagement in the Arts

Creative New Zealand, Auckland City Council and the ASB Community Trust continue to work in partnership to develop a five-year Asian Aucklanders’ Strategic Action Framework, following the Asian Aucklanders and the arts: attitudes, attendance and participation research in conducted in 2006 and published in May 2007.[1]

The Asian Aucklanders’ Strategic Action Framework is being implemented by Creative New Zealand, Auckland City Council and the ASB Community Trust. The Action Framework addresses three key focus areas: audience development, artists’ development and community engagement.

A new initiative introduced in 2009/10 is the Asian Aucklanders and the Arts Internship Pilot Fund. The internships aim to promote fuller understanding of the work of contemporary Asian artists, and to expand and develop cultural diversity among our audiences, with a particular focus on Asian migrant communities.

Access to the Arts for People with Disabilities

Arts Access Aotearoa is one of Creative New Zealand’s recurrently funded organisations. In 2009/10 it undertook the research, writing and publication of Arts for All: opening doors to disabled people[2], a project encouraging the professional arts sector to improve its access to the disabled community.

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