Challenging Times For Arts Sector Mean Renewed Strategic Focus For Creative New Zealand Over Next Four Years

Resilience, access, inclusion and equity, and wellbeing are Creative New Zealand’s strategic focus areas over the next four years, aimed at providing ongoing support while lifting the sector out of the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

These focus areas are included in Creative New Zealand’s new medium-term strategy, the Statement of Intent 2022–2026, following from the 10-year strategic direction set in mid-2019, and reflect the significant upheaval that the COVID-19 environment has had on the sector. The strategic focus areas were also tested with the arts community in March 2022.

The new Statement of Intent also signals a greater emphasis on partnerships and advancing the organisation’s programme to meet its aspirations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Caren Rangi, Chair of Creative New Zealand’s governing body the Arts Council, says that the shift in focus for Creative New Zealand has come at a time when more arts practitioners and artists are navigating a difficult environment in the sector since the arrival COVID-19.

“The discussions we’ve had, and still are having, with artists and arts practitioners show just how hard it is for people in the sector to lead sustainable careers in the arts, particularly through this pandemic.

“Coupled with significantly high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis that Aotearoa New Zealand is currently experiencing, it’s clear that our sector has wider systemic issues, and change needs to happen to secure a better future for the arts in Aotearoa. We will work with the sector to effect that change; however, like everyone else, we will need to be more agile in the way we apply our limited financial resources.”

Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright says he expects the sector will require additional support to recover and rebuild following COVID-19 and continue making a significant contribution to the wellbeing of all NewZealanders.

“We spent down our reserves through our initial emergency response to COVID-19, and with the ending of one-off COVID-19 funding from the Government, as well as the lack of material increases to our baseline funding, we will have limited financial flexibility over the next four years,” says Stephen.

“There will be times ahead when we’ll have to make some difficult decisions as to where we invest our resources. This comes at a period when the arts sector is struggling, and the next several years will be challenging for our community,” he continues.

“Additional one-off Government support has enabled the arts sector to survive through COVID-19, and I’m sure we’re joined by the community in appreciating this assistance. The issue now is looking forward – the ongoing consequences of the pandemic coupled with unprecedented inflation are heightening concerns about the community’s ability to succeed over the next few years. All the hard work to mitigate harm over these past two years could be jeopardised if we can’t form a plan to reposition arts, culture and heritage from the margins.”

To respond to these challenges, Creative New Zealand has made three key shifts in its mid-term strategy, identifying three strategic focus areas for the next four years.

These focus areas are:

• Resilience – by developing a resilient and sustainable arts sector and including sustainable arts sector careers
• Access, inclusion, and equity – by ensuring our services and the arts are accessible to, inclusive of and equitable for all New Zealanders
• Wellbeing – by embedding a recognition of the role of the arts and ngā toi in contributing to the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

Creative New Zealand will also place greater emphasis on partnerships by introducing a new deliverable (ie what it will do to deliver on its goals), ‘Partnering for the arts’. Over the next 12 months, it will identify areas for further partnership development.

Work will also continue with advancing TeKaupapa o Toi Aotearoa, a programme aimed at ensuring Creative New Zealand has the organisational culture, competencies, and practices to enable it to meet its aspirations under TeTiriti o Waitangi and be more responsive to other worldviews and perspectives in the way it works, considering the people and communities it serves.

The organisation will also continue delivering to its key strategies,Te Hā o ngā Toi—Māori Arts Strategyand thePacific Arts Strategy, as well as to theInvestment Strategy Te Ara Whakamuaand theAdvocacy Strategy.

Stephen Wainwright says that although the next four years will be a challenge, the refocusing on key strategic areas could potentially transform the arts sector.

“Our research shows that NewZealanders are more positive than ever about the essential role the arts and ngā toi play in our lives, and this is heartening.

“We are determined, and we will work hard on behalf of all creatives, to find an equitable, inclusive accessible and resilient model for a more sustainable arts sector for years to come.”

For more information on Creative New Zealand’s focus for the next four years, see below and read the Statement of Intent

For information about what Creative New Zealand will be doing and how it will measure its performance over the next year, read the Statement of Performance Expectations 2022/23

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