CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND MEDIA RELEASE
12 August 2013
Creative New Zealand and the British Council forge new cultural links
Creative New Zealand and the British Council have created a new partnership, MOMENTUM New Zealand, to support greater
artistic collaboration and exchange.
This month, MOMENTUM New Zealand is supporting a delegation of 18 arts professionals to attend this year’s Edinburgh
Festivals.
MOMENTUM NZ delegates will be introduced to Scottish, UK and international producers, festival directors and venue
managers and supported by Creative Scotland and Festivals Edinburgh to develop their own professional networks via
hosted events and individual meetings.
The Edinburgh Festivals are the largest and most acclaimed in the world and Creative New Zealand welcomes the
opportunity to boost New Zealand’s involvement, says Creative New Zealand’s Senior Manager, Arts Policy, Capability and
International, Cath Cardiff.
“Our arts professionals will experience first-hand how this huge multi-layered event is put together and plan how their
work might fit within that. We look forward to working with the sector and the British Council on this initiative and
exploring on-going relationships together,” she says.
As a result of this new partnership, it is anticipated that more New Zealand companies and artists will feature in the
Edinburgh Festivals in 2014. “With the Commonwealth Games being staged in Glasgow in 2014 at the same time as the
Edinburgh Festival, the timing of this new initiative just couldn’t be better,” says Director of Arts, British Council,
Graham Sheffield. “We look forward to the development of exciting new work and to greater artistic collaboration between
our two countries.”
“Having the Games and the Festivals taking place at the same time is an opportunity for New Zealand to raise awareness
of the diversity and richness of our culture and create a lasting impact in Scotland, the UK and internationally,” says
Ms Cardiff.
Members of the delegation were selected by British Council officers and Edinburgh Festival directors and venue managers
who attended the Auckland Arts Festival earlier this year as part of Creative New Zealand’s Te Manu Ka Tau: Flying
Friends initiative.
Creative New Zealand has contributed $30,000 towards Momentum NZ. The full programme of Edinburgh Festivals work will
not be known until early 2014.
ends