Creative New Zealand is to invest $400,000 into the Waikato region over a two-year period aspart of a regional arts pilot. The pilot will provide training and resources for artists and artsorganisations to increase their skills in audience development, marketing and promotion,business development, strategic planning and governance, and in presenting touring work.
Creative Waikato will deliver the capability development programme, which is targeted at artsorganisations and artists in regional areas.
Creative Waikato has also been contracted to research and publish a Māori Arts Discussion Paper- Toi Māori Waikato: Kia hua, kia puawai. The paper will take an in-depth look at Māori artsresources to identify what is needed to ensure Māori arts and artists thrive in the region. Thereport will make a series of recommendations to key stakeholders on where to support and investfor the best return for the sector.
The Waikato is only one of two areas selected for the pilot nationally.
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“Creative New Zealand initiated the pilot as the Arts Council wanted to explore how to improveour service to areas outside the main centres. It was also concerned that fewer fundingapplications are being received from the Waikato despite its relative size and population,” said Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright.
“Subsequent research in 2014 also found that arts participation at 46% was significantly lowerthan the New Zealand average of 58%.”
The pilot aims to help increase access to performances and exhibitions, provide opportunities forpeople to be directly involved in the arts, and raise awareness of the funding and resourcesprovided by Creative New Zealand.
The skills training will be offered by Creative Waikato, which has also been contracted to researchand publish a Māori Arts Discussion Paper.
The development of Māori arts is seen as a unique opportunity for the region and the paper is an opportunity to consult with iwi, Māori artists and arts organisations, local authorities and other interested organisations on how that could be achieved.
“In 2014 Creative Waikato commissioned the Waikato Creative Infrastructure Plan which identified the arts infrastructure priority projects in the Waikato region over the next 20-30 years.
The lack of infrastructure supporting the Māori arts sector was identified as a critical gap,” said Creative Waikato Chief Executive Sarah Nathan.
“This next phase of research will focus on Māori arts to clearly articulate where the biggest opportunities are. The goal is to join the dots between community conversations and key stakeholders and create a clear pathway that will progress the success of Māori arts in the
region.”
Once completed, the paper will made be available to local and regional authorities and other organisations with an interest in the arts as well as the region’s social and economic development.
Creative New Zealand will invest $120,000 in the capability building programme over two financial years and $35,000 in the Māori Arts Discussion paper in the 2015/16 financial year.
Other pilot initiatives
As part of the pilot Creative New Zealand is also increasing funding for the Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) for the region’s district councils by 20% per annum for two years. This funding will be ring-fenced for applications that support arts development, eg for increasing collaboration between community arts organisations.
Creative New Zealand will also provide funding of $60,000 over two years to a new Waikato orchestra entity. Supported by Trust Waikato the three organisations that run the Opus, Trust Waikato Symphony and United Youth Orchestras have created Orchestras Central with a single governance body and set of administrators. The aim is to improve coordination while allowing the orchestras to focus on playing for and serving their specific communities.
