What is Amplify? A Creative and Cultural Strategy for NZ?
Image Credit: Takapau (2022) by Mataaho Collective, installed at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Image courtesy of Creative New Zealand.
What is Amplify: A Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand?
Amplify is a national strategy that shows how government will work with the creative and cultural sectors to deliver support for the sectors’ development.
The vision for the strategy is: Amplify our arts and culture to make New Zealand a global creative powerhouse.
Amplify takes an action-oriented approach to setting out the government’s focus for amplifying creativity and culture in New Zealand over the next six years to 2030. It responds to the sectors’ unique challenges and opportunities.
The proposed Strategy Priorities:
Investing for maximum impact
Nurturing talent
Reducing barriers to growth
The proposed 2030 Targets:
New Zealand ranks among the top 25 nations in the world for culture and heritage soft power, resulting in high-value cultural tourism and exports.
More New Zealanders are actively engaging with New Zealand arts, culture and heritage.
The GDP contribution of the arts and creative sector increases to at least $20 billion, with a focus on exports.
The median income for creative professionals more closely matches the median income for New Zealanders earning a wage or salary.
Three Lakes Cultural Trust Submission
The Three Lakes Cultural Trust commends Minister Goldsmith and Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage for acknowledging the critical role of arts, culture, heritage and ngā toi Māori and development of the draft Amplify: A Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand, and has provided the following submission for consideration:
Wednesday 11 December 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa,
The Three Lakes Cultural Trust (TLCT) is the Regional Arts Organisation (RAO) for the Queenstown Lakes District, committed to nurturing creativity, culture, ngā toi Māori, and heritage within our community. Our mission is to enrich the lives of residents while strengthening the District’s cultural, social, and economic vitality and resilience. We aspire to position the Queenstown Lakes District as a leading hub of arts, culture, and creativity.
As the Chief Operating Officer of the Three Lakes Cultural Trust (TLCT), I am pleased to present our submission on Amplify: A Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand. We commend Minister Goldsmith and Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) for acknowledging the critical role of arts, culture, heritage, and ngā toi Māori as foundational investments in Aotearoa’s future. We value the opportunity to engage in this consultation and respectfully submit the following feedback for your consideration.
Support for a National Strategy
We commend the development of Amplify as a cohesive national framework for arts, culture, and creativity. A unified vision is essential to ensure the creative sector is recognised as vital to Aotearoa’s identity, economy, and well-being. For districts like Queenstown Lakes, this framework will provide the guidance necessary for local initiatives to thrive while aligning with national priorities. However, for this vision to succeed, it must be underpinned by measurable metrics, sustainable funding, regional collaboration, and recognition of infrastructure needs.
Key Feedback
Investing for Maximum Impact
The Government’s commitment to a $450 million investment in Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage is a critical step toward recognising the arts and cultural sectors as integral to New Zealand’s identity and prosperity. However, maximising the value of this investment requires a balanced, inclusive approach that addresses the needs of both urban and regional communities.
Recommendations:
Simplify Funding Access: Streamline funding processes to ensure smaller regional organisations, such as TLCT, have equitable access to resources. Simplified application processes and operational funding pools would enable us to deliver consistent, impactful programming.
Leverage Co-Funding Opportunities: Foster partnerships with local government, iwi, and private investors to amplify the impact of central funding. Creating co-funding incentives will encourage innovation and collaboration.
Support Evidence-Based Decision-Making: Invest in partnering on research with Regional Arts Organisations to measure the social, cultural, and economic impacts of the creative sector, with a focus on regional contributions. Insights from such research should inform funding allocations and strategic priorities.
Enhance Regional Event Promotion: Allocate funding for the promotion of regional creative events that showcase Aotearoa’s unique cultures. This would bolster cultural tourism and provide platforms for local practitioners to gain national and international recognition.
Sustainable Sector Funding
Regional Arts Organisations (RAOs)
RAOs, like TLCT, are uniquely positioned to understand and address the specific needs of their regions. RAOs work collaboratively within the Regional Arts Network Aotearoa (RANA) to deliver national and regional outcomes.
For example, TLCT co-led the development of Te Muka Toi, Te Muka Tākata: The Creativity, Cultural, and Heritage Strategy for the Queenstown Lakes District, which was unanimously endorsed in 2024. This strategy highlights our ability to nurture creativity, culture, and heritage while aligning with national objectives.
However, RAOs require support to fulfill these responsibilities effectively. A funding model similar to the sports sector would enable RAOs to support Amplify’s goals at the regional level.
Therefore the strategy’s ambitious vision must be matched by adequate, long-term investment. With creatives earning below-average incomes and limited access to operational funding, many within the sector feel undervalued. We urge the Ministry to:
Adopt multi year funding models to support strategic planning and growth.
Consider a comparison with Sports NZ, which receives significantly higher funding and streamlines fund delivery to Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs). Similar support for RAOs would enable us to fulfill our role as connectors and enablers of the creative sector.
Provide operational funding for RAOs to enable consistent delivery of local arts initiatives that align with national priorities.
Recognise RAOs as vital connectors between national strategy and regional implementation.
Nurturing Talent
Developing and sustaining a vibrant creative and cultural workforce is essential for the sector’s long-term success. For regions like Queenstown Lakes, there is a pressing need to address workforce challenges, including access to resources, professional development opportunities, and sustainable career pathways.
Recommendations:
Support Talent Pathways in Regions: Work with the RAO’s to introduce targeted programs that identify and nurture emerging talent in regional areas. Initiatives should include mentorship opportunities, training, and access to resources such as studio spaces and digital infrastructure.
Embed Cultural Competency: Invest in programs that promote cultural competency and support ngā toi Māori and Pacific artists to thrive. Tailored support and capacity-building for Māori and Pacific practitioners must be prioritised as part of a strong talent pipeline.
Foster Collaboration Across Sectors: Create opportunities for collaboration between education providers, local councils, iwi, arts organisations and other sectors i.e. tech to establish clear pathways from education to sustainable careers in the creative industries.
Retain Talent in the Regions: Provide incentives for creative professionals to remain in or relocate to regional areas by supporting affordable housing, infrastructure, and career opportunities.
Creative Education
We are pleased to see a focus on creative education, particularly the refresh of the Arts and Toi Iho curricula. However, without further investment in educator capability and resources, implementation may fall short of its potential.
Recommendations:
Provide additional funding and training to support educators in delivering creative curricula.
Partner with RAOs to deliver community-based education initiatives that align with national goals.
Reducing Barriers to Growth
Streamlining government regulation and reducing barriers is crucial for ensuring that creative and cultural sectors can thrive. The current regulatory environment, particularly for smaller organisations and practitioners, can hinder innovation and growth.
Recommendations:
Incentivise Innovation and Collaboration: Introduce programs that encourage collaboration across organisations, disciplines, and sectors to produce innovative creative content and attract larger, more diverse audiences.
Simplify Compliance Requirements: Streamline regulatory requirements for funding, reporting, and event management, enabling creative organisations to focus on delivering high-quality projects rather than navigating administrative complexities.
Recognising Diverse Communities The Queenstown Lakes District is home to over 86 nationalities. Amplify should place greater emphasis on recognising and celebrating Aotearoa’s diverse communities. Inclusion of ethnic communities is vital for fostering belonging, resilience, and vibrancy in our nation. Amplify should explicitly include strategies to support and celebrate the contributions of ethnic and migrant communities to New Zealand’s arts and culture.
Grow Creative Exports TLCT believes that growing New Zealand’s creative exports is a vital avenue for promoting the cultural economy. However, as a regional arts organisation, we recognise the need for a more tailored approach to supporting Māori and Pacific creative and cultural practitioners, as well as smaller, regional creative industries.
Support the establishment of regional hubs for creative industries to facilitate access to global markets, particularly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the creative sector.
Incentivising Collaboration and Building Capability
TLCT recognises that the future of New Zealand’s creative industries lies in collaboration—between organisations, communities, sectors, and across the public and private spheres. Strengthening the capabilities of regional organisations is key to ensuring that these collaborations are sustainable.
Recommendations:
Provide targeted funding and capacity-building programs to encourage collaboration between regional RAOs, local councils, iwi, and the private sector.
Support initiatives that incentivise the development of new creative content that attracts audiences both locally and internationally.
Infrastructure Development
Amplify briefly acknowledges infrastructure but significantly underestimates its importance. Without investment in infrastructure, creatives struggle to access spaces for learning, performing, and creating, hindering their ability to earn a living wage.
During the development of Te Muka Toi, Te Muka Tākata, a lack of infrastructure emerged as the most significant challenge. Our community has called for a networked approach to developing multipurpose spaces—indoor, outdoor, digital, and social—that reflect the people and place.
Cultural infrastructure plays a vital role in regional development, serving as a cornerstone for both economic growth and social prosperity. Around the world, investments in cultural facilities, creative spaces, and heritage sites have been recognised as key drivers of vibrant communities, attracting talent, tourism, and investment.
From Bilbao’s Guggenheim effect to the thriving creative industries in regional hubs like Austin, Texas, these examples highlight how strategically investing in cultural infrastructure can transform communities, diversify economies, and enhance overall wellbeing. For regions in New Zealand, such investments are critical to unlocking the full potential of local talent, celebrating our unique cultural heritage, and contributing to a resilient and inclusive society.
Additionally, local museums play a critical role in preserving and showcasing heritage yet are underrepresented in the strategy.
To support regional arts and culture infrastructure, the New Zealand government should:
Establish Dedicated Funding Streams for Regional Cultural Infrastructure: Create a long-term, sustainable funding program specifically for the development and maintenance of regional facilities, including museums, galleries, theatres, and multi-purpose creative spaces. This funding should prioritise projects that reflect the unique cultural identity of the region, including ngā toi Māori and local heritage.
Foster Public-Private Partnerships and Community Collaboration: Encourage partnerships between local government, iwi, businesses, and community organisations to co-invest in cultural infrastructure. Provide incentives, such as matching funds or tax benefits, to attract private sector contributions and ensure shared ownership of these vital assets.
Include Cultural Infrastructure in Broader Regional Development Plans: Integrate arts and culture infrastructure into regional and urban planning strategies, recognising its role in economic growth, tourism, and social cohesion. This includes developing a networked approach to creative spaces, enabling regions to collaborate and share resources, and prioritising infrastructure development in areas with demonstrated need or potential for significant cultural and economic impact.
Greater recognition of museums as vital contributors to the cultural ecosystem.
Promoting Creative and Cultural Events
The ability to showcase New Zealand’s unique culture globally is essential for promoting both cultural tourism and our global cultural footprint. TLCT is committed to growing creative events and projects that highlight the diverse cultural fabric of Aotearoa, with a particular emphasis on the Queenstown Lakes District’s heritage and creativity.
Recommendations:
Increase investment in international promotion of cultural events, including both large-scale festivals and smaller regional gatherings that represent New Zealand’s diverse cultures.
Support partnerships between local event organisers and international marketing agencies to ensure that New Zealand’s creative industries have a global platform.
Cross-Portfolio Collaboration
We support Amplify’s call for collaboration across government portfolios but note a lack of clarity on implementation. Without increased investment, it is unclear how this collaboration will be incentivised or evaluated. Clear mechanisms for monitoring and reporting cross-portfolio outcomes should be outlined in the final strategy. TLCT recognises the power of the creative and cultural sectors to contribute to cross-portfolio outcomes such as health, justice, and social well-being. Art and culture have a proven track record in rehabilitation, mental health support, and fostering social cohesion. However, it is essential that the mechanism for cross-portfolio support is clearly defined and actionable.
Recommendations:
Clearly articulate how the creative and cultural sectors can collaborate with other government departments (e.g., health, justice, education) to deliver shared outcomes.
Establish funding or initiatives that encourage partnerships between RAOs, local health providers, iwi, and justice sector agencies to facilitate cross-portfolio projects with measurable outcomes.
Ensure accountability by setting measurable outcomes for interdepartmental partnerships.
Measurable Targets and Metrics
While Amplify outlines high-level targets, such as GDP contribution and international rankings, it lacks detailed metrics to monitor progress effectively. We welcome the proposed research programme to strengthen the evidence base for the creative and cultural sectors. A robust evidence base will be crucial in demonstrating the value of the creative industries to New Zealand’s economy, health, and social outcomes.
Recommendations:
Prioritise research that focuses on the economic, social, and cultural impacts of the creative sectors in both urban and regional settings, ensuring that data reflects the diversity of experiences across Aotearoa.
Support research that highlights the unique challenges and contributions of regional RAOs in supporting local communities, and develop data that can influence policy decisions at both central and local levels.
Engagement metrics (e.g., community participation rates, audience numbers).
Income parity goals, such as achieving median incomes for creatives aligned with the national average.
These metrics will ensure progress remains tangible and that outcomes are consistently evaluated.
Final Remarks
The Three Lakes Cultural Trust supports the vision and strategic direction outlined in Amplify: A Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand. By focusing on equitable investment, nurturing talent across all regions, and reducing barriers to growth, the Government can ensure that arts and culture thrive in every corner of Aotearoa. As a regional arts organisation, we stand ready to collaborate with key stakeholders to bring this vision to life.
Ngā mihi nui,
Samantha Kirk
Chief Operating Officer – Three Lakes Cultural Trust
Posted: 12 December 2024
