Queenstown Lakes second most creative city in New Zealand
Queenstown Lakes District is again positioned as the second most creative city in Aotearoa New Zealand, according to the recently released Infometrics Creativity Index. This puts the district just behind Wellington, and ahead of Auckland.
In 2021, Queenstown Lakes District secured the second spot with a score of 5.0, which soared to an impressive 5.6 in 2022. Employment rates in the creative sector also saw a remarkable 5.1% surge in 2022.
“These results highlight the key contribution that the arts, culture and creativity sectors make to our local economy,” says Samantha Kirk, Chief Operating Officer of the Three Lakes Cultural Trust (TLCT).
“We’ve seen $69.5m injected back into the district’s economy from our homegrown world-class festivals in the past five years, and over 244,000 people through the doors of our cultural institutions in the last 15 months alone,” Sam continues.
The Queenstown Lakes District has a rich cultural life, home to a vibrant ecosystem of creative practitioners, businesses, filmmakers, community culture and heritage organisations, galleries, festivals and events.
Gizelle Regan, Board Chair of TLCT, says this sector has attracted significant and generous philanthropic support to date. “We are now working with Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) on the development of a ten-year community-led Creativity and Culture Strategy, which will unlock the economic, social and cultural potential of this sector,” says Gizelle.
“The development of this strategy is a significant step in enriching the wellbeing and vibrancy of our district’s community, along with diversifying our economy and enhancing our visitor experience,” says QLDC Community Partnerships Manager Marie Day.
“With the right investment in people and resources, we can lay the foundations for the Queenstown Lakes District on its journey to becoming recognised not only for its natural wonders, but also as a place of cultural significance and exchange of music, dance, visual arts, theatre, and festivals that reflect our community values.”
For more information about the development of the Queenstown Lakes District Creativity and Culture Strategy, click here.
Posted: 7 November 2023
