COMMENT It’s time for an arts and creative sector strategy

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: Paul Goldsmith is the Minister for Arts, Culture and HeritagePaul Goldsmith
• Publication title: Whanganui Chronicle

The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor Catton and others who have made a global impact didn’t wait around for a glossy strategy; they just went for it

That said, we must recognise that government, on behalf of all New Zealanders, pulls many levers that can help or hinder the broader sector. It could help to articulate a vision and a strategy to get there, so long as it’s enabling and not restrictive in any way.

In the spirit of crowdsourcing, here’s a first draft.

My vision is that New Zealand is as well known internationally for its arts and creativity as it is for its dairy products and beautiful scenery. In telling our stories (in every which way) both to ourselves and to the world, we bring joy, pathos and drama, and deepen our understanding of how our unique culture and heritage fits into the wider world. And we can also make some money.

Four pillars of a strategy to get there would be: setting an aspirational target, ensuring the regulatory environment enables success, spending government money wisely so that it leverages further input from philanthropy and commerce, and thinking in terms of sustainable creative careers.

Our aspiration should be two-fold, in cultural and economic terms. It’s possible to measure and seek to grow the engagement of New Zealanders with the arts and creative sector, and we should — from kapa haka to ballet and dance, from school rock bands to the opera. Add to that a focus on excellence as well as participation. In economic terms, by one measure the arts and creative sector contributes $16.3 billion to the economy. Would it be possible to double the sector’s contribution to GDP and export revenue in seven years?

I was struck at a session with the music and theatre sector when one guy said the most useful thing you...