One of the key long term outcomes Creative New Zealand is seeking from our Strategic Plan is that New Zealanders have regular opportunities to access high-quality arts experiences (Strategic Priority three). To achieve this Creative New Zealand has researched and developed a distribution strategy that focuses on strengthening the distribution of the arts within New Zealand.

Through the distribution strategy Creative New Zealand is aiming to:

• expand regional touring of quality New Zealand art works within New Zealand
• develop the skills of those who organise the distribution of the arts within New Zealand
• build regional audiences for quality New Zealand art.

The strategy gives further recognition to the valuable work done by arts distribution organisations and the way in which these organisations help Creative New Zealand achieve its aims.

Funding guide adjustments and the targeting of funds will offer existing arts distributors more opportunities to organise tours of quality New Zealand art work.  Funds will also be targeted to support arts distributors to develop, or pass on, their skills and to build regional audiences for work by New Zealand artists and practitioners.

Creative New Zealand recognises there is a need to develop distribution skills across the arts sector. It is intended that some skills development opportunities will be offered in the first half of 2010.

Particular areas of focus in 2010 and 2011 will be Tangata Whenua and Pacific arts distribution agents and the skills and expertise required for visual and craft/object exhibition touring.

The changes to funding guidelines are:

• Regional venues and arts presenters may apply directly to Creative New Zealand contestable funding for a contribution towards the costs of transporting/presenting New Zealand art works in their venues.
• Proposals to tour work to centres outside of Auckland City and Wellington City will be a higher funding priority than proposals to tour work between Auckland City and Wellington City
• Proposals to develop the skills of current and future arts distribution agents will be a funding priority
• Creative New Zealand will be able to consider proposals to create, promote and/or distribute quality New Zealand art work via a website. It would also consider proposals to engage in art form development and arts criticism via a website.

Opportunities for artists, practitioners and arts organisations will be offered to tour work around New Zealand and to build and develop the skills required to organise the successful distribution of the arts.

Creative New Zealand sees Distribution agents and agencies as those who bridge the gap between local audiences and quality work created by artists and practitioners. They comprise those practitioners and organisations with a proven ability to effectively and efficiently organise the physical distribution of the arts within New Zealand.

Examples of distribution agents that CNZ currently engages with are:

• regional arts festivals and festival directors
• theatre and dance producers and music tour managers
• publishers and literary festival organisers
• the organisers of visual and craft/object touring exhibitions
• directors of the regional galleries that receive touring work and
• recurrently funded organisations that organise tours of work for example Taki Rua Productions, Toi Māori, Arts on Tour New Zealand, Chamber Music New Zealand, Footnote Dance Company, the National Theatre for Children and the Court Theatre.

The strategy will broaden the Funding Guide’s definition of ‘distribution agent’ to include the managers of the regional venues that regularly present art works. These venues may include marae that host touring shows or exhibitions, regional galleries or performing arts venues. This will add to the mix of organisations CNZ may fund.

Activities where this funding is being specifically targeted are:

• The Regional Presenter and Audience Development Fund - to be offered as part of the June 2010 Arts Board Sector Investment funding round.
• a distribution skills development opportunities to be offered in 2010 and 2011
• Māori Arts Presentations and Audience Development in 2010-11

Fund guidelines and a Call for Proposals will be issued in October this year.  If you wish to receive further information about the fund then please email John McDavitt

Information on the fund will also be available in the 2010 edition of the Creative New Zealand Fund Guide Nga Putea due out in November this year.

The purpose of the Regional Presenter and Audience Development Fund is to support regional touring of quality art works within New Zealand and build audiences for quality arts in identified regional centres.  Find out more about this fund under the Regional Presenter and Audience Development Fund link in these FAQs

The fund will provide up to $150,000 per annum for a group of arts presenters from a region of New Zealand.  The $150,000 available per annum will provide:

• up to $100,000 per annum for venues that are members of a regional group to purchase and present quality New Zealand art works in their venues; plus
• up to $50,000 per annum for two years towards an audience and market development programme.                              

Fund guidelines and a Call for Proposals will be issued in October this year.  If you wish to receive further information about the fund then please email John McDavitt

Information on the fund will also be available in the 2010 edition of the Creative New Zealand Fund Guide Nga Putea due out in November this year.

Groups from up to three regions of New Zealand may be supported by the Arts Board through the fund.  Each group would be offered funding support for a three year period (ie. 2011 - 2013)

Groups from within one of these 12 regions of New Zealand (in left panel of this page) are invited to apply to this fund.

A group should comprise at least three venues with a history of presenting art works within one of the above regions.  An existing regional arts organisation such as Arts Waikato, Creative Hawkes Bay, Arts Council Nelson with a successful funding track record with Creative New Zealand may choose to coordinate a group.

A group touring with support of the fund will be expected to present a programme that includes one or a mix of the following:

• performing arts presentations (dance, theatre, music)
• visual and craft/object exhibitions
• tours by New Zealand writers

Fund monies can also be used to support tours of works by Māori and New Zealand Pacific artists and practitioners.

The Fund will be limited to supporting those areas of touring expenses that Creative New Zealand contestable funding currently contributes towards.

Decision about how to allocate this fund will be made using standard Sector Investment assessment criteria and processes, with funding decisions ultimately being made by the Arts Board.

Tangata Whenua and Pacific arts distribution agents refers to those distribution agents and agencies with a focus on, and understanding of, works created by Tangata Whenua or New Zealand Pacific Islands artists and practitioners.

It is anticipated that a Fund focused on supporting the presentation of works by Maori artists and practitioners and to develop audiences for Maori arts will be offered in October of this year. If you wish to receive further information about the Maori Arts Presenter and Audience Development Fund please send an email to haniko.tekurapa@creativenz.govt.nz

Creative New Zealand recognises there is a need to develop distribution skills across the arts sector. It is intended that some skills development opportunities will be offered in the first half of 2010.

Particular areas of focus in 2010 and 2011 will be Tangata Whenua and Pacific arts distribution agents and the skills and expertise required for visual and craft/object exhibition touring.

Support for tour or touring exhibition costs will be limited to the touring expenses that Creative New Zealand currently contributes towards. For details of the areas of touring expenses that contestable funding is able to contribute towards please read the latest edition of the Creative New Zealand Funding Guide Nga Putea

Activities for which funding are being specifically targeted are:

• a Regional Presenter and Audience Development Fund - to be offered as part of the June 2010 Arts Board Sector Investment funding round
• a distribution skills development programme to be offered in 2010 and 2011
• Māori Arts Presentations and Audience Development in 2010-11

The guidlines for this distribution funding will prioritise tours that include a reional town or centre outside of Auckland and Wellington cities over tours that only go to those cities.

Touring presentations that occur in a venue within the boundaries of the Auckland City Council or the Wellington City Council will be considered to be a presentation being made in Auckland / Wellington City. 

This will not preclude Creative New Zealand from funding tours to those cities; however, it will see tours that encompass cities and regional centres outside of Auckland City and Wellington City given a higher funding priority.

The changes to funding guidelines are:

• Regional venues and arts presenters may apply directly to Creative New Zealand contestable funding for a contribution towards the costs of transporting/presenting New Zealand art works in their venues.
• Proposals to tour work to centres outside of Auckland City and Wellington City will be a higher funding priority than proposals to tour work between Auckland City and Wellington City
• Proposals to develop the skills of current and future arts distribution agents will be a funding priority
• Creative New Zealand will be able to consider proposals to create, promote and/or distribute quality New Zealand art work via a website. It would also consider proposals to engage in art form development and arts criticism via a website.

Activities where this funding is being specifically targeted are:

• The Regional Presenter and Audience Development Fund - to be offered as part of the June 2010 Arts Board Sector Investment funding round.
• a distribution skills development opportunities to be offered in 2010 and 2011
• Māori Arts Presentations and Audience Development in 2010-11