Annual Report 2023/24

On this page:

• Our Chair and Chief Executive's Foreword
• Stories about our work and achievements

Our Chair and Chief Executive's Foreword

Creative New Zealand is the national arts development agency of Aotearoa New Zealand. We encourage, promote and support the arts in Aotearoa for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Our long-term strategic direction, Te whakaputa hua ki te hunga o Aotearoa—Creating value for New Zealanders, sets out our vision:

Dynamic and resilient New Zealand arts, valued in Aotearoa and internationally

E te Arikinui Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, makea atu rā te pō ki ai one, ki ai o roa. Takahia atu rā ki roto i te huarahi ki te hunga e kokore e hoki mai, e kokore e hoki tinana mai.

This year saw the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Creative New Zealand has had a longstanding relationship with the Kingitanga. Generously, Kiingi Tuheitia, in remembrance of his mother Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, gifted Creative New Zealand her name for the Te Waka Toi Supreme Award, now known as He Tohu Aroha mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. His support over the years extended to the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, where he created connections between Ariki across Te Moana nui a Kiwa. Held in great esteem across this land, we honour Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII's life of service.

The arts continue to deliver value for New Zealanders across Aotearoa. Our New Zealanders and the Arts—Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi 2023 research shows that arts participation is at the highest level since the research began in 2005. It has increased from 37 percent to 54 percent over this period. Attendance has bounced back from a COVID‑19 dip in 2020 and attitudes towards the arts are strong. Over 60 percent of New Zealanders agree that the arts help improve Aotearoa society, contribute positively to the economy and help define who we are as New Zealanders.

In 2023/24, we invested $79.4 million in the arts through our funding, capability building, advocacy, leadership and partnership initiatives. Of our total revenue, $49.5 million came from the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board Te Puna Tahua, 56 percent of total revenue for the year. Revenue of $35.5 million from the Crown through Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage contributed 40 percent and included time-bound funding of $18.8 million.

Achieving our three outcomes, Greater public engagement with the arts, Stronger arts sector and Stronger arts, is central to the value we create.

Achievements for 2023/24 include:

• over 337,000 participants in funded projects or events
• more than 3.9 million attendances reported at funded arts experiences
• over $34 million to support 80 organisations funded through our multi-year Investment programmes, Toi Tōtara Haemata and Toi Uru Kahikatea
• $26.57 million awarded through Grants and Special Opportunities. During the year, artists submitted 2,235 applications, with 494 projects successfully approved
• supporting the Creative Communities Scheme, run in partnership with territorial authorities, which awarded more than $5.1 million through 1,832 grants to local communities throughout Aotearoa. The 1,230 projects completed in the period resulted in 144,756 reported participants among other achievements
• over $1.1 million provided to support activities under Te Hā o ngā Toi—Māori Arts Strategy implementation
• over $2.3 million provided to support activities under the Pacific Arts Strategy
• over $2.7 million through capability building activities to provide opportunities for arts organisations and individual artists and arts practitioners to build their skills, with the goal of developing the arts community’s capacity and capability to succeed
• more than 4,200 new New Zealand artworks developed.

Over the 2023/24 performance year, we have also:

• after extensive sector engagement, launched eight new For the arts contestable grant programmes that seek to make funding more accessible, easier to navigate and better meet the needs of the arts sector
• launched the Tapatahi Accessibility Policy and Action Plan 2023–2028, which guides our work with and for Deaf and disabled artists and arts practitioners, turi Māori, tāngata whaikaha Māori and disability communities, and ensures we are accessible to all New Zealanders
• delivered capability resources that support the arts sector to implement the principles and practice guidelines in our Remuneration Policy for Artists and Arts Practitioners
• supported the sector in making the case for the arts, through developing shared tools, evidence and research, including the launch of Fact Finder: Evidence for stronger advocacy and decision-making. 

The 2023/24 year has not been without its challenges. Since 2018/19, the landscape has changed. Significant COVID-19 recovery investment increased demand for our funding and created new expectations. High inflation has reduced the purchasing power of grants.

In response, as signalled in our Statement of Performance Expectations 2024/25, we’re looking hard at where we invest our resources, to achieve the greatest value for the arts community and the public. 

We’ve started this journey with a review of our contestable grant programmes. We introduced the new For the arts programmes this year, to support arts communities in ways that better reflect their needs. We’re pleased to see a significant increase in customer satisfaction following the introduction of these programmes. This indicates the changes we’ve made are working for the sector.

In 2024/25, we’re looking at how we can best support arts organisations. This includes the 80 we support through our two investment programmes (Toi Tōtara Haemata and Toi Uru Kahikatea), which comprise around 60 percent of what we invest in the arts sector.

We’re also looking at how we organise ourselves, how we can work as efficiently and effectively as possible and maximise investment in the sector.

As well as pressure on funding sources, the arts sector continues to be affected by wider economic conditions. These include increases in the cost of delivering arts experiences because of high inflation, general cost of living pressures and high interest rates.

In response, over 2024/25 we’ve committed to looking at how we can help the sector to increase revenue through private sector support.

We’re also continuing to highlight the disparity between the high levels of public engagement with and support for the arts and the benefits that flow to the creative practitioners who make the work. Our Profile of Creative Professionals 2023 research shows the median income for creative professionals at less than two-thirds of wage and salary earners, at $37,000. That figure includes all sources of income (most creative professionals are gig economy workers); the median creative income is $19,500.

If we want to continue enjoying the many benefits the arts offer, it is vital we think about the strategic and structural changes that will ensure the makers of our creative culture benefit, fairly, too.

This year has seen the passing of several senior arts leaders, and we acknowledge their significant contributions to the artistic and cultural life of Aotearoa. 

Within our own house, we celebrate the life of Cathryn Laban who worked for Creative New Zealand; her mana and advocacy uplifted her community and all those around her. Ia manuia lau malaga. 

On behalf of the Arts Council, we thank outgoing Arts Council Chair, Caren Rangi, and Deputy Chair, Michael Prentice for the important contribution they have made to Creative New Zealand. Caren and Michael’s longstanding and considered advice to the governance of Creative New Zealand has been a support to the organisation.

Inspired by our arts communities, we are committed to working together with dedication, heart and manaaki to meet challenges and realise opportunities. We thank New Zealanders for their continued participation, engagement and support for the arts.

Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi.

With red and black the work will be complete.

Stories about our work and achievements

Individual stories of work and achievements we have shared throughout the year are linked below. Many more stories about Creative New Zealand’s work and the achievements of the artists and arts organisations we have supported in 2023/24 are available at https://creativenz.govt.nz/news-and-blog