25 Oct 2024
Creative New Zealand has announced changes to how it delivers multi-year funding to arts organisations and groups for activities from 1 January 2027.
The current Arts Organisations and Groups Fund will be extended. All arts organisations and groups will be able to apply for multi-year funding support for programmes through a single flexible model. The extended programme will be open for applications from mid 2026.
As part of this change, the existing Tōtara and Kahikatea programmes will end on 31 December 2026. Creative New Zealand’s total budget to support organisations will not be reduced because of this change.
These changes are the second of a three-steps transformation to a more artist-focused and relational way of working. Creative New Zealand’s first step was the shifts made to grant funding programmes following wide consultation with the sector in 2023.
Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright says the second step is a more significant one that will produce benefits for organisations, their communities and the arts in Aotearoa.
“In October, the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa set the direction for how we’ll support all arts organisations from 1 January 2027, based on a streamlined model with flexible and multi-year funding opportunities for all eligible organisations,” Stephen says.
“We believe we can do things better, both for those in our current programmes and those who have not been able to secure multi-year funding from us before.”
“In April we asked arts organisations and groups what support makes the biggest difference for them and their communities. Long term, flexible funding topped the list. The direction we’re taking now will meet that need. We’re also thinking about how we can better deliver on the non-financial support organisations asked for, around communication, governance, safeguarding ngā toi, leadership, practical resources, and advocacy.”
“We’re looking forward to working with organisations in the coming months to make these changes. There are mutual benefits in more effective application and reporting processes, and better measures of the impact of Creative New Zealand’s support, too. We want to provide more value to the arts organisations we fund through building stronger relationships.”
"We’re also interested to learn what future leadership roles for arts organisations with long-term support could look like,” Stephen says.
At present, Creative New Zealand supports 80 organisations for either three or six years through the Kahikatea and Tōtara programmes, and many others through the For the arts programmes. The current funding agreements for the organisations in the Tōtara and Kahikatea programmes will end on 31 December 2025. To allow for a smooth transition, Creative New Zealand will offer one-year extensions to 31 December 2026. The programmes will then be disestablished.
The project is being led by Claire Murdoch, Senior Manager, Arts Development.
“Genuinely meaningful relationships with artists and communities are so important for us as we do our work. We’re committed to doing this in a way that is as efficient and seamless as possible for those interacting with us, too. My team and I expect to be doing lots of listening over the coming months as we develop the details of the new programmes,” Claire says.
“We are committed to ongoing communication and engagement, both online and kanohi ki te kanohi.”
Over the coming months, Creative New Zeaaland will be hosting a series of webinars to share more information about the new programmes, followed by Q&A sessions. Find out more about the three-step transformation on Creative New Zealand’s website Changing what we do and how we do it
Find contact details for Creative New Zealand advisers on our website
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