The ArtKlick Blog

I think the YouTube Debate is a great idea - The Government is getting really Web 2.0 on us! (When will we be able to vote online?)

My question is: “What have both parties done and plan to do to promote and encourage the arts in New Zealand and internationally and is funding going to be adjusted for inflation?” (If not it is an effective 4% cut each year).

I can’t seem to get the video working so check it out here and when it gets accepted on the YouTube Debate channel I will post a link to it there too.

Nationals Arts Culture and Heritage policy appears to be a copy of Labour’s - Committing to maintain funding at current arts levels. The question is: A) Will the current funding be adjusted for inflation? and B) Where are the forward thinking initiatives/policies to support creative entrepreneurs?

This is 2008 - We have the internet at our disposal. As Elisabeth Vaneveld the Executive Director of The Big Idea Trust says “The policy is not forward thinking, just maintaining the status quo. There needs to be policies designed to encourage resource generation (govt or philanthropic) and investment funding to support creative entrepreneurs.” You can listen to a good podcast from Radio New Zealand on the subject here.

Kris Herbert’s article in Idealog “The Joke’s on us” illustrates the importance of the New Zealand Creative sector, summarising it well in this paragraph:

“New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has identified the creative industries as a crucial key to economic transformation because the creative sector has great potential to influence global perception and brand New Zealand as a nation of innovation and talent. The sector, NZTE describes as ten industries ranging from advertising to fashion to performing arts, currently contributes about $2.86 billion to the New Zealand economy. While that’s just over three percent of our GDP, NZTE publications show the creative industry is growing at an annual rate of nine percent—twice the rate of the economy as a whole”

Considering the creative sector is the sector that defines our culture as a country and it is growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole, you would think National would have put a bit more effort into thinking of original ideas to take our creative industry to the next level over the next term. Instead they have basically said “Labour has done a good job - we will do what they have been doing but won’t make any effort to better it”.

Chris Finlayson was recently interviewed by John Daly-Peoples for the NBR and although he has been traveling the country meeting key people it is still pretty clear that he doesn’t know how to take the arts to the next level or stimulate demand for the arts, talking more about

My thoughts on how to do this include:
1. A website designed to help New Zealand creatives profile and sell their work and services both nationally and internationally (Cough Cough Art Klick!! The new design will allow this a lot easier than how it is currently)

2. Development of fun and free/cheap events for the general public to participate in and contribute to eg The Free Art Project, National Snow Art Day.

3. Internationally toured exhibitions, performing arts events and film - most of which could be funded by sponsorship (More next post).

4. Streamlining Creative New Zealand funding (which they have apparently just done).

5. If it was viable - reinstate regional arts councils with a set amount of funding to develop the arts in their region.

If I worked for Creative New Zealand I could come up with 5 ideas for national events right now that would cost hardly anything to organise yet involve 10’s of thousands of New Zealanders. The idea (and one of Creative New Zealand’s key aims) is to involve the public in the arts.

How do you do that? Make something fun that they can be a part of and reward them for participating - weather it be a competition like International Snow Art Day where they get their creations voted for by the public (exposure/publicity) or something like the Free Art Project where they are contributing to a history making event, getting a picture of it, a piece of the canvas posted to them and publicity on the internet and TV.

When it comes to international exports and marketing - there are plenty of media hungry for good arts stories (just look at what happened from the press release for The Million Dollar Leg Project). As we build a reputation as a country doing fun and iconic events, then exports and tourism will increase.

It all seems so easy to me and I don’t know why good events like this haven’t been done - but if the government isn’t going to do it then as Kris Herbert says:

“NZTE insists there is no shortage of export opportunities, only a shortage of companies capable of taking up these opportunities. Though there is some support through NZTE and Creative New Zealand, which has listed international success as one of four strategic priorities in its 2007–2010 strategic plan, it will largely be up to individuals to make it happen.”

PS Creative New Zealand I’m looking for a part time job - if you want an aspiring arts guerrilla marketing expert get in touch and I’ll help you market New Zealand creativity to the world (affordably).

Please note: The government has done a reasonably good job of developing the arts but I think some fresh ideas and taking hold of the technology we have available to us could easily market our creative industry on a new level which would result in increased jobs, exports and tourisim.