Kia ora,

creativeThe Arts Council is developing a new four-year strategy, building on the pathways set out in our current strategic plan. We’re wanting to have a bigger impact, against a backdrop of lower levels of public funding than we’ve recently enjoyed.

As we develop our strategy, it’s important to hear from the arts sector about the issues that are important to you. We’d like to invite you to take part in a forum with others who are interested in the future of the arts in New Zealand.

When are the forums taking place?

Our forums will be held in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland from mid-November. Dates and times are listed below. Each forum will run for around 2 to 2½ hours and will be facilitated by Tony Chamberlain, Principal of PQ Associates.

We appreciate that not everyone will be able to join us for the forums. Ways you can still take part are set out later in this message.

What will be discussed?

The Arts Council has started working on the strategy and the forums will help shape the Council’s plan.

A number of key themes will be covered, such as our investment in the arts, building capacity in the sector, and the kinds of partnerships we’ll need to have to succeed in the future. We’ll discuss these themes in small groups at the forums. To help ensure a good dialogue, each forum will be limited to around 40 participants.

How do I sign up?

We are managing invitations through the Eventbrite website, which is really easy to use. All you’ll need to do is select a forum from the list below, enter your name and email address, and create a password.

creative2Christchurch

Monday, 16 November, 9.00 am – 11.30 am: Click here to register

Monday, 16 November, 1.00 pm – 3.30 pm: Click here to register

Monday, 16 November, 4.00 pm – 6.30 pm: Click here to register

Wellington

Monday, 23 November, 3.00 pm – 5.30 pm: Click here to register

Tuesday, 24 November, 9.00 am – 11.30 am: Click here to register

Tuesday, 24 November, 1.00 pm – 3.30 pm: Click here to register

Tuesday, 24 November, 4.00 pm – 6.30 pm: Click here to register

Auckland

Thursday, 3 December, 9.00 am – 11.30 am: Click here to register

Thursday, 3 December, 1.00 pm – 3.30 pm: Click here to register

Thursday, 3 December, 4.00 pm – 6.30 pm: Click here to register

Friday, 4 December, 9.00 am – 11.30 am: Click here to register

Friday, 4 December, 12 noon – 2.30 pm: Click here to register

What if I can’t make it?

If you can’t attend one of the forums, and if you’re from an arts organisation or other agency, we’d appreciate it if you could forward this invitation onto someone who’ll be able to participate.

You can still take part in the process personally, even if attending a forum isn’t convenient for you (or if the forums are over-subscribed). Click here to register for an ‘online forum’, which will run over the three weeks of the in-person forums. Registering will allow us to contact you again in mid-November, and we’ll ask you to complete a short survey which will cover the key themes to be discussed at the meetings.

What happens after the forums?

The Arts Council will consider your feedback in December, and your work will inform a draft strategy document that will go out to public consultation next February and March. The new strategic plan will be in place in time for 1 July 2016.

If you have any questions, please email strategy@creativenz.govt.nz and our staff will be able to help.

Thank you in advance for sharing your views with us.

Kind regards,

Stephen.

Stephen Wainwright

Chief Executive

Creative New Zealand