November 25, 2015

RESULTS OF CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND’S REVIEW OF THEATRE  

Increasing audiences for New Zealand theatre and the diversity of work being presented will be areas of focus for Creative New Zealand’s support of theatre over the next five years.  

Following a review of Creative New Zealand’s support of theatre the Arts Council agreed future support will focus on strengthening: 

  • audience demand for New Zealand theatre
  • the diversity of theatre works presented by theatre organisations in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland funded through the Toi Tōtara Haemata (Arts Leadership) Investment programme, in particular Māori and Pasifika theatre and work that engages with diverse communities
  • collaboration within the theatre sector.

Changes to the Toi Tōtara Haemata programme

Theatre organisations fulfilling ‘main centre’ key roles as part of the Toi Tōtara Haemata programme will be required to:

  • invest in the creation and presentation of Māori and Pasifika theatre
  • provide outreach programmes that connect with diverse communities and audiences
  • invest in programmes and events that increase the audience for New Zealand theatre
  • collaborate with other theatre organisations and practitioners and broader arts organisations.

Creative New Zealand has also revised the key roles for ‘theatre development’ and ‘Creative development services’ which are part of the Toi Tōtara Haemata programme.  The former will support the creative and professional development of theatre practitioners including a regular programme of New Zealand theatre and new, innovative work.  The latter will provide a range of services including advice for developing scripts and best practice resources for creating work.

Creative New Zealand will continue to support key roles for Māori theatre and theatre for young people as part of the programme.

New funding priorities

Creative New Zealand’s theatre funding priorities for the Toi Uru Kahikatea (Arts Development) Investment programme will now include ‘high quality projects that involve collaboration and resource sharing between arts organisations’.

Theatre funding priorities for Arts and Quick Response Grants will now include ‘high quality projects of scale that have confirmed contributions by multiple funding partners’.

More information on the key roles, funding priorities, feedback received during consultation and the implementation timeline is in the Review of Theatre Final Report November 2015 

Copyright © 2015 Creative New Zealand, All rights reserved. (Reproduced by permission)  

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