Beyond state funding, and the week's other news

This week’s big news will have come knocking at many of your doors last Wednesday – the results of tiers 3 and 4 of CNZ’s new Arts Organisations and Groups Fund. This morning the full list of organisations who have been offered funding, and how much, has been released by CNZ. Though many of us have heard through our friends and networks other organisations' plights, the complete list allows us to begin to see the patterns, rhyme, and reasoning behind the often too-small numbers that we’ve been offered. 

We’ve analyzed the results in a series of charts published this morning. The numbers on who got what, ups and down, which artforms got what, the representation of ethnic groups, and the regional spread of funding have been crunched and visualised. Perhaps the most pertinent of the charts is the one below, showing that the amount of funding offered is about half of what was requested. CNZ has been talking about a “constrained environment” for some time, and for many, the results received last week hammered this home.

What does it mean for the arts if the principal funder of all our activity simply does not have enough to distribute, and that this pattern looks set to continue?

When results were first whirring around my head, I had just finished editing Rosetta Stone’s piece about the community hui that was held by Neck of the Woods to discuss alternative operating models. The venue almost closed down at the end of June but was saved by a community fundraiser. Despite the sizable cash injection, the problem still remains – the operating model, which relies on bar sales, is no longer financially sustainable. Without changing it, money raised by the community fundraiser will only delay the inevitable. 

I’m starting to think of CNZ funding as akin to bar sales: diminishing, unreliable, and something we need to move away from, if we want to survive. 

Artists still need money to live and create, of course, and so do the organisations who support them. It’s a pet peeve of mine that the arts constantly have to spend time stressing about money and how to get it. Scarcity is replicated both materially and immaterially. Admittedly I often find the conversations repetitive and without solutions or practical outcomes (I love to have down-to-Earth, but clever, plans). Yet here we are again. 

Jessica Hansell (aka coco solid) has been running a conversational experiment, called Culture Work, on the topic all week. She invited her Instagram followers to tune in and contribute thoughts to not only to understand the “hamster wheel” artists are trapped in, but also to imagine new paradigms, and new ways to sustain the arts. Jessica wants to find a way to sustain the artist-run space Wheke Fortress without falling into that hamster cage. Each evening this week she has posed questions and broadcast other people's thoughts along with her own. 

A few examples of solutions (my favourite!) from overseas have cropped up. An idea that surfaced in a few different ways from different people was the need to embed arts outside of our own worlds, and re-use resources that are available elsewhere. My favourite example Jessica shared was a family-owned grocery store in Delaware, Fiesta Fresh Market, that was inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk to host live music in the produce aisle. The monthly Mercadito Sessions feature up-and-coming Latin artists and bands, and best of all, they’re joyous and fun. In Shanghai, I came across something similar. A car mechanic shop next to a small bar would turn into a venue for alternative music events at night time – an inverted Cinderella. A more official version of this same idea is to introduce a policy which ensures public infrastructure projects set aside a portion of their budget to commission art. These are known as Percent for Art schemes, and exist already in other parts of the world, including parts of Australia. 

One obvious solution is Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts, but that feels politically far away here. In Finland, Espoo Museum of Modern Art, committed to supporting artists over outcomes. Instead of simply commissioning work for exhibitions Espoo will support four mid-career artists over the next several years. They will acquire works; provide financial support for external production; provide a one-year part-time stipend; and cover health insurance for a year. Krist Gruijthuijsen, the museum’s new director says the point is to rethink what a museum is for. “It’s really very much about the support system to a person, not just to the artwork,” he said. Still, the programme will culminate in mid-career survey exhibitions at the museum in 2029 and 2030 – so in a way there is an expected outcome at the end. There are some institutions in Aotearoa who are well resourced, comparatively, and I wonder if their operating models, priorities, and power structures need to be re-made. 

Culture Work culminates tonight, at 7pm, live on twitch.tv/coco_solid I’m curious to hear what other ideas are out there, because I don’t think the cycle of putting effort into applications, pinning hopes and plans on them for months, only to discover there was never going to be enough money, and it's a lolly scramble for crumbs, is working. 

New Zealand Screen Producers Guild launches policy blueprint for the election

The guild, aka Spada, released a policy blueprint outlining the reforms it says are needed to secure the future of our screen industry, which generates over $4 billion annually in economic activity, and supports approximately 25,000 skilled jobs. Election 2026 and Beyond: Screen Industry Challenges and Solutions has been presented to all political parties. The intention is to support constructive engagement as they develop their arts, media and economic policies for the next Parliamentary term.

The blueprint identifies five priority areas: modernising regulation for the streaming era; strengthening long-term public investment in screen production funding agencies NZ On Air, NZ Film Commission and Te Māngai Pāho; ensuring the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate continues to support both international competitiveness and domestic production capability; improving access to private investment and growth capital for New Zealand screen businesses; developing balanced AI and copyright settings that protect creative rights while enabling innovation.

“This is not a list of isolated policy requests. It is a long-term roadmap,” says Irene Gardiner, Spada President, “The screen industry shouldn’t be viewed simply as an arts portfolio issue. It is an economic development issue, an export issue, an innovation issue and a jobs issue. We want all political parties to recognise the role this sector can play in New Zealand’s future prosperity if the right policy settings are in place.”

Prayas celebrated at Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards

Prayas Theatre, a community theatre company run almost entirely by volunteers who last year celebrated its 20th birthday, received the Kiwi Indian Arts, Culture & Heritage Award at the 12th annual Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards, held on 3 July at the Cordis, Auckland. The sold-out event celebrated Kiwi Indians who have made outstanding contributions to their communities and to Aotearoa. 

et al.’s the fundamental practice from the 2005 Venice Biennale to show in NZ for the first time

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki will present the major installation from 8 August, marking the first time the work has been displayed in its entirety in Aotearoa since it represented us at the Venice Biennale in 2005. The multi-sensory installation combines five moving ‘autonomous systems’ with computer-generated voices and sounds in a dystopian orchestra. The work forms a layered exploration of belief systems, extremism and its influence on individual freedom and collective life. 

Artsville – Poet’s Corner now free to watch online

NZonScreen has recently added the 2005 series which brought New Zealand poetry to the screen through striking, music video-style visuals. Writers including Bernadette Hall, James Brown, Janet Charman, Roma Potiki and Stephanie Johnson perform their own work, each piece given its own distinct visual treatment. Its a striking collection, even all these years later. Online here.

🌹National treasure Sam Neill dies

There’s plenty of fittingly sweet coverage elsewhere, but it would be remiss not to mention the death of actor, farmer, and environmental activist Sam Neill. He at least left us a huge oeuvre of films, and beautiful snippets of his idyllic life in Central Otago on Instagram. TVNZ has pulled together a collection of his films for reminiscing, and last night I watched Sleeping Dogs, his breakout film, for the first time. I highly recommend it! Rest easy my friend.

Estuary Art and Ecology Award winners announced

The 20th edition of the Estuary Art and Ecology Awards opened on 4 July at UXBRIDGE with the announcement of five winners from a pool of 22 finalists, all on show. This year Aotearoa’s only art awards dedicated to ecological themes were judged by Charles Walker, Professor of School of Future Environments at AUT. “The estuary was presented not as an object to be managed or admired, but as something to which we belong,” he said. “Through acts of remembrance, restoration, observation or quiet contemplation, the artists invite us to reconsider our own place within larger ecological systems.”

First Place was awarded to Jessie Randles for The Body Remembers. A small-scale work on a discarded cigarette packet fished out of the Tamaki Estuary. Minke Lupa’s collection of olla pots made from clay gathered from the estuary itself, titled Te Mauma haratanga ki te Awa Hei Whanaunga – Remembering the River as Kin, was awarded Second Place. The work respectfully acknowledges mana whenua while reflecting on migration, belonging and the responsibilities of living well within a new landscape. 

Rubes Prattley-Jones was awarded Third Place for their artwork, The Mouth and The Body (low tide). The Merit Awards were given to Isla Osborne and Kurt Payne. The delicate glass forms of Isla Osborne’s Three Sea Reliquaries celebrate conceptual elegance, exceptional craftsmanship and a poetic reimagining of the possibilities of citizen-science observation. Kurt Payne’s ENCROACHMENT offers an unflinching portrayal of the everyday realities of urban ecological decline.

20 songs and 11 waiata up for Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka

The lists were decided by a curated panel of APRA members, who are well-respected songwriters, producers, and performers. Winners will be decided by vote, and announced on 14 October at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. 31 songs, and all their attendant credits, is too much to list here, so head to the APRA websitehttps://www.apraamcos.co.nz/about-us/news-and-events/silver-scroll-top-20-maioha-top-11-2026 to see if your favourites are there!

The Learning Connexion awarded Creative Gold Award at the Wellington Gold Awards

For more than 38 years, The Learning Connexion has empowered students to discover confidence, passion, and opportunity through creative education. Learners aged 16 to 88, learn at the campus in Lower Hutt, through study from home, and in 12 Corrections facilities nationwide. TLC’s NZQA-accredited programmes are built around creative practice and personalised mentoring, making education accessible to everyone, including those who may not have thrived in conventional learning environments. 

NZICC appoints Pou Tikanga

The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has announced the appointment of Te Raukura Hawke as Pou Tikanga, making NZICC the only convention centre in New Zealand with a dedicated cultural advisor in its core team. Te Raukura descends from Ngāti Whātua, Ngapuhi and Tainui. The appointment deepens partnership between NZICC and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. In March 2024, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and SkyCity Auckland formalised their relationship through a kōtuitanga, a strategic agreement embodying the idea of working collaboratively toward common goals, and elevating Tāmaki Makaurau for local and international visitors. Te Raukura’s appointment is the next expression of this commitment. 

In practice, Te Raukura will act as a cultural pillar across everything NZICC does. His role shapes the experience from the moment an event begins, through protocol, language, storytelling, and ceremonial moments, ensuring Māori values and tikanga are expressed with integrity at every gathering. For NZICC, the appointment is both a statement of identity and a point of difference in global events that increasingly expect cultural authenticity to be demonstrated.

Last weekend a hui at Neck of the Woods gathered people from across the music community to discuss operating models beyond surviving off bar sales. Rosetta Stone was there and reports back. 

Musician Greta O'Leary thinks we don't fan enough, and that it could be the path to health, success, friendship and fulfilment. She explains why in a Shameless plug.

In case you missed it above, see where AOG Tiers 1 and 2 funding will go in a series of charts! They’re interactive!

Last but not least, come back tomorrow for a piece by Sam Brooks about Massie Theatre Company’s 35(!) years.

Do you have any ideas or examples of artists and organisations surviving and thriving beyond state funding? let me know! editor@thebigidea.co.nz