Arts and Culture Policy

Note: This was the policy released for the 2005 election. An updated policy for the 2008 election will be released shortly.

Introduction

The role of the artist in society must be to inspire, to challenge, to invigorate an idea or to reveal a truth. The expression of this may be as simple perhaps as a movement in dance or drama, a sound reminiscent of the wind, a stroke of colour on canvas; or it may be as complex as an opera, a multi-media presentation, or an installation in metal and sand. It is about moulding the clay, crafting the sentence, expressing the moment. Art is culture, is life, is necessary.

The role of Government must be to facilitate the well-being of its citizens, to inspire the best amongst its people, and to create a secure and creative community within a sustainable environment. Between Government and the arts there should be a broad relationship of support and understanding.

To this end, it is important that we recognise and support local talent. It is, therefore, necessary to create the conditions in which New Zealand talent can reach the highest standard and be enjoyed by the widest audience. The goal is widespread participation in the arts and affordable access. Areas in which creative pursuits need to be encouraged include, schools - from early childhood to secondary level, prisons, as well as urban and rural communities. It is also important that each of these areas is provided with adequate resources and trained professionals to encourage participation. Creative and cultural work is a valid expression within an organisation and is recognised to be a useful means of empowering people and helping to develop additional skills, training, and confidence. Workplace and union organisations will be supported through Government funding bodies in their creative pursuits as a means of reflecting and exploring social, political, and spiritual issues.

A people free to express, create, and enjoy artistic sensibility is a people in control of their destiny. Art and craft, whatever the cultural premise, are about exploring the creative instinct. The arts are intelligent, challenging, and demanding. The artistic life demands commitment and determination from its practitioners. Their work must be given due status and recognised as a 'proper job'.

The arts have an increasingly important role to play in our economic health. Recent international successes attest to this, notably - the Lord of the Rings project, the Xena and Hercules television series, Shortland Street, a wide range of local musicians and music videos including Split Enz, The Feelers, Bic Runga, Nesian Mystik., community theatre initiatives such as the Wairoa project and wide range of internationally acclaimed artists and craftspeople. Each of these activities has numerous spin-offs for local artists, actors, technicians, and other local businesses. The arts industry remains one of the few growth industries in the New Zealand economy.

The Household Economic Survey (HES) shows that in the 2000/01 year, 91% of households spent money on cultural items during the survey period amounting to $2.17 billion, a similar amount to the last survey in 1996. That's $41.6 million a week — an average of $30 a week per household. Spending on cultural items accounted for 4 percent of net household expenditure in the year to June 2001. This is more than spending on each of - domestic power, overseas travel, mortgage principal repayments, and clothing and footwear, representing significant economic spending which has the potential to be invested in local talent.

The Green Party recognises art and craft as an environmentally friendly, strategic investment area. It is a large employment sector with valuable export potential and provides an opportunity for enjoyment, satisfaction, and intellectual well-being. The Green Party recognises the arts and crafts as areas of human activity where the potential for growth is unlimited.
The Green Party also recognises that cultural diversity is a national asset, and respects the role of tangata whenua and the influence of the various settler communities who have brought their cultural identity with them. The Green Party is committed to supporting both tangata whenua, and tau iwi cultural development.

Investment in both art and craft projects has several social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and economic benefits, not the least being the opportunity to explore our constructive and creative talents and instincts. To be a part of a society that values creative ability must be a good thing.
In terms of an economic comparison, the Irish government has a proactive arts policy which supports local talent and culture through both tax incentives and comprehensive international exchange programmes. A 1994 study 'The employment and economic significance of the Cultural Industries in Ireland' (Coopers and Lybrand) shows the arts sector has a gross revenue of 450 million pounds; directly employs 21,500 people (full-time equivalents) amounting to 2.4% of the work force; and has a minimum export value of 100 million pounds.The Green Party would work toward creating a similarly beneficial artistic environment in New Zealand to allow artists the freedom to contribute to society; and recognises the worthwhile contribution being made to our social fabric.

Specific Objectives

• To develop and secure the highest standards achievable in the arts and crafts. Inherent in this the need to improve the status of artists and craftspeople and to foster a climate that encourages innovation and artistic development.
• To encourage participation in the arts and crafts in terms of availability and access, with particular reference to young people and children.
• To secure maximum benefit for the arts and crafts throughout New Zealand through strategic partnerships with local government, iwi, schools, libraries, business, and community organisations.
• To ensure policy-making is fully informed through high quality research and public consultation.
• To recognise that investment in the arts and crafts is a socially and commercially sound proposition.
• To acknowledge the arts and crafts as a valid expression or our cultural and spiritual identity as a nation.

Specific Policy Points

Developing a Creative and Aesthetic Culture

1. The Ministry of Culture and Heritage will continue to be the principal body entrusted with co-ordinating the promotion and development of our artistic culture.
2. The Minister will sit inside Cabinet and will co-ordinate with other Ministries for the advancement of cultural and artistic expression in Aotearoa.
3. A new arts and cultural promotion unit will be established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and will work with the support of the Ministries of Culture and Heritage, Tourism, and Economic Development, with the explicit purpose of developing an international promotion and exchange programme. This will include an assertive international marketing function.
4. The writers in residence scheme that currently exists in universities will be used to model an extended programme of 'Artists in Action', which will include Parliament, Ministries, and Government Departments. Business and community organisations will be encouraged to do likewise. As an example of how this would work, the artist in residence at Parliament would be required produce a significant work at the end of each Parliamentary term, such as a volume of poetry, a series of paintings, a piece of music, dance, or an installation.
5. Contributions to bona fide artist organisations such as 'Friends of the New Zealand Ballet', will be tax deductible along the same lines as charity donations.
6. The arts greatly enrich the human spirit and should play an integral role in all decisions influencing our society. Artistic input into civic and social decision-making processes will be encouraged.
7. Funding through Creative New Zealand and New Zealand on Air must ensure that regional and sector groups are adequately catered for. It is may be necessary to instigate a funding structure similar to the Community Organisations Granting Scheme (COGS) to ensure accountable and transparent decision-making.
8. The National Archives, Film archives, and museums will be maintained in government hands as a resource for New Zealanders. Free access to information will be a priority.

Broadcasting

The Green Party also recognises that Television New Zealand has a responsibility to reflect New Zealand culture and include good New Zealand dramas and documentaries into its programme structure, rather than relying on formula game show or personality-based 'real TV' options.