An Aotearoa that values artists.
The Green Party will invest in the arts, creativity and culture that makes Aotearoa vibrant and unique.
Our art, artists and creatives tell the stories of our communities and help make sense of the world around us.
This government has starved the sector of support. Too many of our creatives are working without the certainty of a stable income, and many lack access to the training and education needed to foster their skills and talents. Steep cuts to Māori arts and broadcasting have left them to scale down or to fend for themselves.
Those governments have seen the arts as a nice-to-have, rather than central to our identity as New Zealanders. They’ve rolled out the red carpet for big overseas studios, sending funds offshore, while local and Indigenous artists are left to struggle.
Arts, culture and creativity are vital for creating vibrant cities and communities. Like other community infrastructure, the arts, culture and creative sectors need proper support.
It is time for artists and creatives to be valued, respected and recognised for their work. The Green Party will fund the arts properly and ensure artists have the long-term sustainability, training and venues that are necessary to build an audience and a meaningful livelihood.
Together, we can support the people behind the books, music, movies, shows and images that tell our stories.
Our plan
- Require that all publicly funded projects pay at least the living wage to artists, and expand paid artist residencies.
- Provide stable funding for creative organisations and events such as Te Urungi, including long-term funding for significant creative initiatives such as Te Matatini and Polyfest.
- Provide sustainable long-term arts funding that is not reliant on gambling revenue, alongside alcohol-free venues for performers.
- Support and invest in repatriating taonga currently overseas back to iwi, hapū and whānau Māori, as well as keeping taonga in Aotearoa.
- Establish infrastructure across ministries to strengthen our creative and cultural economy and maximise opportunities for local artists.
- Increase funding for quality, non-commercial public media that nurtures and promotes our talent and creativity as a nation, including sustainable funding for Radio New Zealand and Whakaata Māori.
- Increase resourcing for student, community, regional, Māori and Pacific media and radio.