Election forum - Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi

Shaping the future of the arts, culture and creative sector

– an election forum

Key sound bites

Miriama Kamo on the challenges and opportunities ahead for our industry.

Carmel Sepuloni on Labour's engagement with the arts sector in the wake of the pandemic.

Jonathan Young on the issues surrounding lotteries funding of the sector.

All candidates on establishing an all government taskforce for the arts.

The candidates talk to the role arts and culture play in our national identity.

Chloe Swarbrick on the importance and commitments to toi Māori in any strategy.

Candidates responding to a sector question on what transformational shift they could make for the industry.

Candidates give their closing pitch on their commitment to the arts & culture sector.

The candidates on their best New Zealand art experiences.

Watch the full discussion here

The need to develop a stronger arts and culture ecosystem in Tāmaki Makaurau, and across Aotearoa, existed before the COVID-19 crisis.  The COVID crisis brings a new urgency to this mahi.

The impact on the sector of the first wave of the crisis was immediate.  Then substantial time was needed to reboot the sector, particularly in the performing arts, when the country moved to a Level 1 lockdown.  The subsequent return to a Level 3 lockdown in Tāmaki Makaurau, and Level 2 lockdown elsewhere, again saw a raft of cancellations of concerts, theatre, dance, and other arts events.

The vulnerability of the sector has never been more obvious. This underscores the importance of ensuring that policies are developed that will support the sector’s long-term sustainability as a major contributor to our cultural and economic wellbeing.

This pre-election forum, Shaping the future of the arts, culture and creative sector was designed to contribute to shaping the conversation around this important goal.

This forum provided the arts sector with an opportunity to join together for a conversation on arts policies with:

  • Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Associate Minister of Arts Culture and Heritage
  • Jonathan Young MP, Arts Culture and Heritage spokesperson National Party
  • Chlöe Swarbrick MP, Arts Culture and Heritage spokesperson Green Party

The forum was facilitated by broadcaster Miriama Kamo.  The forum has been covered by The Spinoff, The Big Idea and Stuff.  Each speaker presented their party’s arts policies, participated in a panel discussion, and responded to questions from Miriama, and questions submitted from the sector.  

This was originally planned as a live event, but due to current concerns about COVID-19, the forum was run online.

The forum has being convened by Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi as the regional arts trust for Auckland, on behalf of Ngā Toi Advocacy Network, and in partnership with Auckland Live, The Big Idea and the Spinoff.

In preparation for the forum the Ngā Toi network has written a letter on the key sector issues, and potential responses for consideration by each political party.  The letter is available here.