What Development Resources Does Creative New Zealand Provide for Artists?

Updated

Creative New Zealand's development resources are grouped under four practical headings on its site: Sustainable careers, Make connections, Navigate the law, and Navigate your finances. Alongside these, the agency publishes advocacy tools and research (including Arts Funding 101 and the New Zealanders and the Arts report), an accessibility guide, and key information and FAQs. These resources are aimed at artists and arts organisations building a sustainable practice; they are guidance and reference material rather than funding themselves, so use them to prepare and strengthen an application or to plan a career, and check the funding pages separately for money and deadlines.

The four core development areas

The site's navigation places these four items together, which tells you how Creative New Zealand frames career development:

Area What it covers When to use it
Sustainable careers Building a practice that lasts beyond a single project Early planning, between projects, or when deciding your next step
Make connections Finding and building relationships in the sector Before approaching collaborators, venues, or advisers
Navigate the law General legal considerations for arts practice When you need orientation on legal questions affecting your work
Navigate your finances Managing money around an arts practice Budgeting, planning, or preparing a funding application

Each is a starting point rather than a complete course. Treat them as orientation: read the relevant section, note the questions it raises about your own situation, and take specific legal or financial questions to a qualified adviser.

Advocacy tools and research

If you need to make the case for the arts — to a council, a funder, or a community group — the advocacy section is the most directly usable part of the site. It includes:

  • Advocacy tools and research — the umbrella for the material below.
  • A guide for arts advocates — how to frame and present your case.
  • Arts Funding 101 — a primer on how arts funding works.
  • Fact finder for arts advocates — a place to locate supporting facts.
  • How you can advocate — practical actions.
  • How to make a submission on local council plans — a step-by-step route into a concrete advocacy task.
  • Creative New Zealand submissions to councils — examples of the agency's own submissions, useful as models of structure and tone.
  • Our advocacy work and the Advisory Group – Te Rōpū Mana Toi.

Example: using the resources for a council submission

Suppose your local council is consulting on its long-term plan and you want to argue for continued arts funding. A workable sequence is:

  1. Read How to make a submission on local council plans to understand the format and timing.
  2. Pull supporting evidence from the Fact finder for arts advocates and Arts Funding 101.
  3. Look at Creative New Zealand submissions to councils to see how a submission is structured and how arguments are framed.
  4. Draft your submission, then check it against A guide for arts advocates.

The expected result is a submission that follows the council's process and rests on citable evidence rather than assertion.

Reports and evidence

New Zealanders and the Arts – Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi is the key report listed under development and resources, with Past reports also available. Use it when you need data on public participation in and attitudes toward the arts — for example, to support an advocacy case, a funding application, or a programme design. Read the most recent edition first and note the survey period, since figures date quickly.

Accessibility and practical help

Two further resources remove friction from the process:

  • Accessibility Guide — for applicants and visitors who need accessible formats or adjustments.
  • Key information and FAQs — quick answers on common questions.

If you get stuck on a specific application, the site also lists Speak with an adviser and CNZ portal help, and the funding section includes Terms and Conditions of Funding, Use of Artificial Intelligence guidance, and instructions for making an application and reporting on funding received.

How to choose where to start

  • Planning a career, not a project: start with Sustainable careers, then Navigate your finances.
  • Preparing a funding application: read Making an application and the Terms and Conditions of Funding first, then the relevant development area.
  • Arguing for arts support publicly: go straight to the advocacy tools and the council submission guidance.
  • Needing evidence or context: use New Zealanders and the Arts and Arts Funding 101.
  • Facing a legal or financial question specific to your situation: use the navigation pages for orientation only, and consult a qualified professional for advice.

The site does not state prices for these resources, and nothing in the available material indicates whether any parts require login, so check each page directly before relying on open access.