简体中文
EnglishWhat is Creative New Zealand?
Updated
Creative New Zealand (Creative NZ) is the national arts development agency for Aotearoa New Zealand, identified on its website as "Creative New Zealand | Creative New Zealand." It supports the arts and ngā toi Māori through funding programmes, advocacy, and development resources for artists, arts organisations, and the wider sector. If you are an early career artist, an established practitioner, or an arts group looking for public arts funding or guidance, this is the agency to start with.
What Creative New Zealand does
The site's navigation and page evidence point to three core areas of work:
- Funding and support — investment programmes, opportunities, and a funding calendar, plus "other sources of funding and support" for those who don't fit a current programme.
- Advice and support — guidance for applicants, including terms and conditions of funding, how to make an application, use of artificial intelligence in applications, and what to do if you receive funding.
- Advocacy and research — advocacy tools, a guide for arts advocates, "Arts Funding 101," a fact finder, and guidance on making submissions on local council plans.
The agency also runs awards, bursaries, fellowships, scholarships, and residencies — for example, the Arts Pasifika Awards, Te Waka Toi Awards, the Prime Minister's Awards for literary achievement, and residencies such as the Berlin Visual Arts Residency and the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship.
Who it serves
The site organises support by applicant type, which is a useful signal of who it is built for:
| Audience | What the site offers |
|---|---|
| Early career artists | Funding and support entry points, opportunities |
| Artists and practitioners | Funding, awards, residencies, advice |
| Arts organisations and groups | Investment programmes, reporting, logos and branding guidance |
It also addresses practical needs beyond money: "Sustainable careers," "Make connections," "Navigate the law," and "Navigate your finances" appear as development resources, alongside a speakers and accessibility guide.
How the funding side works
The site separates apply, report, and assess:
- Apply — investment programme guidelines, programme and budget projections, and a CNZ portal with account management and help pages.
- Report — 6-month reports, financial year end reports, development goals, and adding activity records with activity details and statistics.
- Assess — assessment criteria, including sustainable careers and making connections.
There is also a stated commitment to a 15-year strategy, described on the site as "Tū Mai Rā: A Future Shaped Together," framed around doing things differently — worth reading if you want to understand where the agency says its priorities are heading.
Practical starting points
- Check the funding calendar and current opportunities before drafting anything.
- Read the terms and conditions of funding and the assessment criteria for the programme you're targeting.
- Use the CNZ portal help and speak with an adviser if your situation doesn't map cleanly onto a programme.
- If you're funded, note the reporting requirements early — activity records and statistics are part of the deal.
One caveat: the site does not state that funding or portal access is free or open without conditions, so treat eligibility and login requirements as things to confirm against the current guidelines rather than assume.