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Introduction 
Kupu whakataki

Chief Executive’s foreword  
Kupu whakataki a te Tumuaki

E ngā mātāwaka o te motu tēnā koutou, otirā tēnā tātou katoa. 
Tēnā tātou i ō tātou tini mate, kua tangihia, kua mihia, kua ea te wāhi ki a rātou. 

Nau mai, tautī mai ki te whare o te Manatū Taonga, ki te whare e whaia ana te wawata ‘kia puāwai te ahuarea kia ora ko tātou katoa’.

As I approach the end of my first year in this role, I am privileged to present the 2022/23 annual report for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. I am reminded of the breadth and depth of our mahi every day, and I am honoured by the opportunity to serve this Ministry and sector. Arts, culture, heritage, media and sport permeate all corners of our country, and reach the heart of our people and our society.

The work we do at Manatū Taonga aims to increase access to culture across all communities and disciplines – bringing more people to our kapa haka festivals, getting more people engaged in arts and creative activities, sharing more stories on screens and stages, across the internet and in print. These stories, events and creations bind us together, helping us to understand and celebrate each other. The arts are an important vehicle for achieving and expressing social wellbeing, and I am constantly reminded of the power of this sector to benefit all communities.

This report reflects the hard work of many passionate people both within Manatū Taonga and in the wider sector. It highlights a year of strengthening relationships, building system capability and continuing to put Te Rautaki, our long-term strategy, at the heart of everything we do. As we transition to a post-COVID Aotearoa and navigate challenges caused by our changing climate and economic context, we are committed to our core mission of supporting a thriving culture for all of Aotearoa.

In 2023, we continued our focus on supporting the unique role of te ao Māori in our cultural system. Te Rā Aro ki a Mātariki dawned across Aotearoa for the second year in 2023, with communities around the motu taking part in the celebrations. Manatū Taonga was tasked with building on the success of the inaugural Matariki public holiday, supporting the regeneration of mātauranga Matariki through the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund, which provided grants to iwi and hāpu-led events celebrating the Māori new year. Matariki was an exciting new project for us this year, joining our existing mahi increasing recognition of te ao Māori in Aotearoa, such as taonga tūturu, Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories and our support of Te Matatini.

This year we shared our first Long-term Insights Briefing with the cultural sector. Key to the success of this project has been the contributions of the sector, and I thank the more than 150 organisations and individuals who provided valuable input. The Briefing will help us, in our role as the government’s principal advisors on the cultural system, to ensure that the cultural sector continues to thrive. It will shape our interactions and shared direction as a sector.

Another important milestone for the Ministry has been the delivery of the Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund, the final funding allocated as part of the COVID Recovery Programme. The $28 million fund will continue to provide benefits for the cultural sector through the delivery of more than 80 initiatives during the coming year, initiatives that will support more than 1800 people in paid work. These exciting initiatives include The Big Idea, Proudly Asian Theatre and Kauwaka Ltd. The funded initiatives will have a positive impact on our sector for years to come.

Connecting with people has been a highlight of my first year at Manatū Taonga. Over the last year, we have continued to work closely with Erebus families and people who worked on Operation Overdue. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have been especially supportive. This closeness and collaboration was exemplified in what I will remember as a pivotal moment in my career. On the 43rd anniversary of the Erebus disaster, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei hosted Erebus families and personnel from Operation Overdue at a commemorative event during which the names of all 257 passengers and crew who were lost on 28 November 1979 were read out for the first time together. I remain committed to realising a National Erebus Memorial at which future generations can gather.

Commemorations have always been a core activity of Manatū Taonga. The past year saw the return of full- scale Anzac Day commemorations across the country, events which had largely been in abeyance because of pandemic restrictions. Events like this bring people together to reflect on the past and its relevance to the present. It was an honour to be a part of the national Anzac Day ceremony at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, a moving event which saw a return to pre-COVID levels of people paying their respects.

Many key policy milestones reached this year will support a thriving cultural sector for years to come. An Artist Resale Royalty Scheme is being established to ensure the creators of visual arts are recognised and rewarded when their work is resold on the secondary art market. This has been a significant area of work over a number of years, involving extensive sector consultation, so it’s rewarding to see this policy progressing through the legislative process. We also announced changes to the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate which will encourage and support more high-quality, locally focused content.

Of the many lessons we learnt from the pandemic, a key one for me was the importance of strong public media. With the government’s decision in early 2023 to not progress the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM) bill, there was an acknowledgement that greater investment was needed to strengthen public broadcasting in New Zealand. This understanding led to a 60 per cent increase in baseline funding for Radio New Zealand, and many of the policy measures to strengthen and support public media were carried over from ANZPM and progressed. I’m proud of the work we are doing to support a media system that is vibrant, trusted and diverse.

Our work at Manatū Taonga would not be possible without strong relationships with the sector and the communities we serve. I want to acknowledge my counterparts in the Cultural Agency Chief Executives network who work proactively together to support the sector. Reflecting on all that has been achieved during the year it is clear to me that we can lead and support the cultural system to achieve greater impact through collaboration. Thank you to the committed staff of Manatū Taonga, and to the cultural sector for being alongside us.

Ngā manaakitanga

Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae  
  
Secretary for Culture and Heritage and Chief Executive

Our performance 
Whakatutukinga mahi

Progress towards our strategic intentions  
Kokenga ki ā mātou whāinga rautaki

Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi. Culture is thriving, The people are well.

Manatū Taonga plays a crucial role in supporting the cultural sector and the wider creative system. Our strategic framework, Te Rautaki o Manatū Taonga 2021–2040 (Te Rautaki), describes the aspirations we have for the cultural and creative system, the roles we play in relation to it, and the approach we take to optimising our contribution and impact. Te Rautaki sets out the type of organisation we want to become, the focus of our mahi, how we will work with others, and the values we will embrace in order to realise our vision.

Te Rautaki comprises five factors:

  1. Te pūtakewhy we exist
  2. Te whāinga tāhuhuwhere we want to get to
  3. Ngā āheingahow we will do this
  4. Kaupapa matuawhat we will focus on
  5. Ngā uara o Manatū TaongaManatū Taonga values.

Manatū Taonga exists to support arts, heritage, media and sports so that culture in Aotearoa New Zealand thrives. Our role is as the government’s principal advisors to the cultural system. We are stewards of the cultural system, taking a long-term view of opportunities and challenges, and our collective response to these. This is te pūtake, why we exist.

Te whāinga tāhuhu is where we want to get to. This is explained in the next chapter, in which we tell some of the stories around what success will look like.

Ngā āheinga outlines our pathway to where we want to get to through building system capability, focusing on system stewardship and relationships, and putting Te Arataki – our Māori strategy – at the heart of what we do.

Te Arataki describes how we will deliver on our strategic intentions and what we will focus on. It has three key focuses: he ngākau titikaha, to build confidence and Māori capability across Manatū Taonga; he hononga Tiriti – to support iwi and Māori priorities and initiatives as an agency and as a sector with partnerships and opportunities; and he hononga tangata – to enable opportunities for all New Zealanders to engage with Māori culture.

Te Rautaki guides the Ministry by setting out long-term outcomes and describing what success will look like for us and our sector. The strategy is a 20-year journey that includes short-, medium- and long-term outcomes and is the source of Koromakinga Rautaki Strategic Intentions 2021–2025.

Where we want to get to  
Te whāinga tāhuhu

Te whāinga tāhuhu is the part of Te Rautaki that sets out where we want to get to – our longer-term outcomes. The work we do towards these outcomes will help us achieve our vision: Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi. Culture is thriving, The people are well.

The outcomes are outlined in Koromakinga Rautaki Strategic Intentions 2021–2025 and are used to frame our work in this report:

  1. Culture is inclusive and reflective, supporting people to connect and engage with each other, their community and society
  2. Iwi and Māori are supported to achieve their cultural aspirations and Māori culture is recognised, valued and embraced by New Zealanders
  3. People can access and are participating in cultural activities and experiences
  4. Cultural activity is valued, supported and nurtured
  5. The cultural system is resilient and sustainable

To support this strategic direction, Te Rautaki has a series of short-, medium- and longer- term outcomes.

On the following pages we explain how the Ministry’s key work programmes support the five success descriptors of te whāinga tāhuhu, and how our work during 2022/23 has created progress towards our long-term goals.

Culture is inclusive and reflective, supporting people to connect and engage with each other, their community and society

The cultural and creative sector has a key role to play in connecting diverse communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Building relationships enables people to connect and engage with each other to create a more inclusive society, fostering social and cultural participation and wellbeing.

In 2022 Manatū Taonga conducted a National Cultural Participation survey, following the first iteration in 2020. The 2022 results confirmed that New Zealanders from a diverse array of backgrounds participate in a wide range of activities across the cultural sector. The survey also identified barriers to participation that the Ministry will target in the future.

In early 2023, Cabinet reprioritised $10 million of COVID-19 recovery funding to support established arts, cultural and diversity festivals. The funding is being used by Creative New Zealand to support the live events community as the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme (ACESS) ends. Fittingly, the unused funding initially set aside to underwrite hundreds of arts and culture events through ACESS enabled us to support the resurgence of festivals through Creative New Zealand’s new festivals grants.

Work continued on the four-year Dawn Raids programme, following the 2021 formal Government apology to Pacific communities affected by the discriminatory immigration policies and practices of the 1970s (commonly known as the ‘Dawn Raids’). We recruited experts to oversee the development of an innovative online platform to share Dawn Raids stories. A Senior Pacific Historian, a Pacific Researcher/Historian and a Project Manager have been appointed and are scoping the project and actively identifying key partners for collaboration. The approach to building and maintaining the online platform prioritises an inclusive, co- designed methodology, ensuring that diverse Pacific community perspectives are represented.

Histories recorded for future generations

Recording stories adds rich detail to our understanding of our past by preserving the words of individuals and their experiences and expertise. The Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho, Piki Ake! Kake Ake! New Zealand Oral History Grants and the Whiria Te Mahara New Zealand History Grants have supported oral history interviews, historical research and writing for more than 30 years.

In 2022/23 the Ministry funded historical projects that reflect the diverse identities of and perspectives on the history of Aotearoa New Zealand, and on our close relationships with the Pacific.

Fourteen oral history projects, many of them community-led, were funded last year. Topics covered include Fijian and Korean migrant stories, queer dance parties in the 1990s, and the preservation of mātauranga Māori.

Three of the oral history projects will capture kōrero with kaumātua from Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō whenua, Hokianga and Rotorua, ensuring that the vital mātauranga held by elders will be protected for future generations.

Nine research and writing projects were also funded for a wide range of topics. These range from the history of Chinese restaurants and women’s football to the lives of those living with an intellectual disability, and the history of the ceremonial waka taua Ngātokimatawhaorua.

National Erebus Memorial

Manatū Taonga is committed to realising a National Erebus Memorial to commemorate the 257 people who died when in 1979 Air New Zealand flight TE901 crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica. The tragic event is the worst civil accident in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history, and building the National Erebus Memorial, Te Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song, is one of the Ministry’s most significant projects.

In November 2022 Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei invited the families to a commemoration on the 43rd anniversary of the accident, and the names of all who died were read out together for the first time. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are committed to an ongoing relationship with the families and to helping secure a new site for the memorial.

In January and February 2023, Auckland suffered from weather from Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle. These weather events caused significant land movement at the then-proposed site for the memorial, Taurarua/Dove-Myer Robinson Park.

Manatū Taonga commissioned a geotechnical assessment of the site and, based on this assessment, decided that the site was no longer suitable or safe for a national memorial that would endure for at least 100 years. The Ministry met with families and announced that we would investigate a new location for the Memorial.

The Ministry has begun a new site selection process, which entails working closely with the families, subject matter experts and our project partners to finalise the criteria for the future memorial site. Although Te Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song was designed for the former site, the intention is to reuse as many design aspects and elements as possible in a new location.

Commemorations helping tell untold stories

Commemorations can play an important role in helping to reconcile people with past hurt and injustices. They are significant ways for our nation to recognise the efforts of communities and individuals. Supporting commemorations and memorials is one of the core functions of our Delivery group, Te Hua.

One such ceremony is the Coastwatchers commemoration. During the Second World War, Coastwatchers were service and civilian personnel from New Zealand, as well as indigenous Pacific Island civilians, who kept a 24-hour watch for enemy ships and aircraft. They endured difficult circumstances to protect homes, families and nations against the threat of attack.

Some of the indigenous Pacific Island civilians were young men. They faced particular danger, as under international law, civilians found to be undertaking duties of an essentially military character risked being executed as ‘francs tireurs’ (guerrilla fighters). Some civilians who served as Coastwatchers, including those who had been killed, were later given military ranks, but the process was haphazard and did not include indigenous Pacific Island civilians.

The Coastwatchers commemoration in 2022 sought to right this past injustice by formally recognising Pacific Island civilian Coastwatchers at the ceremony at the National War Memorial. The ceremony was held on 15 October, marking 80 years since seventeen New Zealand Coastwatchers and five European civilians captured in the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) were executed at Betio, Tarawa.

As well as the Pacific Island civilians, the 2022 ceremony honoured all the civilian and armed forces personnel who served as Coastwatchers on mainland New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, in the sub- Antarctic islands and across the South Pacific during the Second World War.

The commemoration was attended by descendants of the Coastwatchers in person, livestreamed for domestic and international viewers, and covered by media.

Iwi and Māori are supported to achieve their cultural aspirations and Māori culture is recognised, valued and embraced by New Zealanders

Te ao Māori is a cornerstone of Aotearoa New Zealand and plays a pivotal role in defining our multicultural society.

A key focus for Manatū Taonga is strengthening Māori-Crown relations to ensure that iwi Māori are supported to achieve their cultural aspirations, and that Māori culture is recognised as a central, unique and intrinsic part of the culture and identity of Aotearoa.

One of the key focus areas of the recently published Long-Term Insights Briefing was te ao Māori. As part of the engagement for creating the Briefing, Manatū Taonga asked people to consider the future when te ao Māori is woven throughout the cultural sector while supporting mana motuhake. Through this engagement, Manatū Taonga was shown the importance of keeping te ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the centre of the arts, culture and heritage sector. We do this by ensuring that we live by Te Rautaki, in particular embedding Te Arataki, our Māori strategy, in everything we do.

One area where we are supporting iwi and Māori to tell their own stories is Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories. This digital storytelling programme provides iwi with the resource to research, share and educate people about their Treaty settlement experiences. Te Tai Whakaea helps audiences to connect with Aotearoa New Zealand’s past by exploring the enduring impact of Treaty settlements from an iwi perspective through a bilingual and accessible digital platform which combines video, audio and animation.

For iwi, the stories can be incredibly powerful records that tell their stories for future generations. Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngaa Rauru previewed their Te Tai Whakaea stories this year and shared them with their wider iwi in advance of upcoming public launches.

Another highlight for the Te Tai programme this year was hosting six current and future partners at a two-day workshop. During the workshop, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Koata, Ngaa Rauru, Parihaka Papakāinga Trust, Te Arawa River Iwi Trust and Raukawa became more familiar with the project, and had the opportunity to whakawhanaunga with each other and Manatū Taonga staff. The iwi representatives were also able to reconnect with some of their taonga during a tour of the Te Papa collection.

Increased funding to support Te Matatini in the regions

Manatū Taonga partnered with Te Matatini Society Inc. to support them to expand kapa haka activities across the motu. We supported the development of a business case for increased funding to expand the scope and role of the organisation, which resulted in Budget 2023 delivering $34 million (over two years) to Te Matatini.

The business case outlined Te Matatini’s plan to fund the sustainable growth of kapa haka in Aotearoa. This will be achieved by establishing a regional operating model and delivering funding through rohe societies, in line with Te Matatini’s mana motuhake ki te kāinga approach. Manatū Taonga will monitor the outcomes of this funding to provide evidence of its benefits.

In keeping with our Te Rautaki commitments, this funding will support a range of kapa haka activities, including non-competitive kapa haka, enabling Māori culture to be recognised, valued and embraced by New Zealanders. This funding will bring the benefits of kapa haka, which include economic growth, hauora / wellbeing, revitalisation of te reo me ona tikanga, and educational benefits, to all regions, reaching a wider audience.

This work is an example of the Ministry’s efforts to be an exemplary Te Tiriti partner. The business case was co-designed with Te Matatini and the implementation of the regional funding model is now being supported by a Manatū Taonga staff member on secondment. The funding will be delivered by Te Matatini, an iwi-led organisation, in a way that aligns with a te ao Māori approach which supports Māori to retain rangatiratanga over taonga Māori.

Matariki Kāinga HokiaMatariki Calls You Home 2023

Building on the success of the first observance of the Matariki public holiday in 2022, Manatū Taonga supported the ongoing celebration and regeneration of mātauranga Matariki through the delivery of the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund.

Guided by Professor Rangi Mātāmua, our Chief Advisor on Mātauranga Matariki, this year's focus was on Matariki Kāinga Hokia or Matariki Calls You Home. Through the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund, we were able to support 121 events and resources that encouraged people to think about the places they call home and connect with Matariki.

Just over $3.2 million in contestable funding supported a wide range of activities from Te Hiku in the far north to Murihiku in the far south, and the Chatham Islands. Festival events, local marae events and regional gatherings brought communities together and connected people to local Matariki practices. Events also highlighted Puanga, a regional variation of Matariki, on Ruapehu, across Whanganui and in Te Taitokerau.

The Ministry partnered with Ngāti Whakaue, who hosted this year’s televised traditional hautapu ceremony in Rotorua. Working closely with Te Māngai Pāho on televised and online material, we were able to showcase Matariki to a large local, national and international audience.

Matariki traditions and awareness continue to grow each year. More than half (51%) of the population reported they did something related to the first celebration of the Matariki public holiday in 2022.

Supporting communities to protect mātauranga Māori

Now in its third year, the $24.5 million Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme has supported many Māori communities to safeguard at-risk mātauranga and taonga. This includes supporting pūkenga and mātanga (skilled experts) to train the next generation of practitioners in endangered areas of mātauranga.

The programme uses a kaupapa Māori approach and was delivered by a collective of kaimahi Māori from Te Papa, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Creative New Zealand, Te Matatini and Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs. Te Awe Kōtuku has been building on the long-standing relationships of these kaimahi with iwi, hapū, marae and practitioners to support them in their kaitiakitanga, traditional arts, and cultural revitalisation projects around the motu.

The programme has delivered initiatives such as a training symposium for iwi professionals working in kaitiakitanga and archiving, as well as more than 40 wānanga series covering a wide spectrum of mātauranga, from the revitalisation of mahi toi, kōrero tuku iho and associated tikanga, to taonga conservation and kapa haka.

Supporting marae to recover from the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle has been a particular focus of Te Awe Kōtuku this year. This support has included wānanga to restore and conserve the taonga and record the mātauranga of affected communities, and providing help to access grants as they rebuild.

One of these grant programmes is Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora. This $8.3 million contestable fund run by Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs supported 45 marae-based projects during the year, bringing the total to 162 over the life of the fund. The funding provided support for the transmission of mātauranga and taonga to the next generation of marae whānau through both traditional means (for example, by creating or restoring whakairo or tukutuku) and newer methods (such as apps or websites).

Supported by Marae Ora funding, Ngāi Tūpoto hapū from Motukaraka in northern Hokianga have undertaken a cultural mapping project. The project aims to reclaim the place names across their rohe, and the kōrero and whakapapa that link the hapū to their identity. Whānau knowledge and archival material were brought together to create a permanent published record and database.

Te 50 tau o te Petihana mō te reo Māori (50th anniversary of the Māori Language Petition)

In 2022 the national commemoration programme administered by Manatū Taonga marked Te 50 tau o te Petihana mō te reo Māori, the 50th anniversary of the presentation to Parliament of the Māori Language Petition. The petition is often seen as the starting point for a significant revitalisation of te reo Māori and a key moment in our nation’s history.

On 14 September 1972, representatives of Ngā Tamatoa and the Te Reo Māori Society delivered the Māori Language Petition, with over 30,000 signatures, to Parliament. The petition asked for active recognition of te reo Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, and for the language to be taught in schools. Later in 1972, the first Māori Language Day was held. This became Māori Language Week in 1975.

Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora (te reo Māori agencies, including Te Mātāwai and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) led the national commemoration of this significant anniversary with a public event at Parliament on 14 September. Thousands filled the grounds to celebrate te reo Māori and acknowledge the efforts of those involved in its revitalisation with karakia, formal speeches, live music and kai. The commemoration of the anniversary provided a platform to acknowledge the past and look to the future in te ara reo, the journey to a bilingual Aotearoa New Zealand.

A range of activities were organised, giving all New Zealanders the opportunity to reflect on the journey of te reo and its speakers. They included an exhibition of the petition at the National Library of New Zealand from 14 September to 3 December 2022.

Taonga tūturu partnership with Waikato-Tainui

In 2022/23, Manatū Taonga continued to develop its partnership with Waikato-Tainui for the care of taonga tūturu rediscovered in the Tainui takiwaa which require conservation. Manatū Taonga is involved in this mahi through its administration of the Protected Objects Act 1975.

In February 2023, kaumaatua from Te Kauwhata hapuu, Waikato-Tainui staff, and Manatū Taonga staff relocated a partial waka tētē. Midway through its conservation treatment, the tētē was moved from Te Kauwhata to the Waikato-Tainui-run Hopuhopu Innovation Hub near Ngāruawāhia.

The waka required a new location for the final stage of this conservation work, controlled air drying. The hapuu indicated a preference that this project be delivered in a space owned and operated by Waikato- Tainui, where their rangatahi would have opportunities to participate in the conservation process.

Manatū Taonga issued a grant to Waikato-Tainui to purchase a fully insulated, temperature-controlled shipping container that will be installed at the Hopuhopu Innovation Hub. The new facility will be used for this and future taonga conservation projects.

People can access and are participating in cultural activities and experiences

Ensuring that communities can access meaningful cultural activities and experiences is crucial to our work at Manatū Taonga. We play an active role in ensuring equitable access and participation across all communities.

Our commitment to improving access to cultural activities crosses all areas of our mahi at Manatū Taonga, from direct funding of activities to support for touring exhibitions and commemorations.

Through the Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund, we invested in initiatives to address barriers to access and participation, represent and engage more New Zealanders, and help grow audiences. This included funding for Arts Access Aotearoa to increase accessible training and resources, ABLE to make audio descriptions available for New Zealand streaming content, Tairāwhiti Museum to enable better access for iwi and hapū to taonga, and The Massive Company to improve access to theatre training for young people.

The vast majority (87%) of New Zealanders have at least some understanding of what Matariki is about. The Cultural Participation Survey published in December 2022 highlighted initial insights into Matariki awareness, participation, and attitudes. It also found that while almost all New Zealanders are aware of Matariki as the Māori New Year (91%), there are opportunities to grow deeper Matariki knowledge and engagement. $18 million in funding was announced in Budget 2023 to boost Matariki celebrations and awareness over the next four years.

The government’s indemnity scheme continues to make significant touring exhibitions available to New Zealanders. The scheme helps reduce the cost of insuring international exhibitions visiting Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2022/23 the scheme supported two major exhibitions. Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes, the largest collection of ancient Greek artefacts ever loaned from the British Museum to New Zealand, was exhibited at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. At Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now showcased nearly 100 celebrated artworks from the collections of the UK’s Tate galleries.

Another key area of cultural activity which we support is commemorations, which bring us together physically and virtually to reflect on the past and its relevance to the present. Working alongside the Visits and Ceremonial Office, Manatū Taonga has been extending access to our national commemorations through free livestreams. Anzac Day is our most-watched commemoration, with 29,500 people going online to watch the 2023 Dawn Service and 128,500 watching the late-morning National Service.

Creative spaces programme

The Creative Arts Recovery and Employment (CARE) fund was designed to help the sector adapt to the changing COVID-19 environment, enhance access and participation, and create employment and skill development opportunities. The fund invested $18 million over three years in creative spaces across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Creative spaces provide access to art-making activities and creative expression for people who face barriers to accessing cultural opportunities. Activities include visual arts, toi Māori, performing arts, music, film-making and creative writing. Most spaces cater for a wide range of disabilities, most commonly mental illness, and intellectual, physical and learning disabilities. Arts-based activities are provided alongside wrap- around support with life skills, personal development, health and wellbeing, and communication.

The $18 million investment recognised that creative spaces were particularly exposed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic because of the vulnerability of their client bases and workforce, and their reliance on unstable funding streams. Creative spaces are also vulnerable to other challenges, including difficulties in recruiting and retaining suitably skilled personnel, the discontinuation or reduction of alternative funding sources, and severe weather events disrupting programming and delivery.

The funding supported the creation of new jobs, a more stable and skilled workforce, and a strong focus on reaching Māori and Pacific communities. Many creative spaces have reported that the funding helped them manage the challenges of the past three years and prevented them shutting permanently.

Supported by Manatū Taonga funding, Artsenta (Creative Arts Trust) has been able to appoint two outreach workers who have established groups in Wanaka, Cromwell and Alexandra which support people with mental health and addiction challenges. The range of creative activities presented was diverse and engaging, with participants reporting that the programmes have generated community connection, learning, and wellbeing. As well as access to these additional services, having dedicated outreach workers ensured participants benefited from solid support, increased safety, and improved quality of life.

Stories from sector agencies

A key way that we help the cultural sector to thrive is by supporting the skilled work of our sector agencies. In the past year, our agencies have distributed targeted funding to the screen, production and journalism sectors.

June 2023 marked the final allocations of funding from the Public Interest Journalism Fund. Administered by NZ On Air, the fund delivered $55 million to support public interest journalism and give media entities time to transition to more sustainable practices tailored to modern audiences. While funded activities will continue until early 2026, the fund has already generated 166 million views across more than 72,000 pieces of content.

Last year, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision’s preservation team digitised the six-part television series Tangata Whenua (1974). The documentary series, directed by Māori filmmaker Barry Barclay and written and narrated by historian Michael King, was groundbreaking at the time it aired, providing a window into the Māori world from Māori perspectives.

The iconic series was digitised to 4K quality, enabling kaitiaki and future generations to access this unique taonga. The digitisation and preservation of Tangata Whenua was primarily funded by Manatū Taonga as part of the Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme, and also supported by other funders, including the Lottery Grants Board.

Tangata Whenua is considered a Taonga Māori and screenings were held around the motu to reunite the footage with people connected to the show. At a screening of Episode 1, The Spirits and Times will Teach in Whaingāroa, one descendant commented,

It was overwhelming to see my great Nanny up there. I've never heard her voice and I was unprepared for how it would make me feel. I am so thankful for this evening.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors to Te Papa increased and online traffic to Te Papa’s websites remained high. People were drawn to the national museum by a series of significant exhibitions. Robin White: Te Whanaketanga | Something is Happening Here featured more than 50 works from Dame Robin White’s 50-year career. Manu Rere Moana | Pacific Voyagers and He Kaupapa Waka | A Fleet of Waka celebrated the mātauranga and culture of Pacific voyagers from the past through to the present day.

Sport NZ continued several projects to improve access and participation in play, active recreation and sport. New opportunities for disabled tamariki and rangatahi were introduced at Netball NZ and Canoe Racing NZ, leading to increased interest from other sports in building their capability to engage disabled young people. Sport NZ also partnered with Les Mills to develop short online workout videos choregraphed by young women for young women, which surveys indicate have achieved high rates of recognition among the target audience.

One of the enduring benefits from Aotearoa New Zealand hosting women’s world cup events in cricket and rugby over the past two years is safer, more inclusive spaces. Tournament venues around the country received upgrades to changing room facilities that will benefit athletes, coaches and officials, and communities for years to come. The renovations saw gender-neutral changing rooms including private showers and individual toilets installed at all match venues. Other facilities added include accessible toilets, privacy screens, changing areas for officials, baby-change tables and breastfeeding areas.

Cultural activity is valued, supported and nurtured

Manatū Taonga has undertaken work to provide greater certainty, opportunity and support for people participating in cultural activities.

One of the biggest projects for our policy group during 2022/23 was supporting the establishment of an Artist Resale Royalty Scheme in New Zealand. 15 years in the making, this scheme will ensure a five per cent royalty is collected every time an artist’s work is resold at auction, meaning artists will benefit from their creations on an ongoing basis. Public consultation on the legislation was largely supportive. Positive feedback was received from artists, art market professionals, the museums and galleries sector, Copyright Licensing New Zealand, Creative New Zealand and government departments.

Several features of the new legislation were designed to ensure that Māori benefit equitably from the scheme. These include specific reporting requirements to analyse the impact of the scheme on Māori, a requirement that the Minister consider the cultural capability of prospective collection agencies before appointment, and a broad, inclusive definition of toi Māori in relation to the scheme.

Another key project released this year was the Valuing the Arts report, a trans-Tasman investigation of the value of the arts and culture sector. Released in collaboration with the Australia Council for the Arts, the report details the contribution of the arts to wellbeing, communities and social inclusion in both countries. The key recommendations urged people to look beyond economic benefits and attendance figures and consider the wider benefits of the arts to communities and society as a whole.

Long-Term Insights Briefing

We published our first Long-term Insights Briefing in January 2023. The briefing explored key areas that will influence the vibrancy and resilience of the cultural sector ecosystem in the future. More than 150 organisations and individuals connected to, or with an interest in, the arts, culture and heritage sectors provided valuable insights and perspectives during the development of the Long-term Insights Briefing.

Five priorities for the sector emerged as the focus of the briefing:

  • Te ao Māori — Considering a future where te ao Māori is woven throughout the cultural sector while supporting mana motuhake.
  • Funding, investment and value — Changing how investment in the sector is made and how value is understood and realised.
  • Population change — Understanding the impacts of projected demographic changes as Aotearoa New Zealand becomes more diverse, including shifts in specific population groups and in our sense of identity and place in the world.
  • Digital technologies — Realising the opportunities created by rapidly changing digital tools and platforms, and considering the broader economic and legal implications, including in the global marketplace.
  • Climate change — Fostering a more sustainable sector by seizing opportunities to minimise environmental impacts.

The briefing identified a range of options open to Manatū Taonga, as a steward of New Zealand’s cultural and creative ecosystem, to lead the design of policy settings that support future investment in the sector. These include supporting capacity and capability building, and assisting New Zealand’s diverse communities to tell their stories through arts and culture; considering innovative ways of rapidly delivering funding; and continuing to design funding and investment strategies that support regional and local arts, culture and heritage.

The briefing’s priorities align closely with the goals outlined in Te Rautaki, the overarching strategic framework for the Ministry. We are committed to working in partnership with Aotearoa New Zealand’s vibrant, diverse and talented cultural sectors and communities to help ensure that policy development in each key areas is progressed.

Review of Government Investment in the Screen Sector

In 2022/23 Manatū Taonga partnered with Hīkina Whakatutuki Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment to complete the Review of Government Investment in the Screen Sector. The review was set up in December 2021 to consider ways of maximising the cultural and economic benefits of government investment in the sector, and address some of the shifts and challenges facing it.

Public consultation on proposals for change in late 2022 reached hundreds of people in the screen sector and resulted in more than 700 written and survey responses. Three online public information sessions were attended by more than 300 people. Eight in-depth workshops with sector participants were also held, two of which were by and for Māori specifically and had more than 100 attendees.

The Ministers for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Economic Development announced targeted changes to the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate at the conclusion of the review in May 2023. The key change to the domestic component of the rebate, for which Manatū Taonga is responsible, allows other funding streams to be combined with it. This will encourage the generation of more high-quality, locally-focused content that tells authentic New Zealand stories.

As well as helping to ensure the rebate’s ongoing sustainability, the changes recognise and seek to enhance the screen industry’s important role in supporting cultural representation, inclusion, and fulfilment – within the sector and for all New Zealanders.

Keeping historic cultural venues alive

Manatū Taonga plays an important role in ensuring New Zealanders can continue to access and enjoy the country’s important cultural heritage places. In 2022/23 we worked alongside other agencies to support central government investment in heritage places around the country. This included the seismic strengthening of heritage buildings at Canterbury Museum, and ensuring that the taonga held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds could continue to be appropriately managed by the Waitangi National Trust in the aftermath of COVID-19.

One of the highest-profile projects has been Auckland’s St James Theatre, one of New Zealand’s most significant vaudeville-era theatres. The St James has considerable heritage value and is a Category 1 heritage place on the New Zealand Heritage List. In December 2022, Cabinet agreed to provide conditional funding of $15 million to support the conservation and restoration of the St James Theatre.

This offer matched an existing conditional funding offer from Auckland Council and is in addition to $1.5 million offered through the Ministry’s Heritage EQUIP fund. Working in partnership with Auckland Council, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and iwi kāinga, this conditional public funding will enable the theatre’s owners to seismically strengthen and conserve the heritage fabric of the St James Theatre.

Delivering stronger public broadcasting services

In 2022/23 Manatū Taonga worked across the media sector on measures to strengthen and support Aotearoa New Zealand’s public media. The wide range of work led by our policy group has included collaborative efforts across the government to support the delivery of high-quality content, news, and entertainment to all New Zealanders.

This work built on Manatū Taonga’s Strategic Framework for a Sustainable Media System in Aotearoa New Zealand (published in September 2022). The framework provides a foundation for future policy decisions and a way to assess the effectiveness of media policy, regulatory and funding initiatives.

When the Government decided in February 2023 to not progress the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM) bill, it stressed that the objectives of ANZPM were still sought; an independent, well-functioning and resilient public media as a critical component of our democracy and civil society.

Manatū Taonga has built on the work undertaken in the ANZPM programme of work to strengthen existing public broadcasting services.

  • Following a review of Radio New Zealand’s (RNZ) Charter, amendments will be made to better recognise the need for RNZ to reflect and promote New Zealand’s multicultural identity including, but not limited to, Māori language and culture, acknowledge the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi, and consider the needs of disabled audiences.
  • Manatū Taonga has worked to ensure that from 2023, board appointments for RNZ and TVNZ include members with stronger public media expertise and experience, and increased Māori representation.
  • RNZ and TVNZ’s new letters of expectations from Manatū Taonga for 2023/24 include expectations that the two entities collaborate to achieve better public broadcasting outcomes, to drive efficiencies, and to maximise the return on the government's investment in public broadcasting services.

The cultural system is resilient and sustainable

We are working towards Aotearoa New Zealand having a resilient and sustainable cultural system that is less vulnerable to the impacts of disruptive events.

A sustainable cultural system has an important part to play in supporting the wellbeing of New Zealanders today and across future generations. Resilience and sustainability are a consistent focus for our work, which includes policy development, looking at how different sectors are operating, and targeted investment in the sector.

Through funding from Manatū Taonga, projects with long-term benefits are being delivered all over Aotearoa New Zealand. When all COVID-19 funding initiatives are considered as a single programme, the potential for transformational change within and across sectors is significant.

A wide range of initiatives have been funded across the cultural heritage sector. For example, a total of $945,000 was invested in regional museum capability programmes in Northland, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago and Southland. These programmes enabled smaller cultural heritage institutions to upskill in governance, collections-handling and storage, and other important aspects such as disaster management.

More than 800 people representing 118 organisations participated in Tū Tonu, the capability programme delivered by Tūhara Otago Museum. This programme saw a five-fold increase in support for heritage organisations in Otago and Southland, and many of the professional networks developed through Tū Tonu have continued to exist after the completion of this programme.

One of our key areas of work to support heritage places has been strengthening the Heritage Protection regulatory system. This work has largely been part of the reform of the resource management system led by Manatū Mō Te Taiao Ministry for the Environment (MfE). As part of these reforms, Manatū Taonga worked with MfE on a national direction for cultural heritage, improving heritage orders, and considering how to prevent heritage places being neglected to the point that they can no longer be restored. Our contributions to the reforms have ensured that the protection of heritage places, including those of significance to Māori, remains integrated into resource management.

The government is the steward of many cultural heritage places on behalf of all New Zealanders. This national collection includes highly significant places and many places of importance to Māori. To assist the care of heritage places that are managed by the state, we published the Policy for Government Management of Cultural Heritage Places in December 2022. The policy is intended to help state sector agencies conserve cultural heritage places for future generations.

Regenerating the sector

Delivery of the Government’s COVID-19 Cultural Recovery Package across Aotearoa New Zealand made big progress this year. Many projects funded by Manatū Taonga, via the Capability, Creative Arts Recovery and Employment, and Innovation Funds were delivered across the country for the benefit of practitioners, organisations and audiences.

We also distributed the remaining $28.3 million of COVID-19 Recovery funding through the Te Tahua Whakamarohi i te Rāngai Ahurea - Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund (the Regeneration Fund). The fund had a focus on strategic, sector-led initiatives with lasting benefits for arts, culture and heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Having listened to feedback from previous funding rounds, we took a different approach to the application process for this fund. The changes included multiple opportunities to apply, greater availability of Manatū Taonga relationship managers to support applicants, and the opportunity for New Zealanders to participate in the funding process by providing feedback on proposals.

This community feedback process provided transparency about the proposals being considered for other potential funders or collaborators. More than 14,000 respondents provided valuable insights that helped inform Manatū Taonga decision-making.

Through the Regeneration Fund, Manatū Taonga invested in 86 projects which are now underway all over Aotearoa.

Examples of the impacts funded projects are delivering include:

  • Increasing access to performance for sight-impaired people through training for Māori and Pacific audio describers, delivered by Audio Describe Aotearoa.
  • Providing a whakairo education programme that also supports the restoration of several Ngāti Whātua whare, delivered by Ruawhetū Charitable Trust. Ongoing work to restore the whare will help build sustainable career pathways for graduating ākonga (students).
  • Supporting emerging artists to build capability and have increased access to infrastructure through several initiatives, including the development of a podcast studio by Frank Management and new music studios by My LaunchPad.
  • Increasing the literary sector’s ability to grow into the digital space by supporting the Publishers Association to kickstart the local audio book industry and enabling Coalition for Books to add new sales functionality to the Kete website.
  • Proving nationwide support to the museum sector by funding Museums Aotearoa to increase its capacity to support, advocate on behalf of and improve the capability of museums.

Increased investment in public broadcasting services

Manatū Taonga secured further investment to strengthen public broadcasting services in New Zealand. In addition to applying the lessons learnt from the establishment process of ANZPM to improve public broadcasting services, funding allocated to ANZPM was reprioritised.

The reprioritised funding complemented earlier government investment to strengthen the Māori media sector and included a 60 per cent increase in baseline funding for Radio New Zealand (RNZ). This funding will be used by RNZ to strengthen news and current affairs by further developing its multi-media platform and expanding its regional news coverage and initiatives to strengthen Māori and Pacific content.

The increased investment also included a new $10 million fund for 2023/24 for NZ On Air to collaborate across the media sector in the production of innovative content. This investment will help ensure New Zealanders can continue to access independent and trusted sources of relevant news, information and content.

Manatū Taonga also secured $1.48 million in 2022 to fund the repair and replacement of three AM transmission masts in Northland, ensuring that AM radio stayed on air in the region. AM transmission proved to be an information lifeline for many during Cyclone Gabrielle, when other disseminators of information were without power. TVNZ and RNZ have key roles as lifeline utilities under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and are critical in informing New Zealanders during local, regional and national emergencies.

Seddon Memorial

As the national memorials in the Ministry’s care age, we have adopted an approach to maintenance which prioritises physical resilience and sustainable management of these unique and important heritage places.

The Seddon Memorial in Wellington honours the Right Honourable Richard John Seddon (1845-1906), New Zealand’s longest serving Premier or Prime Minister, which was built between 1908 and 1910. A condition report found that it had had significant water ingress issues from the day it was erected and needed urgent conservation work.

Starting in 2021, the Ministry oversaw the restoration and seismic upgrade of the memorial. The complex and challenging project involved installation of a structural steel frame inside the memorial, tensioned tie rods to strengthen the column, and cleaning and conservation repairs to the bronze, granite and marble features.

The project was completed in May 2023 with a blessing and reinterment ceremony. A detailed maintenance manual was also compiled. This will enhance the long-term preservation of the memorial, ensuring that it is maintained for future generations.

Progress towards outcomes 
Kokenga ki ngā putanga

Measuring long-term outcomes 
Te ine putanga pae tawhiti

Te Rautaki o Manatū Taonga 2021–2040 identifies the desired long-term outcomes of our work:

  1. Higher cultural participation rates in targeted communities
  2. The cultural system is sustainable and resilient
  3. The cultural system is inclusive and reflective

These are the big system and population shifts that we want to see over time. Current results show us how the system and population outcomes are tracking and how far we have to go to realise these outcomes.

Manatū Taonga has a system and population measurement programme to monitor progress towards these long-term outcomes. We are also supporting and investing in research into the drivers of population and system outcomes.

Participation in cultural activity

Our work programme directly supports increasing New Zealanders’ participation in cultural activities. Highlights from the past year include:

  • $28.3 million Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund supporting 86 projects that provide lasting benefits for arts, culture and heritage across the motu
  • $109,000 in funding for 14 oral history projects
  • Seven national military commemorations that brought together thousands of people
  • $3.2 million to support 121 events and resources to celebrate Matariki, with $18 million secured in Budget 2023 for future Matariki celebrations.
Higher cultural participation rates in targeted communities

In 2022 we conducted a second national cultural participation survey that expanded on the findings of the 2020 survey. The new findings were published in the research report, Cultural Participation in 2022: Including the Impacts of COVID-19.

The 2022 results confirmed that New Zealanders overall participate in a wide range of cultural activities, but there are differences for particular groups. The table on the following page identifies overall rates of participation in different activities and notes where there are lower participation rates for particular groups (with respect to ethnicity, disability, household income and residence area type). Some key patterns from those results are:

  • Individuals in households with less than $50,000 income reported lower participation in festivals, performing arts, heritage activities and visiting marae.
  • Asian New Zealanders’ participation in New Zealand music and screen content was below average, but above average in performing arts and festivals of all kinds.
  • People living in small towns or rural areas had lower rates of participation in activities to which they had less access, such as libraries, festivals, live music, museums, visiting historical sites and cultural learning opportunities.
New Zealanders’ cultural participation in selected activities (2022)

Cultural activity within last 3 months

Cultural activityTotal populationGroups reporting lower participation
New Zealand-made programme, series or documentary (excluding news and sports)73%Asian NZ 61%*
New Zealand-made movie42%Asian NZ 34%*, Disabled NZ 37%
Recorded music by a New Zealand artist54%Asian NZ 44%*, <50k HHI 44%*, Disabled 47%
RNZ radio33% 

* Indicates a statistically significant difference from the result for the total population

NZ — New Zealanders  
<50k HHI — Less than $50,000 household income

Cultural activity within last 12 months

Cultural activityTotal populationGroups reporting lower participation
A public commemoration event28% 
A Māori cultural festival10%<50k HHI 4%*, European NZ 8%*
A Pasifika cultural festival7%<50k HHI 3%*, European NZ 4%*
Another type of festival or cultural gathering16%<50k HHI 9%*, Small town 10%*, European NZ 11%*
A musical, dance or theatre performance22%<50k HHI 16%*
A live performance of New Zealand music18%<50k HHI 13%*, Rural 13%
Māori performing arts12%<50k HHI 6%*, European NZ 8%*
Pacific performing arts9%<50k HHI 4%*, European NZ 6%*
A museum44%<50k HHI 36%*, Small town 36%*
A building or place because of its cultural or historical significance37%<50k HHI 26%*, Small town 31%
A driving, walking or cycling tour related to New Zealand history16%<50k HHI 11%*
A meeting, lecture, or presentation on New Zealand history15%<50k HHI 11%*, Rural 8%
A marae (for a cultural experience)12%<50k HHI 6%*, European NZ 9%*
A visual arts gallery31%<50k HHI 27%*
A craft or object gallery28% 
Māori visual arts10%<50k HHI 6%*, European NZ 8%*
Pacific visual arts7%Rural 3%, European NZ 4%*
A library58%Small town 51%, Rural 49%
A literary event or book reading10%Rural 5%, European NZ 7%*
A workshop or class (not formal education) to learn about a cultural activity14%<50k HHI 6%*
European NZ 11%*, Small town 9%, Rural 8%

* Indicates a statistically significant difference from the result for the total population

NZ — New Zealanders  
<50k HHI — Less than $50,000 household income 
Small town — Lives in a small town

Some New Zealanders face barriers to participation  
We also undertake research on barriers to participation for diverse New Zealanders. The 2022 national cultural participation survey data showed that cost and physical access barriers are more significant for some groups.

Barriers to cultural participation for different groups (2022)

Lack of spare moneyTotal
All New Zealanders26%
30–39-year-olds35%*
Females31%*
Females aged 18–3943%*
Live in Northland39%
Live in Taranaki35%
Live in Tasman/Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast44%*
I have just enough to pay for the essentials34%*
Live in a rural area37%*
Disabled37%*
* Indicates a statistically significant difference from the result for the total population.
Having to travel a long distance to get thereTotal
All New Zealanders21%
Females25%*
I have a little bit of money left over once I pay for the essentials24%*
Live in Northland47%*
Live in a small town31%*
* Indicates a statistically significant difference from the result for the total population.
No venues in my communityTotal
All New Zealanders7%
Tasman/Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast16%
Otago/Southland17%*
Live in a small town14%*
Live in a rural area14%*
* Indicates a statistically significant difference from the result for the total population.

The cultural system is sustainable and resilient

Manatū Taonga measures the economic sustainability and resilience of the cultural system at a national level using productivity, employment and income data.

There was relatively strong growth in sector employment of 3.8 per cent during 2022. In March 2022, more than 115,000 people were working in the sector.

Sector GDP contribution and growth

The cultural sector made its highest contribution to New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the year to March 2022 due to strong sector growth.

GDP change provides some indication of the growth and volatility in the arts and creative sector’s economic productivity. The sector has grown in relative economic value since 2000 but is sensitive to negative economic conditions such as cost-of-living pressures. Parts of the cultural system are performing better than others.

In the year to March 2022, the sector overall experienced strong GDP growth, bouncing back from COVID-19 public gathering restrictions and closed borders. The GDP for the arts and creative sector rose to $14.91 billion — a 12-month increase of 10 per cent compared to total economy GDP growth of 5.3 per cent. As at March 2022, the arts and creative sector made up 4.2 per cent of the total economy, the highest recorded level in a data series going back to 2000.

In 2023 we added some new employment and industry codes to the Arts and Creative Sector model to better reflect the scope of the cultural sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. This was mostly in the areas of media and heritage. The improved model is more inclusive of our diverse sector but means that the arts and creative sector employment and GDP data presented below are not comparable with those in earlier annual reports. The historical data presented below uses the new model to look back at previous years and provides an accurate comparison.

Arts and creative sector GDP change

YearAnnual GDP (billions)Change from previous yearTotal New Zealand GDP
2000$6.54 3.32%
2010$9.53−1.00%3.72%
2020$13.554.60%3.97%
2021$13.560.10%3.99%
2022$14.9110.00%4.17%

When sector GDP is analysed for subsectors, such as arts and media, different patterns emerge. For the subsector of arts (including visual arts, performing arts, music, literature, and arts education) annual GDP has been volatile, dropping by 12.4 per cent in the year to March 2021 and then increasing by 16.7 per cent in the following year, to $2.76 billion. GDP in the media sector (including print, radio, magazine, television and internet publishing and broadcast) increased by a relatively modest 4.8 per cent in the year to March 2022. The contribution of the media sector to the New Zealand economy has been steady since 2018, at between 0.58 per cent and 0.6 per cent of national GDP.

Sector employment

Sector employment has grown overall but is fragile in some areas.

Primary employment in the arts and creative sector grew by 3.8 per cent in the year to March 2022, compared to national job growth of 3 per cent. In March 2022 115,114 people were employed in the arts and creative sector.

Growth in arts-only roles was slightly lower than national growth at 2.8 per cent, while media sector employment rose just 0.3 per cent. Total media sector employment fell from 15,286 roles in 2018 to 13,066 in 2022, a decline of 14.5 per cent.

There is fragility in parts of the workforce. For example, in Creative New Zealand’s Creative Professionals Survey 2023, 71 per cent of creatives self-reported being part of the gig economy. Gig economy work can result in unstable employment experiences, as the data below shows.

Creatives’ experiences of challenges in gig economy work

Aspect of the gig economyGig economy creatives who find this aspect difficult or very difficult
Securing loans94%
Knowing how much money I am going to make84%
No holiday or sick pay provisions83%
Securing new work62%
Promoting my own content61%
Protecting intellectual property or copyright60%
Doing tax returns53%
Understanding contracts30%
(Creative Professionals Survey 2023)

In 2022, the self-employment rate in the arts and creative sector was very high (32 per cent)—twice as high as that for the total economy (16.2 per cent). The rate of self-employment in the sector has increased steadily since 2000, when it was 25.1 per cent, whereas across the total economy there has been a decline in self-employment (which was 19.6 per cent in 2000). For the arts-only sector (not including other parts of the sector, such as media), the self-employment rate in 2022 was even higher, at 42 per cent.

Incomes

Another aspect of creative career sustainability and resilience is adequate and secure income. People whose primary job is in the arts and creative sector, across all roles, earned on average $71,200 in the year to March 2022 ($68,600 for Māori arts and creative workers), compared to national average earnings of $65,800. However, the average arts worker earned just $59,500.

Further, the Creative New Zealand Creative Professionals Survey 2023 includes a number of creatives who receive low income from their creative employment and are part of the gig economy. The median total income for participating creative professionals (including all sources of income) was $37,000. The median total income from creative work alone was only $19,500.

The cultural system is inclusive and reflective

This outcome from our strategy refers to developing the cultural system so that it reflects, enables and promotes cultural inclusion, diversity and belonging. Inclusion is fundamental to social participation and wellbeing. An inclusive cultural system is one that makes cultural experiences more accessible and connects people.

Expression of identity

The majority of New Zealanders feel it is easy to express their identity.

In 2021 most people living in New Zealand reported that it was easy or very easy to express their identity in New Zealand (80 per cent, a decrease of 7 per cent since 2016). The figure was lower for Asian New Zealanders (63 per cent) and disabled New Zealanders (68 per cent aged 15 to 64) (General Social Survey 2021).

Te reo Māori speakers

Nearly half of New Zealanders believe everyone should speak te reo Māori.

Eight per cent of the total population speak te reo Maōri at least fairly well in day-to-day conversation, compared to 34 per cent of the Māori population. Forty-four per cent of the total population say it would be good if all people living in New Zealand spoke both Māori and English. The figure is lower for Europeans (40 per cent), and higher for Māori (64 per cent), Pacific peoples (52 per cent) and Asian New Zealanders (50 per cent) (General Social Survey 2021).

Ethnic diversity of arts and creative sector workforce

Some ethnicities are under-represented in the arts and creative sector workforce.

Māori, Pacific peoples and Asian New Zealanders are under-represented in the arts and creative sector workforce, although there has been some improvement since 2013. Europeans are significantly over- represented, as the data below shows (NZ Census, 2018).

Ethnic composition of the arts and creative sector workforce in New Zealand

 Arts and creative sector employmentArts and creative sector totalTotal economy total
Ethnicity201320182013201820132018
European81,22285,45383.0%78.5%77.2%71.4%
Māori8,70111,2788.9%10.4%11.1%13.5%
Pacific peoples3,6455,1613.7%4.7%4.9%6.5%
Asian8,68013,8468.9%12.7%11.0%15.1%
MELAA*9241,7220.9%1.6%1.0%1.4%
Other1,8751,4451.9%1.3%2.0%1.4%
Not elsewhere included354 0.4% 0.4% 
* MELAA—Middle Eastern, Latin American & African

Indicators of progress: short-term outcomes 
Waitohu kokenga: putanga pae tata

The following short-term outcomes are steps towards the medium and long-term outcomes in Te Rautaki.

  1. There is an improved holistic view of the cultural system.
  2. The sector is embedding a te ao Māori worldview.
  3. There is greater commitment to sectoral collaboration.
  4. The cultural sector is supported and valued, and people are more knowledgeable and informed about the value of culture.

There is an improved holistic view of the cultural system

Manatū Taonga continues to develop a holistic view of the cultural system. In 2023, Manatū Taonga began developing a framework to identify and guide measurement of the attributes, quality and contribution of the cultural system to outcomes, including Te Rautaki. Other actions to progress this outcome in 2022/23 included:

  • Continued investment in system and population research and initiative impact measurement, and extensive support for research and impact measurement by other agencies
  • Design and procurement of a third national cultural participation survey (being delivered in 2023/24)
  • Further development and expansion of research into the economic profile of the arts and creative sector and sub-sectors, including regional insights.

The sector is embedding a te ao Māori worldview

Our direct work programme supports embedding te ao Māori in the lives of New Zealanders in many different ways. From funding projects that protect mātauranga Māori, to working with iwi and communities on caring for taonga tūturu, to supporting iwi telling their Treaty Settlement stories through our Te Tai programme, this is an area of significance to the kaupapa of the Ministry.

As system stewards for the cultural sector, we set expectations for the Crown entities that we fund, encouraging Māori representation in governance.

Expectations of Crown entities

In 2022/23, all Manatū Taonga-funded Crown entities agreed to support future-focused Māori-Crown relations, including supporting Māihi Karauna and embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi into their ways of working. Work entities are doing to advance this includes:

Te reo Māori strategies, plans and guidelines — Examples of this work include Creative New Zealand’s Māori Arts Strategy and Māori language plan; Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga bilingual Statement of Intent and Statement of Performance Expectations – reflecting its bicultural identity, and their learning plans, including Implementing Maihi Karauna and E Tipu Te Waerenga (the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga te reo Māori plan); and Te Rautaki o Te Papa – the new bilingual strategy that reflects Te Papa’s bicultural approach to its provision of services and care of the collections.

Targeted funding — Examples include NZ On Air’s Te Ia Ka Oho – a cadetship programme in te reo Māori journalism funded by the Public Interest Journalism Fund; Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga funding through the North Island Weather Events Package to support recovery assistance and authority application processes; Te Papa grants to help iwi carry out projects, develop skills and preserve treasures; and Creative New Zealand funding grants for ngā toi Māori.

Cultural capability development — Examples of this work include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra developing Te Ahi Tahutahu, along with Tame Iti Ltd and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi – this initiative aims to strengthen the creative sector by creating pathways for artists, storytellers and facilitators to work collectively within a stable and sustainable interdisciplinary space, safeguarding mātauranga Māori and celebrating cross-cultural and artform collaboration; and the New Zealand Film Commission Te Rautaki Māori, along with Ngā Aho Whakaari, holding a masterclass for Māori practitioners in June.

Iwi and Māori engagement — An example of this work is the Toi Ora 2023 conference, which took place in Wellington with representatives from eight government agencies (including Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Creative New Zealand, Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision, NZ On Air). At this event officials received a set of four priorities developed by ngā toi Māori leaders. These priorities reflect a vision of self-determination and transformation, embodying the collective aspirations of Māori arts leaders.

Crown agency board appointments

Cultural sector governance is an important context for embedding te ao Māori perspectives. Manatū Taonga has a role in board appointments in 15 cultural and sporting agencies.

  • Between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, 37 people were appointed or reappointed to boards, of whom 16 (43 per cent) identified as Māori.
  • On 30 June 2023, of the 103 board members across 15 boards in 3 portfolios, 30 (29 per cent) identified as Māori.
Funding decisions

The Ministry continues to fund projects to centralise and integrate te ao Māori and advance Māori culture and creativity. Māori-led initiatives account for 36 per cent ($21.8 million of $60.9 million) of all COVID Cultural Recovery Programme funding (Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund and Innovation Fund) to be delivered in 2023/24.

There is greater commitment to sectoral collaboration

Collaboration shown in applications and proposals

Sector collaboration was facilitated through Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund funding decisions in 2022/23. Several collaborative projects were approved and there is emerging evidence of beneficial collaborative relationships. Two notable examples are an initiative supporting and upskilling the Northland Museums network and a ‘Shared Communities’ initiative in Nelson to improve opportunities for migrant and former refugee communities to access and participate in arts, culture and heritage. In-depth evaluation of the Innovation Fund was progressed in 2022/23, with positive collaboration at different levels of the programme. The evaluation identified collegial collaboration during the Te Urungi application process.

“Funding applicants spoke highly of the group-based structure of the events. At each Te Urungi event, funding applicants were placed into groups with other applicants, enabling a degree of collaboration. Individual or independent applicants told us that this opportunity for collaboration was especially important for them. They particularly benefitted from sharing their ideas with other applicants, and this helped to overcome internalised barriers about their ideas.” – Draft report, Innovation Fund In-depth evaluation

Collaborative approach to developing Long-Term Insights Briefing

More than 150 organisations and individuals connected to the arts, culture and heritage sectors engaged in the development of the Manatū Taonga Long-Term Insights Briefing. The core question that formed the basis of the briefing was created through this engagement: Into the future, what are some of the key areas that will influence the vibrancy and resilience of the cultural sector ecosystem?

The cultural sector is supported and valued, and people are more knowledgeable and informed about the value of culture

We use data on cultural participation, insights and attitudes to measure progress towards this outcome.

Participation in arts and culture

Cultural participation remained strong overall during 2022/23, but with some decreases since 2020.

In 2022 the Ministry delivered a second national cultural participation survey. The results on the following page show the percentages of New Zealanders who had participated in different cultural activities in the previous three months. 

Percentage of New Zealanders aged 18 and over participating in cultural activities in the last three months (2022)

Cultural activity20202022
Watched a New Zealand-made movie61%42%
Watched a New Zealand-made programme, series or documentary (excluding news and sports broadcasts)79%73%
Listened to RNZ radio (RNZ National, RNZ Concert, RNZ Pacific)36%33%
Listened to New Zealand commercial radio78%74%
Listened to iwi radio6%6%
Listened to New Zealand student radio7%6%
Listened to New Zealand community radio28%22%
Listened to New Zealand made podcasts25%25%
Listened to recorded music from New Zealand artists79%54%*
A library49%49%
A museum25%27%
A visual arts gallery (e.g. to see paintings, sculpture, film)25%18%
A craft or object art gallery (e.g. to see ceramics, furniture, glass, jewellery)25%16%
A building or place because of its cultural or historical significance28%20%
A driving, walking or cycling tour related to New Zealand history13%10%
A meeting, lecture, or presentation on New Zealand history9%10%
A marae (for a cultural experience)**7%
A public commemoration event12%11%
A musical, dance or theatre performance14%15%
Māori performing arts (e.g. kapa haka, waiata, pūoro Māori – Māori instrumental performance)9%8%
Māori visual arts (including weaving, animation and sculpture)7%5%
Pacific performing arts (including dance, theatre and music)7%5%
Pacific visual arts (including painting, weaving, carving, tapa, tīvaevae)7%4%
A literary event or book reading6%6%
A workshop or class (not formal education) to learn about a cultural activity8%8%
A Māori cultural festival6%7%
A Pasifika cultural festival4%4%
Another type of festival or cultural gathering (e.g. Pride, Chinese New Year, Diwali)9%8%
A live performance of New Zealand music12%12%
* This decline is significant but is likely to be due to changes in question structure and ongoing changes in listening behaviours. The question is being revised. 
** New item wording in 2022.
Wellbeing

New Zealanders and the Arts 2020 data is the most recent nationwide indicator of how much New Zealanders value the arts. This research provided evidence that more New Zealanders recognise the wider value of the arts, compared to previous years:

  • Nearly two-thirds of New Zealanders felt the arts contributed to the New Zealand economy (64 per cent) and helped to improve society (62 per cent).
  • 61 per cent of New Zealanders agreed that the arts contributed to the resilience and wellbeing of their community.
  • 64 per cent of New Zealanders believed the arts help define who we are as New Zealanders.
  • Just over half (54 per cent) of New Zealanders felt that the arts were an important way to connect to their culture. (New Zealanders and the Arts 2020).

This research is being repeated in 2023.

Trust in news media

Nationwide trust in the news media has declined in line with an international trend.

The percentage of New Zealanders reporting that they trusted the local news media declined from 53 per cent in 2020 to 45 per cent in 2022 (Trust in the News in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023). This reflected a worldwide trend over the same period. The research found that Radio New Zealand remained the most trusted news organisation, at 6.2 out of 10, with TVNZ third at 5.9.

To support greater trust in the media system the government has made significant investments in public media through Vote Arts, Culture & Heritage. The highlight was a 60 per cent increase in baseline funding for Radio New Zealand to secure its financial stability and to expand and strengthen its public media role. The increased investment also included a new $10 million fund in 2023/24 for NZ On Air to collaborate across the media sector to enable the production of innovative content.

We learned a lot from the Strong Public Media programme that will help improve public broadcasting services. Thanks to consultation on a draft charter for public media, we now have evidence of what New Zealanders want from their public media and an example of modernised public media legislation. We also have a fully formed business case that evaluates multiple options for strengthening public media in New Zealand. This will be referenced as a basis for future public media options.

Performance information for appropriations 
Kōrero whakatutukinga mō ngā tāpuinga pūtea

Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage 
- Policy advice, monitoring of funded agencies and ministerial servicing

Scope—The overarching purpose of this appropriation is to provide advice and other support to ministers in discharging their policy decision-making and other portfolio responsibilities.

Policy advice

The provision of advice (including second-opinion advice and contributions to policy advice led by other agencies) to support decision-making by ministers on government policy matters relating to arts, culture, heritage and broadcasting.

Monitoring of funded agencies

Monitoring the Crown’s interests in sector agencies.

Ministerial servicing

Providing negotiated services to the Minister and Associate Ministers for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and the Minister for Broadcasting and Media.

The key policy and operational projects progressed this year are outlined above in the section on our performance against strategic intentions. Manatū Taonga also supports ministers to oversee the performance of Crown-funded entities and non-government organisations across the arts, culture and heritage, broadcasting and media, and sport and recreation sectors.

To do this, we support and advise ministers on:

  • setting expectations for entities, including in relation to new funding provided through the annual budget cycle;
  • entity performance, including whether government expectations have been met; and,
  • appointing board members to ensure effective governance.

Manatū Taonga supports boards by providing guidance on governance best practice through:

  • workshops and induction programmes for new appointees;
  • an online governance e-manual; and guidance on board evaluations.

Manatū Taonga also facilitates information exchange through regular engagement with board chairs and chief executives.

During 2022/23 advice was provided to ministers for 37 board appointments and reappointments across the Crown and other entities supported through their portfolios.

With these appointments, as at 30 June 2023 the diversity of membership across the boards where Manatū Taonga is the lead agency are:

Gender

  • Female: 54%
  • Male: 45%
  • Another gender: 1%

Ethnicity

  • Pākehā: 51%
  • Māori: 29%
  • Pacific peoples: 16%
  • Indian: 1%
  • Asian: 1%
  • Other: 1%
  • Not disclosed: 1%

How well we delivered it - This section provides an assessment of our delivery against the performance measures set out in the Information Supporting the Estimates for 2022/23.

Policy advice, monitoring of funded agencies and ministerial servicing 
 

Performance measures202220232023
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality of services and/or support provided by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage (see Note 1)544.38

Significant judgements involved in the measurement, aggregation and presentation of the result.

The reported result is the average of the two 'overall performance' measures as rated by all four portfolio Ministers: "I have confidence in the policy (or 'advice') provided"; and, "I have trust in the officials I engage with from the Ministry".

Policy advice

Performance measures202220232023
Ministerial satisfaction with the timeliness of advice for policy briefings, advice and reports (see Note 1)544
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality of advice for policy briefings, advice and reports (see Note 1)4.7744.27
The average quality of written policy papers to the ministers, as assessed annually by an expert panel (see Note 2)2.543.35

Note 1 — Ministerial satisfaction measures 
Ministerial satisfaction is calculated in accordance with Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet guidance. This results in a ministerial satisfaction score between 1 and 5, with 1 being 'Never' and 5 being 'Always'. The budget standard of 4 means that the minister(s) are satisfied 'Most of the time'.

Note 2 — Ministerial servicing — correspondence 
The Ministry uses the Policy Quality Framework to assess papers. This assesses papers on a scale of 1-5. An overall score of 3.35 means the Ministry is meeting the standards of the Policy Quality Framework. The assessment panel noted that the sample of papers reviewed was focused on process and technical papers which made it hard to demonstrate the range of best practice elements which would draw a score at the upper ends of the rating scale.

Monitoring of funded agencies

Performance measures202220232023
Ministerial satisfaction with the timeliness of advice for agency-related briefings, advice and reports (see Note 1)544
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality of advice for agency-related briefings, advice and reports (see Note 1)4.7744.5
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality of advice for board appointments to Crown-connected boards (see Note 1)444.5
The average quality of new board member governance workshops, as assessed by survey of attendee (see Note 2)80%80%N/A

Ministerial servicing

Performance measures202220232023
Percentage of Parliamentary questions responded to within agreed timeframes100%100%100%
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality of Parliamentary question responses (see Note 1)4.6743.67
Percentage of speeches and draft replies to ministerial correspondence provided within agreed timeframes (see Note 3)83%95%86.40%
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality of speeches and draft replies to ministerial correspondence (see Note 1)4.6744
Percentage of ministerial and Ministry OIA responses responded to within legislative timeframes100%95%100%
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality and robustness of ministerial OIA responses (see Note 1)544

Note 1—Ministerial satisfaction measures  
Two of three Ministers rated performance at the budget standard with one rating slightly below the standard. This brought the overall result slightly below the standard on average.

Note 2—Monitoring of funded agencies — quality of new board member governance workshops   
Manatū Taonga has supported Iti Kopara - a new governance focused course, supported by Victoria University of Wellington, and has included board members on the pilot course.

Note 3—Ministerial servicing—correspondence 
The result was below target due to additional subject matter complexity and increased redrafting requests from the Ministers' offices.


Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage 
- Heritage services

Scope—Management of new memorial projects, national monuments, war and historic graves; promotion of cultural events; administration of legislation and grants; research, writing and publication of New Zealand history and reference works, including Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

How well we delivered it—This section provides an assessment of our delivery against the performance measures set out in the Information Supporting the Estimates for 2022/23.

Administration of legislation to protect New Zealand and taonga Māori and cultural heritage

Performance measures202220232023
Upheld appeals on an export application (see Note 1)No appealsNo appealsNo appeals
Māori Land Court makes orders sought by Manatū Taonga for ownership of newly found taonga tūturu50%100%100%
Newly found taonga tūturu in prima facie Crown ownership have suitable care and custody arrangements in place99.8%100%100%
Ministerial acceptance of advice in relation to the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981100%100%100%

Significant judgements involved in the measurement, aggregation and presentation of the result.

The reported result for suitable care and custody arrangements for newly found taonga tūturu is determined by a set criterion. For example, a public museum, a qualified archaeologist, an iwi, hapū or marae, a qualified conservator. Each care and custody arrangement is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The 991 newly found taonga tūturu notified to Manatū Taonga during 2022/23 are held with 33 notified custodians assessed throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Arrangements for 263 items from one find context are yet to be finalised, but in the interim are being held together under the protection of a professional archaeologist and holder of the NZHPT Authority s45 (NZHPT Act 2014).

Note 1—Upheld appeals on export applications 
Applicants may appeal to the Minister against a determination of the chief executive. An upheld appeal may indicate an issue with the Manatū Taonga process.

Maintain war graves and access to memorials and other places of national significance

Performance measures202220232023
The National Erebus Memorial is delivered in line with agreed planNot deliveredAchievedNot delivered (see Note 1)
After participating in the Education programme at Pukeahu, teachers report students have a better understanding or awareness of New Zealand’s history, heritage, nationhood and/or citizenship (see Note 2)4.744.5

Note 1 
Severe weather events in early 2023 caused slips at the proposed site of the memorial. A geotechnical assessment concluded that the site is no longer safe or suitable for a memorial intended to last for 100 years or more. The Ministry is looking for a new site for the memorial.

Note 2  
Teachers were surveyed as to whether their experience at Pukeahu increased their students’ understanding or awareness of New Zealand’s history, heritage, nationhood or citizenship. This resulted in a score between 1 and 5 with 1 being ‘Strongly disagree’, 3 being neutral and 5 being ‘Strongly agree’. The budget standard of 4 means that teachers surveyed ‘Agreed’ or ‘Strongly agreed’ with this statement.

Collect, preserve, and provide information on New Zealand and Māori history, society and culture

Performance measures202220232023
Manage annual programme to collect, preserve, and provide information on New Zealand and Māori history, society and cultureNot achievedDelivered against planAchieved
After participating in Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories (Te Tai) programme, iwi partners report that their rangatahi are better placed to understand and appreciate their history, identity and Treaty settlement journey  (see Note 1)444
Annual number of total visits to the Ministry’s websites11,917,80611 million10,751,261
Annual number of page impressions for the Ministry’s websites24,993,35530 million21,438,510
Number of returning visitors to the Ministry’s websites4,219,5164 million2,826,092

Note 1—Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories 
Iwi involved in the programme were surveyed as to whether their research and publishing partnership with Te Tai increased their young people’s understanding or awareness of their history, identity and treaty settlement journey, and the iwi’s capability to preserve and share their stories. This resulted in a score between 1 and 5, with 1 being ‘Strongly disagree’, 3 being neutral and 5 being ‘Strongly agree’. The budget standard of 4 means that the iwi surveyed ‘Agreed’ or ‘Strongly agreed’ with this statement.

Promotion of cultural events and significant commemorations

Performance measures202220232023
Ministerial satisfaction with the coordination of anniversaries and the military and non-military commemorations programme (see Note 1)545

Note 1—Ministerial satisfaction measures 
Ministerial satisfaction is measured using a survey using a range between 1 and 5, with 1 being ‘Never’ and 5 being ‘Always’. The budget standard of 4 means that the Minister(s) are satisfied 'Most of the time'.


Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage
- Establishment of New Public Media Entity

Scope — This appropriation is limited to establishing a new public media entity and related services and advice to support its establishment and initial operations.

How well we delivered it — This section provides an assessment of our delivery against the performance measures set out in the Information Supporting the Estimates for 2022/23.

Establishment of new public media entity

Performance measures202220232023
New entity is operationalOn track1 July 2023Not achieved (see Note 1)

Note 1—Establishment of New Public Media Entity 
This was not achieved due to the reprioritisation of funding decisions to Strengthen Public Media in New Zealand. On 8 February 2023 the Prime Minister announced that work on the TVNZ/RNZ public media entity would stop and that RNZ and NZ On Air would receive additional funding instead as part of the government refocusing its policies.


Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage
- Cultural Diplomacy International Programme

Scope—Management and delivery of an international cultural diplomacy programme through a series of projects and activities primarily focused on Asia and other regions where New Zealand is pursuing free-trade agreements.

Manatū Taonga works with a range of other government agencies to support the Cultural Diplomacy International Programme (CDIP). Given the international restrictions on activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been reduced planning and undertaking of CDIP activity in recent years.

How well we delivered it—This section provides an assessment of our delivery against the performance measures set out in the Information Supporting the Estimates for 2022/23.

Cultural Diplomacy International Programme

Performance measures202220232023
Percentage of approved projects completed and evaluatedN/A100%N/A (see Note 1)
Extent to which the desired outcomes for these projects have been achievedN/A80%N/A (see Note 1)
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality and timeliness of advice is consistently high (see Note 2)N/A45

Note 1—Approved projects completed and evaluated. Extent to which the desired outcomes are achieved 
One CDIP project was approved this financial year. While delivery was completed in June 2023, evaluation is not due to be completed until mid-September 2023.

Note 2—Ministerial satisfaction measures 
Ministerial satisfaction is calculated in accordance with Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet guidance. This results in a ministerial satisfaction score between 1 and 5, with 1 being 'Never' and 5 being 'Always'. The budget standard of 4 means that the minister(s) are satisfied 'Most of the time'.


Vote Sport and Recreation 
- Purchase advice and monitoring of sport and recreation crown entities

Scope — Provision of purchase advice and monitoring of Sport New Zealand and Drug Free Sport New Zealand, including advice in relation to appointments to boards.

How well we delivered it — This section provides an assessment of our delivery against the performance measures set out in the Information Supporting the Estimates for 2022/23.

Purchase advice and monitoring of sport and recreation crown entities

Performance measures202220232023
Ministerial satisfaction with the quality and timeliness of advice is consistently high (see Note 1)N/A44

Note 1—Ministerial satisfaction measures 
The Minister was unable to complete the survey for this measure for 2021/22 due to limited interactions with the Ministry.

Our organisation 
Tō mātau whakahaere

Workforce statistics 
Tatauranga kāhui kaimahi

Employee numbers

Number of employees, full time equivalent (FTE) and headcount (HC) as at 30 June.

  • Headcount: 192 (up 3)
  • Full time equivalent: 182.2 (up 0.4%)

Tenure

Proportion of fixed-term employees symbolised by the inner circle and ongoing tenure (permanent) employees symbolised by the outer circle as at 30 June.

  • Permanent: 81.8% 
  • Fixed term: 18.2%

Turnover

Core unplanned turnover for the year. This covers permanent employees only and excludes cessations due to the ending of fixed-term employment.

  • Turnover: 16.7% (down 3%)

Length of service

  • Average length of service for permanent employees by number of years as at 30 June: 4.8
Service length breakdown

Distribution of employees by length of service at Manatū Taonga as at 30 June.

Years of serviceNumber of employees
Over 206
16–207
11–158
5–1024
3–530
2–323
1–244
Less than 153

Age

  • Average age of employees as at 30 June 2023: 42.1
Age breakdown

Distribution of employees by age as at 30 June.

AgeNumber of employees
65 or above8
55 to under 6522
45 to under 5544
35 to under 4548
25 to under 3567
Under 256

Annual leave and sick leave

Average annual leave balance per employee as at 30 June and the average sick leave taken per employee during the year, including leave for care of dependants.

  • Sick leave: 7.1 (up 2.1)
  • Annual leave: 20.4 (up 1.8)

Gender

Proportion of females and males as at 30 June. The Ministry asks new employees to complete a personnel and payroll details form. The form includes a gender diverse option for the question, ‘What gender do you identify as?’, alongside female and male.

  • Female: 65.1% 
  • Male: 34.9% 
  • Another gender: 0.5%

Ethnicity

Ethnicity of employees as at 30 June.

EthnicityPercentage of employees
European79.2%
Māori13.5%
Pacific3.6%
Asian4.7%
Middle Eastern, Latin American and African-

Manager information

Gender and ethnicity of leadership at Manatū Taonga as at 30 June. Tier 2 managers are those that report directly to the Tumu Whakarae. Tier 3 managers are any other people managers.

Gender

Tier 3 leaders
  • Female: 57% (12 leaders)
  • Male: 43% (9 leaders)
Tier 2 leaders
  • Female 80%. 4 leaders
  • Male 20% 1 leaders
Overall leadership
  • Female: 62% (16 leaders)
  • Male: 38% (10 leaders)

Ethnicity

Tier 3 leaders
  • European: 81% (17 leaders)
  • Māori: 19% (4 leaders)
Tier 2 leaders
  • European: 60% (3 leaders)
  • Māori:  40% (2 leaders)
Overall leadership
  • European: 77% (20 leaders)
  • Māori: 23% (6 leaders)

Diversity, equity and inclusion 
Kanorautanga, te mana ōrite me te manaaki

A diverse and inclusive workforce enables Manatū Taonga to better promote the diversity of Aotearoa in the cultural sector.

Manatū Taonga is strengthened by the diversity of our workforce. We recognise and value the importance of different perspectives and insights when supporting and promoting a cultural sector that reflects today’s Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our work to build and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion reflects and supports key work programmes led by Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission:

  • The Public Service Pay Gaps Action Plan, Kia Toipoto, which is centred around the goal of addressing and closing gender, Māori, Pacific, ethnic, rainbow and disability pay gaps in the public service.
  • Papa Pounamu, which is focused on enhancing workplace diversity, inclusivity and cultural proficiency to achieve improved outcomes for diverse groups.

These initiatives share overarching objectives that are important for both our Ministry and the communities we serve.

A big mihi to Public Service Association members and other staff networks for their insights into how we can achieve our diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

Cultural capability

He Ngākau Titikaha, striving for cultural confidence, is a key focus of Te Arataki, our Māori Framework. You can read more about this in the Strengthening Māori-Crown relations section of this report.

We are committed to having a workplace in which staff at all levels reflect Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural makeup. To support this, we are focusing on diverse recruitment panels, monitoring applications to ensure that we are attracting a wide range of candidates, and ensuring that our advertising and job descriptions are reaching the intended audiences.

Pay equity

A new, step-based remuneration framework came into effect from December 2022. This offers improved transparency and a simple, clear and equitable approach to progression through remuneration grades. The framework supports our ongoing work to address the gender pay gap and has contributed to the reduction we have achieved this year.

Gender pay gap

Gap between average full-time-equivalent salary of women and men on 30 June 2023: 4.8% (down 2%)

Learning and development

Following feedback from our kaimahi, the Ministry developed a new approach to leadership and development conversations, with a focus on reflection and wellbeing. The new approach enables a better understanding of who people really are, their individual learning and development needs, and how best to support them to develop and grow.

Flexible working

Flexibility in working arrangements continues to be a key feature of the workplace culture in Manatū Taonga. This mindset significantly enhances our capacity to tap into the full spectrum of talent and leadership we need for our work across Aotearoa.

The mitigation of bias

As we review and develop policies and internal processes, we explore opportunities to eliminate the impacts of bias. We include education on bias and unconscious bias in the induction of all new starters at the Ministry. Building a core understanding of this issue supports the creation of effective measures to remove inequity and exclusion from key processes such as recruitment and internal progression.

Employee-led networks

Our employee networks each have a Deputy Chief Executive as sponsor and all new staff are encouraged to explore and participate in both internal and cross-public service networks. Our current networks include: Ngā Uri o Kiwa (Māori and Pacific peoples), Rainbow Network and Te Ata Māhina - Women’s Network.

Strengthening Māori-Crown relations 
Te whakapakari hononga a ngāi Māori me te Karauna

Te Rautaki and Te Arataki set out a desired state in which iwi Māori are supported to achieve their cultural aspirations, and Māori arts, culture and heritage are recognised, valued and embraced across our broader society.

For Manatū Taonga, this means ensuring our staff have a level of understanding and capability to work alongside iwi Māori.

Whāinga Amorangi — building Māori Crown relations  
capability

Through Whāinga Amorangi, Manatū Taonga has committed to supporting all staff to become ‘comfortable’ across three key Māori Crown core competencies. In 2021 the Ministry identified these as te reo Māori, tikanga and kawa, and Aotearoa history and te Tiriti o Waitangi.

During 2021/22, internal te reo and tikanga and kawa classes were established to support this shift in capability. Learning opportunities were also created for kaimahi as part of internal activities during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki.

In 2022/23, our Te Pae Huarewa Māori Crown Relations group developed Te Poho Kererū, a programme that prioritised using internal resources and work programmes as a context for Māori Crown relations cultural development.

Te Poho Kererū was developed to create a wānanga for staff to learn about elements of te ao Māori which are relevant to their work. The Te Poho Kererū pilot covered five module areas:

  • Te Tūrangawaewae o te Manatū Taonga‘the Ministry for Culture and Heritage – our place, our practice’. Tūrangawaewae is about understanding why and how Manatū Taonga has aligned Māori culture and thinking within the context of our work, working environment, and broader relationships.
  • Tangata whenua cultural concepts — understanding core values and concepts that underpin tangata whenua thinking and actions. Kaimahi learned about tangata whenua concepts and how they are theoretically and practically applied.
  • Te reo me ōna tikanga when we describe te reo, the term is almost always accompanied by the phrase ‘me ōna tikanga’, meaning ‘our language and its protocols’. This module explored Māori protocols and how the language is used in everyday situations.
  • Aotearoa history — here the pilot explored historical events from the beginning of the universe to today from a tangata whenua perspective. Participants found this to be an interesting reflection of our past, present and future.
  • Engagement with tangata whenua — in our mahi, we engage with tangata whenua communities, organisations and institutions, both big and small. This module focused on practical guidelines that kaimahi can apply in our interactions so that we are culturally safe.

Piloting our Whāinga Amorangi programme

Twenty-three Manatū Taonga staff took part in the Te Poho Kererū pilot, including our Chief Executive, tier-2 and tier-3 leaders. As a full-day pilot programme, Te Poho Kererū presented staff with the opportunity to interact, share stories and experiences while learning and growing our collective understanding of Māori culture and knowledge of Māori history.

Attendees completed a post-wānanga survey to provide feedback on the content of the wānanga and how effective the programme was in developing, building and strengthening their capability. We received a lot of positive feedback and staff gave the programme an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5. Staff gave us high marks for positive learning environment, safe space, positive facilitation and variety of content.

Kaimahi also evaluated their own capability in relation to each module area before and after the wānanga. Overall, there was an improvement across all competencies. The largest gains were identified in our Aotearoa history and Whakatau simulation exercises.

Continued capability building

Following the positive feedback from our pilot wānanga, we plan to deliver Te Poho Kererū as an introductory wānanga for all staff to assist their journey to build Māori Crown relations capability. In the 2023/24 financial year we will focus on:

  • delivering Te Poho Kererū introductory wānanga to all staff;
  • developing a curriculum of workshops or wānanga for each module area to support increased capability;
  • delivering workshops or stand-alone wānanga in each module area.

We look forward to continuing to develop the Māori-Crown relations capability of our staff and those of our entities.

Responding to climate change 
Uruparenga ki te huringa āhuarangi

Climate change is having a significant impact on Aotearoa New Zealand and its arts, culture and heritage. Our unique ways of life, identity, and the values and traditions that make us who we are, are at risk of being altered or lost.

Cultural sites and taonga of significance to Māori and unique to New Zealand are particularly vulnerable. Changes in climate and their consequences will have an impact on spiritual, physical, intellectual and social values that are integral to the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders, and Māori in particular.

Extreme weather events

The extreme weather events across the North Island in early 2023 caused loss of life, destroyed homes and damaged national infrastructure. The events showed the effects of extreme weather which we can expect to happen more frequently as a result of climate change.

Culture and heritage were significantly affected in several regions. Cyclone Gabrielle caused some of the most widespread damage to marae and other taonga ever seen, with marae reporting damage from Dargaville in Te Tai Tokerau to Feilding in Manawatū. In severe cases, marae were so badly damaged that they will need to consider relocating.

Across all the regions affected there was an immediate impact on cultural activity because of damaged cultural infrastructure, temporary closure of cultural venues and the cancellation or postponement of events. Many cultural practitioners suffered damage to their homes, studios and work.

Manatū Taonga formed part of the central government response, with several staff seconded as emergency responders. We also worked collaboratively to ensure that Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Te Papa could support affected regions with their conservation and taonga expertise.

We also supported an emergency response under provisions of the Building Act 2004 which required the demolition of a Category 1 historic place in Auckland that posed a risk to nearby residential buildings. The Ministry also contributed to the development of recovery legislation, ensuring that cultural heritage was considered in the response, with significant sites remaining protected for future generations.

Long-term impacts on culture and heritage

How climate change will affect New Zealanders’ cultural heritage and taonga, as well as their participation in cultural experiences, was identified as one of five focus areas of Manatū Taonga’s Long Term Insights Briefing. Published in January 2023, the Briefing identified potential heritage losses, but also the potential for Manatū Taonga to leverage arts and culture to appeal to New Zealanders to act in response to the challenges of climate change. It also identified the opportunity for Manatū Taonga to support the cultural sector to deliver arts and culture in ways that minimise the impact on the climate, including by learning from ways of engaging with arts and culture that were adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alongside the recovery from the severe weather events, we are also supporting building resilience in our cultural infrastructure and communities. We remain committed to delivering on these actions so that culture in Aotearoa can adapt and thrive as the climate changes.

National Adaptation Plan

Manatū Taonga has continued to work on the four National Adaptation Actions it is responsible for leading over the next five years. These are:

  • produce guidance for disaster risk management for cultural heritage.
  • develop a framework for assessing the exposure and vulnerability of cultural assets/taonga to climate change.
  • support kaitiaki communities to adapt and conserve taonga/cultural assets.
  • research how cultural heritage contributes to community wellbeing and climate change adaptation.

In April 2023, Manatū Taonga commissioned Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research to create a climate adaptation resource. Manaaki Whenua undertook a literature review of the publicly available information, guidance and frameworks related to cultural heritage and the implications of climate change in New Zealand. The literature review will improve our understanding and support our National Adaptation Plan actions.

Carbon Neutral Government Programme

Manatū Taonga is committed to meeting its obligations under the Carbon Neutral Government Programme to measure, manage and reduce our emissions.

We measured and reported on a baseline year, 2019/20, against which we now measure our emissions annually and project future emissions reductions.

Our measurements were independently verified by Toitū Envirocare, and in October 2022 we became a Toitū carbon reduce certified organisation, in line with ISO 14064-1:2018 and Toitū requirements.

Manatū Taonga has set gross emissions reduction targets in line with a <1.5 degrees of global warming pathway. This will mean reducing our gross emissions compared to our 2019/20 baseline by 21 per cent by 2025 and by 42 per cent by 2030.

In 2019/20 we emitted 261 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), which means we need to achieve a reduction to 206 tCO2e in 2025 and 151 tCO2e by 2030.

In 2022/23 our emissions were 204 tCO2e, which meets the 2025 target.

The 2022/23 result was an increase in emissions compared to the previous financial year. This increase was driven mainly by additional travel following the lifting of government restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also by increased activity resulting from the programme to establish a new public media entity.

Much of our work relies on maintaining relationships across the country, and travel to meet kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) is an important part of this. To better prioritise and co-ordinate travel in 2023/24, we have increased senior management oversight of travel budgets and involvement in approving travel needs. Within our wider reduction targets, we are also aiming for a 10 per cent reduction in travel emissions compared to the baseline year in 2023/24.

We also want to support our cultural agencies to reduce their emissions. As the government’s principal advisor on the cultural system, Manatū Taonga has an important role to play in advising the government on climate risks to New Zealand’s culture and in supporting the cultural system to respond and adapt so that culture can thrive sustainably.

As part of our own emissions reporting and reduction process, we have begun working with sector entities to gain a better understanding of how to measure and reduce the carbon emissions resulting from cultural activity.

Emission source breakdown 2022/23 (tCO2e)

90.08 — 44% Air Travel (Domestic)

37.04 — 18% Air Travel (International)

34.72 — 17% Staff commuting

16.64 — 8% Electricity

8.46 — 4% Other*

7.93 — 4% Staff working from home

5.25 — 3% Accommodation

4.36 — 2% Wastewater

* Other includes rental cars, taxis, waste and water supply

Manatū Taonga gross emissions reductions

 Base year 2019/20Previous year 2021/22Financial year 2022/23
Full time equivalent (FTE)124.2 employees181.8 employees182.2 employees
Total expenditure$31,629,000$39,069,000$41,343,000
Operating revenue$34,308,000$40,411,000$43,112,000
Total annual emissions261 tCO2e175 tCO2e204 tCO2e
Emissions profile broken down by emissions source/scopesScope 1: Nil  
 
Scope 3: 243 tCO2e
Scope 1: Nil  
 
Scope 3: 157 tCO2e
Scope 1: 3  
 
Scope 3: 187 tCO2e
Consolidation approachControl - operationalControl - operationalControl - operational
Change in total emissions compared to the base yearN/A-86 tCO2e-57 tCO2e
2025 gross emissions reduction targets21%21%21%
2030 gross emissions reduction targets42%42%42%
Change in gross emissions compared to the baseline yearN/A33%22%
Current results compared to reduction targets 2025 and 2030 targets met.2025 target met. 52% of 2030 target.

Health, safety and wellbeing 
Hauora, haumaru me te oranga

The health, safety, and wellbeing of our kaimahi is of paramount importance. In addition to its main office in the Old Public Trust Building in Wellington, the Ministry is also responsible for Pukeahu National War Memorial Park (Pukeahu). These locations have different risk profiles.

Our vision — Manatū Taonga provides safe and healthy environments for our people, contractors and visitors.

Our objective — Manatū Taonga will support all kaimahi, contractors and visitors to understand and manage risk well, engage and innovate our health and safety.

Our risks

The Ministry’s work is generally low risk, with minor hazards and injuries occurring infrequently. Our people work flexibly, either in a modern office environment or remotely. The frequency of domestic travel for work purposes has increased this year following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. Ministry kaimahi travelled internationally for the first time since 2020 to fulfil our commitments overseas.

Pukeahu has a higher risk profile as a workplace than the Old Public Trust Building. The facility comprises a large open-air park housing the National War Memorial, the Queen Elizabeth II Pukeahu Education Centre and eight international memorials. Pukeahu is open to the public and regularly hosts memorial services, school groups, tours and visiting dignitaries. By design, staff are not always on-site. The park has shared vehicle and pedestrian roadways and despite security measures, its size and openness mean it is difficult to eliminate security and safety hazards such as anti-social activity. Traffic management has become more of an issue in the past year. We are currently undertaking a review of the park to better understand our changing risk profile.

Manatū Taonga is also responsible for maintaining national memorials and war graves throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. This work is often undertaken in remote locations, requiring significant travel time and navigation of rough terrain. To mitigate risk, our inspectors operate in pairs and travel with a GPS tracking tool to enable monitoring and distress messaging.

Number of health and safety incidents for 2021/22

Incident: 18 
Incident with injury: 3 
Near miss: 2 
Hazard: 16

The number of hazards and incidents reported this year was similar to the previous year. We continue to manage safety incidents in line with established policies and procedures.

Our people

The Ministry’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee is chaired by Pou Mataaho o Te Iho Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Performance. The committee comprises the Chair and one elected staff representative from each of our five work groups;

  • one Public Service Association staff representative;
  • one member of Te Pae Pūmanawa Tangata People and Culture;
  • Pou Arataki o Te Pae Whakahaumaru Manager, Facilities and Emergency Management;
  • one management representative from Te Kāhui Arataki Tier 3 managers;
  • one representative from each special project led by the Ministry that is deemed to carry risk, for the duration of the project.

Further kaimahi participation is encouraged by incorporating health and safety in meeting agendas, regular workspace audits, communications to staff and easy access to health and safety information. Support is provided to staff through the provision of training to a group of first-aiders, health and safety representatives and floor wardens. De-escalation training is offered to all front-line staff, including floor wardens.

Developing our systems and measuring our progress

During 2022/23 we focused on the development of a three-year work programme to enhance our Health, Safety and Wellbeing framework. This work is being undertaken in response to our 2022 SafePlus assessment and will shift our status from ‘developing’ to ‘performing’ by our next assessment in June 2025.

A Health, Safety and Wellbeing Plan was developed in-house to illustrate our vision, objectives, and goals for health, safety, and wellbeing at Manatū Taonga. The plan incorporates SafePlus recommendations for improvement across each area. Based on Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health’s Te Whare Tapa Whā model, we focus on physical, social, mental and spiritual wellbeing to reduce harm and help us thrive. We acknowledge Te Whare Tapa Whā was developed by leading Māori health advocate Sir Mason Durie in the 1980’s.

The plan lays out how capability will be built across all levels of Manatū Taonga through leadership and kaimahi participation, managing insights and improvements, and the work of the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee. The plan applies to everyone at Manatū Taonga and charts a trajectory for improvement for the next three years.

Our goals

Everyone plays their part to manage health & safety risks effectively by:

Focusing on what will make the biggest impact to reduce harm

  • Taha Tinana: Ensuring Manatū Taonga is providing a physically healthy and safe space for all
  • Taha Whānau: Supporting all kaimahi with whānau responsibilities
  • Taha Wairua: Ensuring all kaimahi are supported to keep their spirit alive and well
  • Taha Hinengaro: Ensuring Manatū Taonga is providing a safe space for the mental health of all kaimahi

Building everyone’s capability to do this well

  • Leadership: Encourage leaders at all levels to integrate health & safety to their work programme
  • Managing: Develop and share better data and insights to improve decision making
  • Health, Safety & Wellbeing Committee: Lift capability of health & safety practitioners
  • Kaimahi: Enable workers to be represented, engaged and to participate

Te Whare Tapa Whā

The model describes health and wellbeing as a wharenui/meeting house with four walls. These walls represent taha wairua/spiritual wellbeing, taha hinengaro/mental and emotional wellbeing, taha tinana/ physical wellbeing and taha whānau/family and social wellbeing of a person.

When all these things are in balance, we thrive. When one or more of these is out of balance, our wellbeing is impacted.

Financial statements 
Tauākī pūtea 

Please refer to the PDF of the Annual Report for the financial statements. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of these statements in a more accessible format, please email [email protected].