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Annual Report 2017

Read the full annual report as a pdf copy.

Taken from the Chief Executive's report for 2016/17

Arts, culture, heritage, media and sports are part of our everyday lives, yet they lift us out of the everyday. They express who we are individually and collectively. Engagement with our heritage tells us where we’ve come from and informs where we are going. Cultural expression is central to a vibrant, healthy society. Cultural expression also reflects and reinforces what it means to be a New Zealander, helping to build connection and cohesion. This is incredibly important.

We connect people from all walks of life to our culture and heritage and bring our past to life in many ways. The Ministry’s websites had more than 10 million hits, with our comprehensive encyclopedia Te Ara recording 5,971,813 and NZHistory recording 3,659,220 for the 2016/17 year. The Walking with an Anzac schools resource, through the WW100 programme, has seen 800 school visits and 5,900 factsheets downloaded by teachers. Grants of $10.827 million from the Regional Culture and Heritage  Fund  have  gone  to  support  cultural  institutions  throughout  the  country  and  the  newly established Heritage EQUIP fund, $12 million over four years, is supporting heritage building owners to  earthquake  strengthen  them.  Further  afield  the  Cultural  Diplomacy  International  Programme, backing New Zealand’s reputation and identity internationally, saw support for the Venice Biennale and the Indian Ink theatre company’s tour of India. These achievements show we have a great deal to be proud of.

The  creative  sector  also  makes  a  major  contribution  to  New  Zealand’s  economic  growth  and sustainable  prosperity.  Every  year  the  sector  contributes  billions  of  dollars  to  the  economy  and supports thousands of jobs across the country. Our creative industries build talent and skills and produce high value and weightless products for export.

Figures from NZ On Air show the steady increase in New Zealand screen content continues with 13,126  hours  broadcast.  And  the  majority  of  New  Zealanders  who  believe  NZ  On  Air  supports television content important to New Zealanders has risen from 75 per cent to 78 per cent. More people went to our New Zealand movies with attendance up from 4 million in 2015/16 to 4.7 million.

Creative  New  Zealand  has  increased  the  number  of  community  arts  grants  made  through  the Creative  Communities  Scheme  from  1,725  to  1,806  and  attendance  at  events  it  supports  has increased from 1,250,415 to 1,286,665. Both the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Royal New Zealand Ballet have extended their reach to more centres throughout the country.



Updated on 1st November 2019