Arts funding is future investment

Arts funding has been a hot topic of conversation lately.

Where it fits in government priorities, how budgets are allocated, the structure of the arts ecosystem, and ultimately the flow on effect these decisions can make.

It has been clear for some time that the scale of investment, operational support, and contribution to the arts, culture and creative sectors has been stagnant. The levels of investment haven’t increased in years, despite increased demand and rising costs. Ultimately, the support has been lacking across the whole system. 

We also know that Creative NZ has been working through a process of redesign for a number of years from regional workshops, to sector context and feedback, to research and a new strategy and empowering communities.

While the creative industry makes a significant contribution to the GDP, the pathways for investment into education, regional skills development, and local community activity has seen less and less support across the system. 

Community-based and non-commercial arts activity exists outside of a market system, it is a vital service and support in this area provides the foundational training ground for people who will move into industry roles and creative careers. Ultimately, our arts ecosystem is possible because so much of the creative activity that takes place in regional communities is enabled by passionate volunteers, in-kind support, and local businesses providing small-scale sponsorship. This is important, but when people are stretched for time and resources, our capacity to volunteer is limited. 

This is why changes in the sector funding system can create concern. The call for the system to change has been around for a long time. The scale hasn’t felt right – particularly for people in regional communities. But with increasing demand, and falling investment, the pressure is felt more keenly. The future feels less clear. 

The opportunities are different. We know that things change. Systems designed for different times and different contexts don’t always keep up as the world changes around us. Our situation, access, priorities, technology, relationships and context always continue to shift, and because of that it is necessary to occasionally reassess to make things work more effectively to support the things that matter most to people in our communities. 

We also know there is a greater need to bring communities together. But in order to create abundance in a system structured around scarcity, we have to be willing to think differently, and to bring others on that journey. It has to be a catalyst for collaboration. Where can we share resources and ideas to streamline the support and find new ways to create and share creative experiences that thrive in this new context. Each small change hopefully brings more people on this journey. 

These things compiled together create a complex picture for those people working in the sector. We feel the impact our work can have, but sharing that story externally can feel complex. We see that there are some misconceptions around the value and public good of creative activity. Sometimes the picture feels more like a burden than an opportunity. 

But perhaps, this is where the opportunity lies. 

How do we remind each other of the role that artistic creativity plays in each of our lives? How do we better understand the range of benefits that this activity has, and help our decision makers see this investment as being central to public good? This seems particularly useful in the context of an upcoming government election, local government changes, and future planning for the next round of long-term plans. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) clearly states that “Funding for cultural and creative sectors is an investment, not a cost”

This is important because there are both direct and indirect benefits created for the economy and the society. Culture is a valuable tool for regional development and regeneration, and the creation of ‘cultural districts’ make positive contributions across all measures. The investment they require is understood, but it also has been lacking across OECD countries where “government expenditure has generally failed to reach the levels seen pre-2008.” 

While this does create a challenge, they also suggest that because of the broad reach and engagement potential of the creative and cultural ecosystems, including benefits that sit across a broad range of stakeholders, that “partnerships between local governments, creatives, and other major contributors are key to enabling a thriving cultural and creative ecosystem, aligning mutual interests and priorities.”

What does this mean for creatives and arts organisations at the moment?

Artists are skilled at imagining new possibilities. But we also need to bring communities on that journey together. We are productive, skilled storytellers who can weave new narratives to help shape collective understanding through our work. Perhaps this is time to think about how we use our work in new contexts to inspire change?  

Look at opportunities to collaborate. How can services and activities be streamlined through working together? Projects like the Green Green Room are an interesting example of this. There could be some concepts for local shared service models to emerge, or approaching concepts like audience development as a combined local network concept. 

Think about the skills you have and how they might provide an alternative source to support your creative work. You might be a theatre company that also does corporate training workshops on the side; share some creative workshops at a local school; or perhaps there might be a future where we have Public Artists in Residence at local councils or community boards. All these things can be gateways for understanding and building cultural literacy with people in all communities. 

There is not a one-size-fits-all approach. But perhaps there is an opportunity to explore the connections into other sectors as part of navigating the uncertain landscape. Or at least share those stories where relevant. There are a range of useful frames that can help in the long run:

Economics may be an obvious one. The Creative sector is the 4th largest contributor to GDP. Plus events and arts experiences contribute to the wider economy in connection to hospitality, accommodation, tourism, etc. But more broadly than that, there are non-direct market benefits to creative activity. Public art makes cities seem safer and more inviting, and more people in a space is beneficial. We know that happier people are more productive and innovative. We also know that arts activity makes people happier. So investing in arts activity is a direct contributor to economic development. 

Education is also useful. Creative play is foundational to learning. Arts engagement shapes young imaginations and contributes to success in school, enhancing academic achievement in multiple subject areas. Across multiple industries creativity, critical thinking and communication skills are identified as being essential to a productive future work force and the arts are a core provider of these skills. Having artists-in-residence at all NZ schools would be a significant opportunity for impact. 

Health is an exciting area of exploration. Mental health is a priority need in Aotearoa. There is a wealth of research into the role art plays in health outcomes. It can foster physical, mental and emotional health, and this engagement can help to “navigate the journey of battling an illness or injury, to process difficult emotions in times of emergency and challenging events.” Creative health in the community or an arts on prescription programme could be a powerful thing to explore across Aotearoa.

Placemaking and civic development have potential for future scope. Arts in Infrastructure concepts create ways to have multiple impacts through each new project. Building community through public spaces are important parts of urban development. Third spaces are vital to build social cohesion in communities. 

So what next? 

Change of any kind presents opportunities. More change lies ahead. How we move through it is a choice. Arts funding is but one pathway to make things happen. We would love to see more of it, and more support that reaches out into the community to build engagement, understanding and opportunity. But if that isn’t the current reality, we need to find other ways to navigate the landscape. Like many systemic things, support is a decision that has been made. And that decision can be changed. 

The creative community system provides numerous benefits at all scales. There may be opportunities in support outside the arts sector. There might be shifts in policy. We can build for an abundant future. Abundance is a frame we can collectively choose. 

If we imagine an abundant utopic version of the future, there are decisions we all make together. If we understand that scarcity is a choice, then we can encourage our systems and decision makers to choose otherwise. If we value community we can support decisions that change the way we all live and thrive together. 

We can remember that “Artists are expert communicators and we need visionary thinkers to help us make sense of the contemporary world, now more than ever.”

Imagining an abundant future can be hard when we might not have the capacity to articulate the possibilities. But the more we create, test, experiment and demonstrate alternative futures in small localised activity, the easier it is to build towards something different. We need to tell these stories as broadly as possible and invite our communities to have these experiences with us. 

The possibilities feel exciting. For Creative Waikato we believe in a vision for thriving creative futures. We look forward to continuing to explore them with our communities. 

Written by: Dr. Jeremy Mayall, Creative Waikato CEO