Refreshed and looking at a bold future

By Jeremy Mayall

CEO, Creative Waikato 

There are two fundamental things that shape what make us human – creativity and change.

These things remain true throughout all stages of life and society. Everyone has gone through a period of change over the past two years. In that time, we have all had an opportunity to re-examine the things we do, to reflect on the past, and to re-align our activities to positively contribute to our vision for the future.

At Creative Waikato, we have seen this time as an opportunity to lean into our vision and really focus the depth and breadth of our mahi to ensure we continue to make an impact on the communities we serve. Our vision is for a Waikato that thrives on diverse and transformative creative activity. This is the core kaupapa that we keep at the forefront of our strategic work and it navigates our ongoing celebration of the value of art, culture and creativity for the wellbeing of all people.

In the past two years, we have expanded our team, we have taken on new challenges, and created new opportunities. We have built upon the work of the past, grown our connections beyond local and regional infrastructure, and moved into national and international scope. As thought-leaders and strategic change-makers, we know that we have an opportunity to shape our collective future through a wellbeing-centric understanding of the role of creative practice in all of our lives.

Because of all this change, we felt it was time to refresh the brand, look, and web space for Creative Waikato. Collaborating once again with the excellent team at Area Design, this was a great opportunity to re-invigorate the way we engage with our community. It was an opportunity to be bold, to lead with vibrancy and joy, and to showcase the variety of activities and projects that have been a part of the core business of what it means to be CW.

Area has helped us shape our brand (and all the various other initiatives) over the past 10 years – they have a great understanding of what we do, and they have really created a new exciting, refreshed brand identity that acknowledges our past and looks towards our future with vision and clarity. The playful joy, the strategic goals, the creative initiatives, and the commitment to encouraging wellbeing for all people through arts, culture and creativity are woven through it all, and we can’t wait to share this next evolution for Creative Waikato with you.

Look through the website, explore all the details, connect with the team, or just find the space to play and bring some creative magic into your life!