Working with Local Government
At Creative Waikato, the area we work in spans 10 districts within the wider region.
This includes Kirikiriroa Hamilton, Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, Matamata-Piako, South Waikato, Waipā, Waikato, Ōtorohanga, Waitomo and Ruapehu districts. Our region is vibrant and extremely diverse–no two of our districts are the same. Even the towns within each district are very different, each with their own distinct strengths, cultures, traditions and communities.
Part of our mahi at Creative Waikato lies in working with the different councils across our region. A lot of this work with local government happens behind the scenes, and can look quite different in different places, and at different times. Our approach is bespoke, and responsive to the opportunities for community in each place.
We know that the work of councils lies in supporting community wellbeing: helping to make our places great places to work, live and be.
Our elected members (councillors) make decisions every day that shape our futures, debating and grappling with sometimes big questions and complex choices.
And while council staff may not be mentioned in the papers as much as our elected members, they work day in day out to deliver great outcomes for the community. Each council is structured slightly differently, with different job titles and focuses, however many have teams of experts working on supporting community development, civic events and activations, strategy and policy, parks, communication and marketing, research, consultation, governance, engineering and infrastructure, and much more.
In many areas, Council staff run spaces (or support the running of spaces) like libraries and museums and theatres, alongside sports and recreation facilities and other community hubs.
As creatives (and evidenced through a heap of research) we know that arts, culture and creativity can be powerful tools in building community connection, ownership and kaitiakitanga for place and taonga, and supporting wellbeing. We also know that it is important to encourage and support council decision makers around key infrastructure investments and futureproofing decisions, to get the best impact for our communities.
We also know that supporting access and engagement with art and culture can be a powerful tool for placemaking–part of the core work of local government. These are some of the key messages we bring with us into our work with council.
This work is all about building relationships, navigating multiyear cycles and long-term development, and about juggling different things in different seasons. A lot of it happens behind the scenes, and we often talk about seed-planting work: Poipoia te kakano kia puāwai (Nurture the seed and it will grow).
Our work includes building relationships with CEOs of councils, with mayors and elected members (councillors), and staff. It includes carefully reading long documents and responding to them with the creative community at the heart of our responses. Last year, we read 11 Long Term Plans and submitted in detail on each one, with a focus on social cohesion, community connection, liveability, and the activation of public spaces and council assets.
We also provide feedback on annual plans and policy developments. Our work also includes supporting the development and implementation of art strategies, guided by the Waikato Arts Navigator. We support our communities to advocate for the things they care about most, like community spaces and events, and help to activate our creative communities to respond to proposed changes. While we are in these spaces, we tautoko the powerful work of the creative community, the community sector, and our sibling organisations Community Waikato and Sport Waikato.
We provide feedback and engage in consultation on key proposals around things like infrastructure, placemaking, community funding and support, recreational facilities, parks and playground spaces. We write letters, complete feedback surveys, present oral submissions, and participate in focus groups, hui and strategic partner workshops.
We work with newly-elected councils providing insights about the local ecosystem and information for them to consider. We help councils to understand how arts, culture and creativity intersect across different council activities and to look at opportunities for support. We work to connect councils with their creative communities and the latest national and international best practices.
As the latest local elections fast approach, you may have seen our campaign, People Make Place, out and about. This is aimed at sharing some information around the role of local government, and helping to demystify the importance of voting. We believe that creative communities are key to a thriving Waikato region, and that by engaging in local elections, we can make sure that the people who are elected into our local councils know that too.
We look forward to continuing our work with local government in Waikato, working towards a Waikato that thrives with diverse and transformative creative activity.