Amplify: A Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand

A New Approach (ANA) commends the release of the draft Strategy by the new government. Noting the close relationship between Australia and New Zealand, we welcome this opportunity to make a submission to assist in further development of the Strategy.

ANA welcomes the draft Strategy’s inclusion of guiding principles, strategic pillars and actions, and 2030 targets. On the following pages, we share insights and perspectives from:

• Our recent Insight Report Transformative Edge 2024: How arts, culture and creativity impact our prosperity, cohesion, security, health and sustainability
• Our recent Analysis Paper Guide, Steer, Repeat: Applications of AI in arts, culture and creativity, and how Australia should respond
• Our recent Analysis Paper Pathways to being a Cultural Powerhouse: Perspectives for impact in arts, culture and creativity.

In our role as a philanthropically funded, independent think tank, ANA is ready to provide further information about the response in this submission and would welcome the opportunity to discuss. We confirm that this submission can be made public.

From Transformative Edge 2024

ANA notes Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage is interested in maximising the impact of its investments in arts, culture and heritage, including the benefits of lifelong engagement with arts, culture and creativity‘Investing for maximum impact’ is one of three strategic pillars in the Strategy. A specific action for government under the pillar would be to clarify and align the outcomes sought by government agencies from their investment in the creative and cultural sectors. ANA also notes one of five guiding principles is ‘Government supports and recognises the value to people’s lives of lifelong engagement with arts, culture, creativity and ngā toi Māori’.. ANA understands there is also interest to work across the New Zealand government to support cross-portfolio outcomes.

ANA encourages Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage and other New Zealand government agencies to plan, implement and evaluate cultural and creative activities to help New Zealanders live well. ANA notes Australia governments at all levels have been developing cultural policies that require collaboration across policy portfolios and agencies. New cultural policies were put in place by the Commonwealth and New South Wales in 2023, by the Northern Territory in 2024, and new policy development is underway in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. The Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmanian governments are well advanced in the implementation of cultural policies, and the Australian Local Government Association released their first national policy position on arts and culture.

ANA’s Insight Report Transformative Edge 2024 brings together new fact-based insights about the impacts of arts, culture and creativity on all five themes of Australia’s first national wellbeing framework Measuring What Matters: Prosperity, cohesion, security, health and wellbeing. It establishes culture and creativity as the ‘edge’ we have been looking for to rebuild social cohesion, strengthen our economies, reconnect our communities and help us to lead healthy, safe and sustainable lives.

From Pathways to being a Cultural Powerhouse

ANA notes the New Zealand Government is also interested in lifting the cultural standing of New Zealand for soft power and growing both creative tourism and creative exportsTwo of four 2030 targets in the Strategy are ‘New Zealand ranks among the top 25 nations in the world for culture and heritage soft power’ and ‘The GDP contribution of the arts and creative sector increases to at least $20 billion, with a focus on exports’..

ANA encourages Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage to consider how other countries have achieved similar outcomes. Our Analysis Paper Pathways to being a Cultural Powerhouse draws on three case studies from across the world to highlight approaches three other nations have taken to positively shift their cultural position and their own global standing. These include planning for impact, commitment to sustained policy, integrating cultural reporting, and investing in international cultural relations.

France’s efforts to integrate and evaluate cultural expenditure across portfolios generated greater understanding of how this expenditure can achieve positive social and economic impacts. South Korea’s focus on sustained cultural policy was part of opening their nation to the world, complemented by their investment in international cultural relations. Brazil offers strong insights into how planning and policy are essential for sustaining the impacts of arts and cultural activities, including impacts on social cohesion, from hosting mega-events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

From Guide, Steer, Repeat

ANA notes Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage is interested in supporting creative and cultural sectors in the responsible use and development of artificial intelligence (AI). ANA also notes there is an opportunity for the Strategy to address issues at the intersection of AI and cultural policy.

ANA’s 2024 Analysis Paper Guide, Steer, Repeat shows that why and how we use AI is the difference between generating benefits or causing harm. We found that AI is a tool Australians already use to create, find, experience and share arts and culture, and that Australian governments and industry are already responding to AI. The Strategy could explicitly acknowledge the real impacts of AI on arts and culture, both in production and consumption contexts, and commit to addressing these impacts.

Our 2023 Analysis Paper Friend, Foe or Frenemy identified four areas of likely impact from application of AI in arts, culture and creativity:

• incentives to create
• connections people have with arts and culture
• freedom of expression
• cultural and social inclusion

In Guide, Steer, Repeat, we also found there is untapped potential to use arts and culture to steer AI and to help address concerns about AI and reduce harms. The Strategy could also equip New Zealanders to apply AI in safer, more innovative and inclusive ways by using cultural and creative activities. For example, a partnership between the Museum of Australian Democracy and the Australian Electoral Commission is helping educate Australians, including approximately 100,000 children annually, on elections in the context of AI, deepfakes and democracy.