Click here to read the full report.

Executive Summary

This report presents the findings from an online survey of people in the creative sector in Aotearoa, conducted over June-July 2022. This is the third and final national survey in the current series of surveys intended to track the state of the creative sector in Aotearoa. In total there were 635 respondents nationwide, and results are discussed below.

Creative freelancers dominated the total sample: More respondents reported being a creative freelancer (54%) than any other role in the creative sector. This was followed by unpaid/voluntary creative individuals (26%), and leaders of a creative not-for-profit (22%).

Visual and performing arts were strongly represented in the total sample: Respondents were active in many creative areas. Visual arts was the most prominent area reported (48%), followed by performing arts (39%) and craft and object art (23%).

Respondents have shifted back towards a more optimistic view about their financial position: Respondents rated their outlook on whether their creative work would support their financial position in the next 12 months (from 1 meaning very pessimistic to 6 meaning very optimistic). Compared to the February-March 2022 survey, pessimism decreased from 68% to 57%, and optimism rose from 30% to 42%, indicating a shift towards a more optimistic view. The increase in financial optimism between the February and June quarters was statistically significant, and average scores were also higher in June than the preceding September (p<0.001).

More respondents expected to increase their current staff or contractor numbers compared to the previous survey: The number of respondents who expect to take on new staff or contractors had increased (from 24% to 34%) and those who expect staff or contractor numbers to stay the same or reduce had decreased (from 46% to 45% and 15% to 9% respectively). The increase in expectations between the February and June quarterly surveys were statistically significant (p<0.001).

Respondents’ views on achieving their creative goals shifted to become more optimistic: Respondents rated their outlook on whether they would achieve their own or their organisations’ creative goals in the next 12 months (from 1 meaning very pessimistic to 6 meaning very optimistic). Compared to the February-March 2022 survey, pessimism decreased from 53% to 32%, and optimism increased from 47% to 67%, indicating a shift towards a more optimistic view. This increased optimism, when comparing the February and June quarterly surveys, was statistically significant (p<0.001), and returned to levels recorded in September 2021.

Respondent’s perception of audience appetite for their creative work seems to have been somewhat restored: With 29% reporting audience appetite being more than usual, 28% reporting that it was the same as usual and 24% reporting that it was less. Overall, the average rating was 2.1 out of 3 (from 1 meaning less than usual to 3 meaning more than usual). This is higher than the average rating for February-March 2022 (1.9). The increases in audience appetite between the February and June quarterly surveys, were statistically significant (p<0.01) and indicated a return to levels reported in

September 2021. Survey respondents were asked to respond to the question ‘if you were having coffee with theMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage today, what changes would you advocate for?’ Key themes emerging from this question were:

• The largest group of responses (40%) focused on changes to arts funding including increasing the overall amount of funding to the arts; advocating for more funding for a range of roles, activities and organisations; improving application processes so they were more transparent and user-friendly; increasing artist involvement in decision-making; restructuring of the arts sector and funding systems and changing how arts, culture and heritage funding is allocated.

• Almost a fifth of survey respondents (18%) advocated for initiatives to improve the financial sustainability of artists. The most common call was for some form of a basic income for artists and creatives.

• Another group of responses (15%) focused on the need for a variety of supports in the arts and creative sectors. Examples included more support for collaborations; more arts infrastructure such as venues; support for the services and organisations that enable the arts sector to function; more opportunities to exhibit and greater support to connect internationally and promote New Zealand art overseas.

• The need to create space and opportunities for more diversity in the arts was raised by 8% of respondents. These respondents wished to see greater cultural diversity, acknowledgement of women and more opportunities and support for disabled artists.

• The need for government and the wider community to place greater value on the arts and its contribution to society was raised by some (7%). Some respondents felt that the arts receive minimal recognition when compared to sports.

• Another group (6%) focused on arts education. Respondents raised a range of issues from ‘better channels between study programmes and the workforce’; concerns about the quality of tertiary arts education; the need for further investment in arts education for both children and teachers and more support for adults who want to go back to study the arts later in life.

• Enhancing the accessibility of the arts to youth and new creatives stepping into the industry was raised by 5% of respondents. Respondents advocated for more apprenticeship opportunities; more funding for start-ups; easier pathways for Māori and Pasifika youth into creative industries and support for older emerging artists.

• Other themes raised by respondents included the need for a comprehensive arts sector strategy; the important role of art in fostering good health, wellbeing and community cohesion; the need to support artists’ wellbeing and the importance of greater environmental awareness in the art and creative sector.