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Executive summary 

The focus of Manatū Taonga on the long-term development of the cultural sector system is welcome, and Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback. 

• Understanding the potential to support “an impactful and sustainable cultural sector into the future” will require more effective and long-term engagement with sector stakeholders than the current consultation process offers; and requires national leadership and strategy. 

• Before any further development of LTIBs, we strongly advise Manatū Taonga to: 

• enact its responsibilities to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, engage effectively with Māori and draw on mātauranga Māori to understand the arts, culture and creative ecosystem 

• take opportunity to deeply understand the ecosystem – its drivers of change, the impact of COVID, underlying long-term systemic issues and the changes desired by diverse sector stakeholders prioritise the development of a national strategy for the arts, culture and creative sector, using a co-design process to identify a shared vision, conditions for change, sector outcomes and priorities 

• in the context of this national strategy, review key systems and structures to ensure they are fit for purpose – including a review of funding and commissioning models as a priority 

• develop and/or strengthen mechanisms for ongoing sector engagement, partnership, collaboration and co-investment – including: 

  • increased cross-government collaboration 

  • a stronger interface between central government, local government and the sector’s diverse communities, via national and regional advisory bodies  

  • new collaborative investment practices and commissioning models.