You can read the full report here.

Toi Whītiki was developed in 2015 as Auckland Council’s Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan, setting out a 10-year vision for growing arts and culture in Tāmaki Makaurau.  

Auckland Council embarked on a review of Toi Whītiki in 2020/2021. The review considered the current state of arts and culture in Auckland, the impacts of COVID-19, and what is needed to support recovery and to ‘build back better’.  

The review concluded that Toi Whītiki was no longer fit for purpose and lacks core components that are needed to successfully drive collective impact around a common purpose. It recommended Toi Whītiki is reimagined from a strategy document to a broader strategic framework for the creative ecosystem, including: 

• A common purpose, shared vision and outcomes for the sector  

• A framework for achieving three key ‘shifts’ (identified via sector engagement in February 2021): 

1. Creating public value and impact, linked to Council investment and accountability.  

2. Embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and te ao Māori more visibly. 

3. Achieving greater fairness, equity, and diversity within the creative ecosystem. 

Auckland Council’s Culture and Diversity Team (Community and Social Policy) partnered with Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi to carry out engagement with the arts and culture sector to inform the overall approach and scope of work for producing a reimagined Toi Whītiki.  

This engagement was commissioned with a brief to identify the following: 

• Approaches that ensure the embedding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and te ao Māori perspectives from the outset. 

• Processes for sector engagement and co-design of the redeveloped Toi Whītiki. 

• Potential governance structures to guide the redevelopment process. 

This document presents: 

• A summary of this engagement process and participants.

• Key findings from this engagement as considerations for the Toi Whītiki reimagination scope of work.