Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatu Taonga

The Regional Museums Policy has been established to assist regional museums that house collections of national significance.

Links to 15 regional profiles.

This excel spreadsheet contains a range of cultural well-being indicators developed by local authorities.  It was first published by the Ministry in 2006.

Cultural Indicators for New Zealand, 2009 is one report in a series produced by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, as part of the Cultural Statistics Programme. The aim of the programme is to improve the range and quality of statistical information about the cultural sector - for the development of cultural policy by both central and local government, for monitoring the sector’s progress and performance, and for future planning.

Introduction

The Cultural Statistics programme is based on the New Zealand Framework for Cultural Statistics Te Anga Tatauranga Tikanga-ā-iwi ō Aotearoa 1995, which provides a framework for the systematic collection, analysis and presentation of data related to the cultural sector.

Indicators are high-level, summary measures of key issues or phenomena that are used to monitor positive or negative changes over time.  The evaluative nature of indicators distinguishes them from the more descriptive nature of statistics.  One of the key purposes of indicators is to reduce the large volume of statistical information available, to a small number of key measures that allow trends to be monitored. 

The cultural indicators presented in this report are designed to measure the extent to which the cultural sector is moving towards, or away from, the high-level outcomes identified for the sector – that is, they indicate whether there is an improvement or deterioration in the well-being of the cultural sector. 

This is the second time that Cultural Indicators for New Zealand has been published.  The report presents a number of new indicators, and many of the indicators have been updated.  The previous report was published in 2006, and can be downloaded from Statistics New Zealand’s website, here.

Data on cultural employment first appeared as part of a wide-ranging report on cultural statistics in 1995. For the first time, information on the size, structure and diversity of the sector was available. This report showed that employment in the cultural sector was growing at a significantly faster rate than employment overall. Following subsequent censuses, more detailed stand-alone reports on cultural employment were published, first in 1998 and then in 2005. The current report continues that series with an extensive analysis of 2006 Census data including changes since the
previous report.

Each of these reports has shown that employment in the cultural sector has continued to grow at a faster rate than the total workforce.

How Important is Culture? New Zealanders’ Views in 2008,’ was commissioned to provide information about New Zealanders’ perceptions on the importance of culture and cultural activities. This report follows on from research commissioned in 1994 and 1997. Key measures from the two previous surveys have been repeated in the 2008 survey and some new questions added.

This report updates, from existing data sources, the Demand for Cultural Tourism research conducted by Colmar Brunton for Tourism New Zealand in 2003. The report was produced for the Ministry by Angus and Associates. The Ministry would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism New Zealand for access to their research data.

This research investigates the current levels of cultural businesses’ engagement with the tourism market, their marketing strategies and attitudes to that market.

A Measure of Culture reports on the Cultral Experiences Survey.  The objectives of the survey were to:

• determine who consumes cultural goods and services generally in New Zealand; what type; through what means; and the levels of consumption. Also to identify any significant differences among population groups.
• determine the typical characteristics associated with particular patterns of cultural consumption in New Zealand (including age, sex, ethnicity, labour force status, income, education, location).
• identify barriers to the consumption of cultural products.

The Cultural Statistics programme is operated jointly by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Statistics New Zealand.

Data on cultural employment first appeared as part of a wide-ranging report on cultural statistics in 1995. For the first time, information on the size, structure and diversity of the sector was available. This report showed that employment in the cultural sector was growing at a significantly faster rate than employment overall. Following subsequent censuses, more detailed stand-alone reports on cultural employment were published, first in 1998 and then in 2005. The current report continues that series with an extensive analysis of 2006 Census data including changes since the
previous report.

Each of these reports has shown that employment in the cultural sector has continued to grow at a faster rate than the total workforce.

How Important is Culture? New Zealanders’ Views in 2008,’ was commissioned to provide information about New Zealanders’ perceptions on the importance of culture and cultural activities. This report follows on from research commissioned in 1994 and 1997. Key measures from the two previous surveys have been repeated in the 2008 survey and some new questions added.

This report updates, from existing data sources, the Demand for Cultural Tourism research conducted by Colmar Brunton for Tourism New Zealand in 2003. The report was produced for the Ministry by Angus and Associates. The Ministry would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism New Zealand for access to their research data.

The paper explores how regional councils are approaching their obligations to cultural well-being and identifies further opportunities for regional connections with cultural well-being.

The Regional Museums Policy has been established to assist regional museums that house collections of national significance.

The Government is interested in facilitating the public's access to significant exhibitions. It does this through assuming a high proportion of the risk of presenting exhibitions and thereby minimising the amount of commercial insurance that an applicant needs to purchase.

Funding guide for individuals, groups and organisations for cultural projects

The Waitangi Day fund is to support events which commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and promote nation building and community building. It is designed to encourage a wider spread of communities participating in Waitangi Day events.

Enhancing regional and community broadcasting

A blog on the importance of art by Marianne Taylor, Executive Director, Arts Access Aotearoa

Regional entries regarding landscape, plants and animals, people, history and townships.

NZLive.com is a Ministry led website aimed at connecting people to a broad range of events and activities, including museum exhibitions, theatre performances, ballet, musicals, concerts, kapa haka, festivals, historic places and sports in NZ.  Search for events in your region.

History of New Zealand online.

Oral history is a topic that is often raised in relation to cultural well-being.

A website for use by local groups (incl councils) on how to appropriately commemorate Anzac Day.

Presentation to the SOLGM 2008 Conference (September 2008) as part of the panel discussion on Cultural Well-being

Paper to New Zealand Planning Institute 2005 Annual Conference. 

Martin Matthews, Chief Executive,  Ministry for Culture and Heritage