On Tuesday 13 March, the team at Creative Bay Of Plenty (CBOP) attended the Hui at Whareroa Marae. Hosted by Creative New Zealand the Hui was part of a nationwide roadshow which sees the organisation take its first step in the development of a ‘for Māori by Māori arts strategy.
“Creative New Zealand is focused on enhancing its support for Māori arts and working in collaboration with government and others to support, nurture and grow Māori arts. In developing a Ngā Toi Māori strategy that can best support our artists, it’s essential that we listen to the aspirations Māori have for Ngā Toi Māori, as well as the challenges faced by artists and arts organisations.” Creative New Zealand.
Māori artists representing a variety of artistic genres took part in the strategy session which investigated four topics including purpose, outcomes, what’s holding us back and participation.
The process was one which enabled everyone to have an open discussion and share their views, providing insight based on their experiences within the sector in the Bay Of Plenty region, with key themes emerging around aspirations, accessibility, challenges and barriers. It represented a significant milestone for Maori arts in the Tauranga and Western Bay region, and for Creative BOP to work with Tangata Whenua.
The Creative New Zealand team leading the strategy development will be holding 17 Hui around the country over the next coming weeks and will present their findings following their trip. CBOP will continue to monitor and report on the findings and their progress as they are released.
