There was never a magic money tree, but we still need a vision – Editorial
Kiwis should have received the message loud and clear: There was never a magic money tree.
We do not have to be told that these are indeed straitened times to live in, and most understand a certain amount of pragmatism and realism is not only wise, but necessary.
Geopolitics dictate and exacerbate domestic economic travails.
But in a week when Auckland Council voted to increase rates to 7.9%, followed by the Budget of little personal assistance, there is a sense we are indeed living, if not the dream, then by the mantra: The floggings will continue until morale has improved.
You could argue there is no better time than the difficult times for leaders and governments to inspire. Not with empty platitudes, but in material ways that reveal our leaders have “touched grass”; that they are listening, genuinely, and making decisions accordingly that go beyond addressing the bottom line.
In the Budget, the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage had $27m cut from its funding. It’s a significant hit. Entities such as Creative New Zealand, New Zealand Film Commission, Heritage New Zealand and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will feel the blow. Artists applying for grants already face a laborious task of Olympic box-ticking to gain support.
It may be argued that the arts and culture are “nice-to-haves”; that such spending is an indulgence when we are in a cost-of-living crisis.
But to argue this way also ignores not only the economic benefit to investing strategically in arts and culture, but also something much bigger than that which is less tangible: that storytelling, whether it’s via theatre, music, visual arts, or literature, can reveal the past and the present in ways that hold a mirror up to society, attitudes and the world beyond.
This is not trivial. Our culture is something worth preserving and also creating.
This is also about providing solace and joy – things that we could do with more of, especially when living in an embattled world. It is about regional and – more broadly, national identity – how we tell stories reflects ourselves and can be expressed in a way that no politician, with respect, could ever hope to articulate.
The 2023, the New Mirrors Report, by Dr James Wenley and Rosabel Tan, examined the visibility of the arts. Its insights and recommendations were based on interviews with 52 arts and media professionals including editors, journalists, artists, publicists and commissioners.
The most compelling economic take-home from it was that the arts are far from “niche”. 96% of adults - 3.9 million people - in Aotearoa participate in the arts.
A 2023 report by the Ministry of Arts and Culture revealed a strong cultural sector made a $12.9 billion GDP contribution in the 12 months to March 2022, a growth of 10.6% compared to 5.3% for the total economy.
A 2025 Arts Access report in Aotearoa, reveals the arts and creative industries sectors “contributed an estimated $16.3 billion to the New Zealand economy in 2024. But beyond this significant contribution, a 2024 study by Motu Economic and Public Policy Research found that participation in arts and cultural activities has a measurable impact on our wellbeing.”
The Auckland Writers Festival has just celebrated its most successful year. Anecdotal evidence suggests it had its highest number of out-of-town attendees. The positive economic impacts on tourism, retail, and hospitality industries are clear. Thousands came to Auckland for two weeks in a glorious autumn, to listen to writers and thinkers from around the globe. To participate in discussions. And they left feeling richer for it.
We are constantly being reminded of “priorities”. Of things that are too “niche”. Politicians of all stripes would do well to remember that New Zealanders will hold them to account at the polls, not just for balancing the books, but for their vision for a nation.