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Aotearoa’s home of creative opportunities, jobs, news, events and inspiration.

  • Feature

    $22.5 Million of Government Support for Events Explained

    Details have been released on how event organisers and artists involved in them can be assured they won't be out of pocket if cancellation strikes this summer.
  • Arts Smarts

    Letters to an Emerging Creative: Getting Noticed

    How do you stand out in a world where everyone else is trying to make their mark? Andrew Wood with some tips and home truths about making an impression in the arts.
  • Guides

    Professional Services Directory 2020/2021

    The Big Idea's collection of professional arts and creativity services is here to help connect your practice or organisation with the right tools to succeed.
  • Guides

    Lessons for Lockdown

    Everyone’s already experienced their own crash course in lockdown 101. Here’s your refresher with everything a creative needs to know at their fingertips, from links to inspiration.

Featured Jobs

opportunity
Peke Waihanga
Silicone Technician
We are seeking a creative and self-motivated Silicone Technician who is keen to support the growth and success of Peke Waihanga’s Silicone Studio!
Region:
Waikato
Closes:
31 Dec 2021
opportunity
Wairau Maori Art Gallery Charitable Trust
Te Ringa Hautu Toi - Gallery Manager
Gallery Manager - Wairau Maori Art Gallery
Region:
National
Closes:
30 Nov 2021
opportunity
Unitec
Bachelor of Design and Contemporary Art
Passionate about art and design? Join our new Bachelor of Design and Contemporary Art
Region:
Auckland
Closes:
27 Feb 2022
opportunity
Creative Bay of Plenty
Artist applications and expressions of interest for After Dark Urban Light Festival
Artist applications and expressions of interest are now open and will close on 30 January 2022
Region:
Bay of Plenty
Closes:
30 Jan 2022

Stories

  • Feature

    Feeding the Changing Audience Appetite

    COVID hasn't been kind to anyone - but one of Auckland's cultural cornerstones explains how it motivated them to steer away from safe waters and challenge themselves in 2022.
  • The Lowdown

    Creatives Demand Government Action

    From literature of the written kind to literacy of the financial type, The Lowdown seeks answers to the big issues confronting the creative community from the highest offices in Aotearoa.
  • Feature

    Aggression, Lust, Repression - Exploring Masculinity & NFTs

    Does figurative painting translate into the digital world of NFTs?
  • Feature

    BREAKING NEWS: $6.7 Million to Keep Pasifika Festivals Thriving

    Find out how Tolu Wave is bringing with it a multi-million dollar boost for Pasifika festivals and creatives - and who's getting the funding.
  • Feature

    Aotearoa Artists Feel Targeted Support "Fails Independent Creatives"

    Just released findings from the Independent Artist Survey paints a stark reality of financial and career stability. We delve into the creative community's areas of concern.
  • The Lowdown

    Time for Change - Aotearoa Artists Rise Up for Resale Royalties

    We go in-depth on the hottest topic in the creative community and get government reaction, Auckland Art Festival's big reveal and the latest honours, accolades and achievements.
  • Soapbox

    Don't Just Gig, Change a Life

    One of only 70 registered music therapists in this country explains why gigging musicians should join the cause - and the impact it will leave on them.
  • Feature

    Tears of Triumph

    Anne Kennedy is no stranger to success - but her latest accolade stopped her in her tracks. Find out why she's "still reeling."
  • Feature

    The Redefinition of a Hall of Fame Creative Career

    Teremoana Rapley has won virtually every accolade in Aotearoa music - but in her words, she's just getting started. The Fale-ship recipient speaks to The Big Idea in a revealing interview.
  • Feature

    'Improbable Thrills' & 'Irrational Beliefs' - Truths About Fiction

    His work has inspired and entertained young creative minds for decades - David Hill's humour, humility and honesty illustrate what sets him apart.
  • The Lowdown

    Ready to Reopen?

    The shift to Alert Level 3.2 gives the green light to Tāmaki Makaurau's galleries and museums. The Lowdown finds out why not everyone in Auckland is in a rush to open their doors.
  • Feature

    'Let The Facts Speak For Themselves'

    Dame Claudia Orange has played a crucial role in the way New Zealanders view Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The renowned writer explains how our nation has evolved & her latest accolade.
  • Artist Rodney Bell sits waist high in the Mangaokewa River, his back to the viewer. He splashes water towards the trees and hill in the background. A wheelchair sits on the riverbank, right of frame.
    Feature

    Access Across Oceans - Alter State Embraces Aotearoa Artists

    NZ's disabled community is set to feel the love from across the Tasman. The acclaimed Rodney Bell tells us why Alter State's Digital Launch is the deep dive they deserve.
  • Arts Smarts

    How Your Creative Practice Can Thrive “Without Compromise”

    Expert advice on how independent arts practitioners and small creative businesses can overcome their pressure points and focus on what they love about their mahi.
  • The Lowdown

    The House That Cath Built

    The Lowdown speaks to some of the biggest names in NZ's creative community for a behind-the-scenes look at the late Dame Cath Tizard's enduring arts legacy - and some big cultural announcements.
  • Feature

    “We All Come From a Place of Minority”

    Marianne Infante is breaking down barriers on Aotearoa’s stages and screens - with her locally-driven, multi-cultural mahi making waves internationally.
  • Who Got The Gig?

    Putting Rotorua Back on the Arts Map

    Kellez Mcmanus has been chasing her dream job for years. Find out how she's using her kete full of life experience to make a difference at the Rotorua Arts Village.
  • Feature

    Could On Set Shooting Tragedy Happen in NZ?

    In the wake of the heartbreaking accident filming Rust in New Mexico, The Big Idea investigates how the NZ screen industry handles weapons and the importance of an armourer to production safety.
  • The Lowdown

    Is ‘Great Resignation’ Coming for Aotearoa’s Creative Sector?

    Is the 2021 trend of seeking greener pastures a cause for concern for the arts? We speak to experts across the most impacted industries to find out.
  • Feature

    Blurring the Lines of Creativity and Comfort

    Get inside what makes a Tautai Fale-ship such unique experiences, the joys and challenges, with one of this year's recipients championing the next wave of Pasifika creatives.
  • Arts Smarts

    Letters to an Emerging Creative: Getting Started

    Whether it's getting started in your artistic career or just on a project - Andrew Wood has hit up some of Aotearoa's sharpest creative minds to lay it to you straight.
  • The Lowdown

    Funding Controversy and Premature Curtain Calls

    2021 is over for many performing artists...and it’s only October. Get the Lowdown on why they’re shutting down and the huge reaction to a half million dollars worth of government funding.
  • Feature

    Poetry From the Paddocks

    Drenching and Mycoplasma bovis may not seem like the most obvious of subject matters but poet Janet Newman brings the paradox of rural life to the pages of her new collection.
  • Feature

    Creativity Sets You Free - An Artistic Reinvention

    Paul Nathan found fame in New York but his homecoming saw him find his artistic freedom. He takes The Big Idea on his journey of resilience and creative fulfilment.
  • Feature

    First Glimpse at Yuki Kihara's Venice Biennale Project

    The award-winning interdisciplinary artist tells The Big Idea about bringing climate change, queer rights and decolonisation to the world stage.
  • The Lowdown

    You've Got a Voice - Now Use It

    Creatives are done sitting on the sidelines and letting others make decisions that impact them. The Lowdown looks at how they're standing up and being heard plus all the latest arts news.

Jobs

opportunity
Peke Waihanga
Silicone Technician
We are seeking a creative and self-motivated Silicone Technician who is keen to support the growth and success of Peke Waihanga’s Silicone Studio!
Region:
Waikato
Closes:
31 Dec 2021
opportunity
Wairau Maori Art Gallery Charitable Trust
Te Ringa Hautu Toi - Gallery Manager
Gallery Manager - Wairau Maori Art Gallery
Region:
National
Closes:
30 Nov 2021
opportunity
Unitec
Bachelor of Design and Contemporary Art
Passionate about art and design? Join our new Bachelor of Design and Contemporary Art
Region:
Auckland
Closes:
27 Feb 2022
opportunity
Creative Bay of Plenty
Artist applications and expressions of interest for After Dark Urban Light Festival
Artist applications and expressions of interest are now open and will close on 30 January 2022
Region:
Bay of Plenty
Closes:
30 Jan 2022
Opportunity / Tauranga Art Gallery

Business Development Manager

Opportunity / Playmarket

Script Coordinator

Opportunity / Frank Film

Story Producers

Opportunity / Frank Film

Publicist

Opportunity / Frank Film

Editor

Opportunity / Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery Inc

Exhibitions & Facilities Manager l Kaiwhakahaere Whakaaturanga me ngā Whakaurunga

Opportunity / New Zealand Comedy Trust & NZ International Comedy Festival

Festival Assistant

Opportunity / BATS Theatre

Front of House Manager

View all jobs

Events

11/26/2021 to 12/03/2021

AFLOAT

AFLOAT - Group show at Arthaus Contemporary
A poster for the #a11yArts webinar series, with six speakers listed from top to bottom, including their pictures: Lynn Fu, Alex Bulmer, Caroline Bowditch, Joshua Pether, Patty Berne and Jeremy Smith.
11/17/2021 to 12/07/2021

#a11yArts: International Creative Leadership Series

Touch Compass presents #a11yArts: International Creative Leadership Series featuring arts and theatre experts from Australia, Canada, China, and the United States.
02/08/2022 to 11/19/2022

Auckland Theatre Company 2022 Season

Get ready for a new year of theatre complete with stellar casts, large productions, classic favourites and new writing.
View all Events

Community Announcements

EPIC: The Entertainment & Performing Arts Industry Conference - Create, Perform, Design Produce
Community Announcement

Kiwis contribute to impressive lineup of industry leaders from around the world at new global online conference

Kiwis join a diverse and dynamic group of speakers and panelists at EPIC to share their stories and perspectives in 50 unique sessions.
Community Announcement

Online Survey on Performers during

The AUT Centre for Performance Research is conducting a survey of performers' response to the pandemic.
2021 Feature & TV Pilot Finalists & Semi-Finalists
Community Announcement

2021 Feature & TV Pilot Finalists & Semi-Finalists

We are beyond thrilled to announce the Finalists & Semi-Finalists for our 2021 Feature and TV Pilot Contests.
Community Announcement

In search of the Moehau—documentary in the works

Interview with Northland hunter talks of the Moehaus
Community Announcement

Urban Dream Brokerage & Tanya Ruka present - Rongo-marae-roa-a-rangi: He moemoeā within The Forest Rongoā Teahouse.

from Sat Nov 27th to Sat Dec 11th, Join Tanya to question, learn, discuss & korero over a cup of Rongoā tea at The Forest Rongoā teahouse at 106 Courtney Place, Readings Cinema Complex, Wellington
Community Announcement

Two of Wellington's ‘mega wahine babes’… take on the housing crisis with support from Urban Dream Brokerage and WCC!

Artists Bek Coogan and Heleyni Pratley delve into one of the biggest crises of our time, presenting two solo works & a collaborative ‘panel discussion’ in response to the current housing crisis!
View all Community announcements

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Top Reads
  1. Time for Change - Aotearoa Artists Rise Up for Resale Royalties
  2. Aotearoa Artists Feel Targeted Support "Fails Independent Creatives"
  3. The House That Cath Built
  4. Ready to Reopen?
  5. Could On Set Shooting Tragedy Happen in NZ?
  6. How Your Creative Practice Can Thrive “Without Compromise”
  7. Creatives Demand Government Action
  8. Letters to an Emerging Creative: Getting Noticed
  9. Is ‘Great Resignation’ Coming for Aotearoa’s Creative Sector?
  10. Letters to an Emerging Creative: Getting Started
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  • Main menu
    • Stories
      • COVID-19
        • How to Get Your Gallery Fix Without Leaving Lockdown
        • Viral Art: Expression in Isolation
        • Why Saving Venues Matters
      • The Lowdown
        • Arts Online: Is There Any Money In It?
        • Breaking Budget Bid
        • Lockdown Liberation for the Arts
        • New Audiences, New Conversations
        • Staging Comeback?
        • Virtual Takeover?
        • What Level Two Means to You (and the News isn't Getting Better)
        • What New Level Three Lockdown Means for the Arts
        • Where Shall we Site the Colonial Graveyard?
        • ‘Central Government Has Failed Us’
      • Arts Smarts
        • When Planning is Hard, Plan We Must
        • 9 Tips for Selling Your Art Online
        • A Creative's Guide to Ditching FOMO and Social Media Comparison
      • Arts Insiders
        • Philip Clarke: Crafty Customer
        • Keep Calm and Sell Art
        • The Marvellous Ms Morrison
      • Feature
        • Gibney's Role Revival
        • Concept Capital
        • Arts Voice: What Matters Most This Election?
        • How to Unleash Your Creativity
        • How to make working remotely work for you (From the Archives)
        • Learning From the Masters
        • The Art that Helped Mend NZ’s Broken Heart
        • Word on the Street: The Home Edition
        • How to Help a Kiwi Creative Win $15K
        • Arts Voices: Election Up in the Air, Issues Crystal Clear
        • (Re)centring Indigenous (Con)texts
        • All NZ Acts, All Sold Out
        • Aotearoa's Art Angels
        • Are You Being Heard?
        • When Your Whakapapa Doesn't Define You
        • Why Does Art and Design Matter?
        • Working on the Boundary
      • Who Got The Gig?
        • Monastra Goes Full Circle
        • Seizing the Opportunity
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        • Break Out of the Pigeon-Hole
      • Advice to My 22 Year Old Self
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      • + List a job
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      • + List an event
    • Toipoto
      • Toipoto – Creative Career Programme
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    • Advertise
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      • Upskill, Learn, Reinvent.
      • Professional Services Directory 2020/2021
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