If you’re here you already know that The Big Idea is a national website for the arts sector with jobs, opportunities, events, and stories. The first three are self-explanatory, but the fourth, stories… well what, and whose, stories exactly?
I’m here to give you a little peek into the way we do things so that you can navigate our editorial content like an expert. The arts sector is a broad brushstroke – you might even say there’s sectors within that, for example the literary sector. Our remit includes many disciplines – visual arts, performing arts, screen, literature, music, toi Māori, Pacific arts, design, object, and things that straddle disciplines. We publish three to five stories a week, between Monday and Friday, and aim to have a mix each week.
Our stories aim to do something more than document or cover individual shows, which is why you won’t find any reviews. Instead I’m always looking for stories that take a step back and cover structural issues, patterns, wide analysis, trends, institutional activities, or current discourse in the arts. This likely includes considering shows and artists as examples, but ties them into conversations that go beyond individual achievements or practices. They’re written by a range of people I commission on a freelance basis – journalists, writers, and arts practitioners. Some are super-experienced and some are just starting out.
The way we structure our editorial content is a little unusual. Instead of leading with the topic or discipline of stories, our primary way of presenting them to you is through different types of columns. There’s two reasons for this. First of all, being arts-specific means we’re already in a category – if you were on a mainstream media website, we’re only the arts section, so why divide it up further? Secondly, there’s the fact that we’d like to cross-pollinate ideas and approaches between different arts. There’s no reason that someone practising in theatre wouldn’t be interested in the way a music organisation runs, or what a visual artist is grappling with. We’re often weathering the same storms blowing in from the economy or from parliament, and lines between disciplines are crossed by artists and projects all the time. There’s much to learn from each other.
That being said, an exciting feature of our new website is the ability to filter stories by discipline. If you really want your blinkers on, you can also sort stories by location. Personally, I think the best way to browse stories is to see them all, by clicking ‘view all’. Relative to the rest of the internet, our publishing schedule is carefully curated and not too voluminous. The pace allows us to focus on depth over quantity – though I think depth is best when balanced with short and silly. Each story has a little pill-shaped tag above the headline – the same tags that are on the drop-down menu and the top of the stories page. They say Arts Smarts, Soapbox, Tahuna Te Ahi, among other phrases. These are our columns. I’m here to tell you what each of them is trying to achieve, to help you know what to expect.
Aotearoa Artswire
Previously known as The Lowdown, Aotearoa Artswire is our flagship weekly arts news bulletin that drops every Thursday morning. It’s put together by yours truly in an effort to keep you updated and entertained. I pick one issue from the week to dive into and write a short editorial on, and then tell you about everything else – happenings, dramas, openings, closings, new appointments, launches, pleas, etc – in just a few sentences. Keep it snappy sunshine!
Arts Smarts
Wisdom, hacks, advice, guides, and things practising artists need to know. Arts Smarts are written by practitioners for practitioners and aim to share learnings and ways to approach certain challenges. In the past we’ve had producer Eva Trebilco telling us how to make a feature film in 10 days for $10,000, writer Nadine Hura giving unconventional tips on writing a newsletter, and theatre makers Hannah Smith and Ralph McCubbin Howell with an abridged guide on touring a show without wrecking the Earth.
Features
Features are reported and researched pieces on bigger issues happening in the sector. They go beyond news reporting to explore and investigate issues, patterns, or concepts in detail. A feature should go beyond the “what” to answer the “why” and “how.” This week Mark Amery wrote the perfect example: Should institutions be judged by the way they treat their collections? He asks a pertinent and timely question, and answers it by investigating three contemporary examples.
Global Compass
This is a new monthly digest I’m super excited about. When Contemporary HUM came to a close late last year, we connected with Genista Jurgens (who spent seven years there) to see how we could fill a tiny bit of the gap left behind. We decided on this monthly digest that tracks what Aotearoa artists are up to overseas and gathers international opportunities you don't want to miss. Check out the first edition here.
Inside Track
Think about running a race – the inside track is the shortest distance, and gives you an advantage. This column is an opportunity for funders and organisations offering opportunities to communicate exactly what they’re looking for and what you have to do to ace an application or submission. Of timely importance is one we put together with Claire Murdoch, Senior Manager Arts Development at Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, on how to prepare for this year’s round of the Arts Organisations and Groups Fund.
News
We mostly cover news in the weekly Artswire, however some things do require more detail and a stand-alone article. They’re straight-to-the-point and factual.
Pathfinders
This is a series that spotlights organisations taking the road less travelled by adopting new or innovative approaches to their mahi. Perhaps it’s a festival that creates an alternative to the box office model, a dealer gallery which operates according to slow abundance, an orchestra that performs pop, punk, and indie music wearing rainbow ponchos, or a multidisciplinary art space with no expectation of outcomes. We hope that these profiles can help others in the arts re-think what are assumed to be fundamental ways of operating when there are other alternatives.
Road Trip
Last year we received feedback through our audience survey that our coverage needed to go beyond main centres more often and we couldn't agree more. The Road Trip column was started to explore arts initiatives that add to the cultural vibrancy of local creative communities. In the future, we’re looking to cover small centres and regions through our other formats, so you may find these local stories folded into Pathfinders or other tags.
Shameless Plug
These come direct from practitioners' mouths (or fingertips). In exchange for plugging their project they have to answer 10 questions from a list we’ve put together. We ask what their biggest inspirations are, guiltiest pleasures, personal mottos, favourite arts spaces, the best advice they’ve received, and other nosey questions. It’s lovely to read what happens behind the scenes, and in the hearts and minds of a range of artists. We don’t pay for Shameless Plugs as we see it as a reciprocal exchange. If you want to be part of this series, email me at editor@thebigidea.co.nz
Soapbox
True to the etymology of the term, Soapboxes are a public platform for experts to voice their opinion on a timely issue. They’re honest, bold, and sometimes go against conventional views. Recently art historian and curator Kirsty Baker penned a swift response to the axing of art history in the high school curriculum, Em-Haley Walker explained why her new album goes against everything music execs advise, and Kerryn Palmer argued for reviving the Creatives in Schools programme.
Tahuna Te Ahi
Tahuna Te Ahi (Setting the World Alight) is a series dedicated to showcasing ringatoi Māori – both emerging and experienced – across Aotearoa, celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of Toi Māori. The pieces are written, or spoken then transcribed, by the artists themselves, and offer insights into the way they use materials and think about their practises. The series is a partnership between The Big Idea and Te Manawa, an initiative for Māori artists, by Māori artists, grounded in whakapapa, organised by tikanga, and shaped by collective voice.
Talanoa with a Tusitala
The bi-monthly series Talanoa with a Tusitala is a partnership with Tagata Atamai, a platform to celebrate Pasifika and Māori people doing mana-enhancing mahi through storytelling. They are profiles put together by Danielle Kionasina Dilys Thomson, founder of Tagata Atamai. So far she has spoken to musician Lou’ana, artist Melissa Gilbert, and DJ Shaquille Wasasala.
The National Grid
This is a monthly column from our friends at The National Grid, a journal for graphic design that is first and foremost for-and-about culture and society. You won’t find write-ups of the annual design awards or the best ads of the year, instead you’ll find the projects, practices, discourses and histories that are missing from the usual industry-centric representation of design. The editors, Luke Wood, Matthew Galloway, and Katie Kerr, aim to build alternative narratives around the historical trajectory and contemporary practice of graphic design in Aotearoa that consider context, concepts, and artistry.
Toi Ōtautahi Dispatch
This monthly dispatch is a partnership with Toi Ōtautahi, the garden city’s virtual arts office. Each month Zara Potts rounds up what’s happening in the arts across Christchurch – the news, opportunities, jobs, and events that practitioners will be interested in. Each time I read it I consider moving south!
The newsletter
Every Thursday we send out an email with everything you need to know for the week. It’s got a note from me, links to all our stories and our most exciting jobs, opportunities, and events. We try to keep it short and sharp. If you’re the kind of person who needs a reminder every now and then (aren't we all?) I’d recommend signing up at the black box at the bottom of this page.
More to come
There’s a few more formats cooking in the background. Human Resources and Technically Speaking should be up and running in the next few months. I will explain what they are as they arrive. We’re always looking to improve the way we cover the arts and give our audience useful information, plus I love change, so don’t be surprised if we chop and change things every now and then. There’s also always the opportunity to tell me what you think in an email to editor@thebigidea.co.nz
The hurdle between us and total perfection is money. There’s plenty to write about and many talented writers, but I’ve only got enough commissioning budget for about two stories a week. I rustle up freebies where it's appropriate and mutually beneficial. If you’ve got deep pockets or know about gold hidden somewhere and would like to support arts writers and arts coverage, let me know! We’re also open to partnership content and shared content where it aligns with what we’re aiming to do and serves our audience.
Ok, now for the week’s news!
News on the wire
Te Tuhi reopening
Te Tuhi, that wonderful contemporary public art gallery in Pakuranga, Tāmaki Makaurau, re-opened its doors on Monday. This follows on from several months of repair, restoration, and renovation spurred by a flooding incident in June. Now Te Tuhi is better than ever – brighter galleries, a reimagined foyer, upgraded classrooms, community areas, and a new archive room. The gallery also has a fresh new curator, Suzy Park, so I expect this year to be vibrant and busy. Their first exhibition season of 2026 will open on 1 March and includes work by Ngaroma Riley, Iulia Boșcu, Will Gresson, Abigail Aroha Jensen, Frances Libeau, Mariam Tawfik, and Conor Clarke.
Māoriland programme announced
Māoriland Film Festival is the world’s largest celebration of Indigenous storytelling through film, and is now in its 13th year. Festival director Madeleine Hakaraia de Young says this year’s festival theme, He taonga tuku iho te rama ataata (the light that reveals our legacies), invites the audience to find inspiration from Indigenous storytelling. “These are stories that shine in the darkness – that transform, that heal, and that remind us we should never accept that this is just how things are,” she says. “Even in the hardest moments, the sun still rises. We are part of something bigger, brighter and more beautiful, and we have a responsibility to build the world we want to live in. Together.”
The festival will run from 24-28 March in Ōtaki, and the programme is stacked with 108 films from 130 Indigenous nations. There’s an opening keynote by Te Kohe Tuhaka (Chief of War, Koka, Dead Lands), films from Sámi, Inuit, First Nations, Quechua, Anishinaabe, Métis filmmakers, exhibitions, talks, community events, and an awards evening with MELODOWNZ. A few highlights are Uiksaringitara - Wrong Husband, directed by renowned Inuit filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, My Fathers’ Daughter (Biru Unjárga), directed by Sámi filmmaker Egil Pedersen, and La Hija Cóndor (The Condor Daughter) an exquisite feature from Bolivian director Álvaro Olmos Torrico. These are films you won’t have the chance to see anywhere else. Tickets are available today!
New additions to the online Contemporary Art Library
The online archive, looked after by the E H McCormick Research Library, includes around 1,023,000 images, documents, and videos representing more than 31,000 exhibitions, performances, and other projects by over 35,000 artists from around the world. This month new material from significant galleries and artist-run spaces that have shaped contemporary art in Aotearoa have been added.
TESTSTRIP, an artist-run space that ran from 1992–1997, has contributed documentation from 52 exhibitions held across its Vulcan Lane and Karangahape Road sites. You can see photos of an exhibition by Judy Darragh in 1996, Martin Poppelwell in 1997, and the very first group show in 1992 with a few familiar names. There’s now a selection of landmark exhibitions from the Sue Crockford Gallery, a leading dealer gallery from 1985–2012. They include Bill Culbert and Ralph Hotere’s Post Black (1992) and Gretchen Albrecht’s Horizon (2007). Artspace Aotearoa (1987–) already had 22 exhibitions in the library and now has 24.
Philippe Gaulier dies aged 82
Not a New Zealander, obviously, but certainly has impacted the creative lives of many of our clowns and performing artists, including Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin, who last year returned from Ecole Philippe Gaulier. There’s a lovely write-up on The Guardian.
NZTrio gets dreamy
The trio have announced their 2026 programme, titled Dreamscape. Amalia Hall (violin), Somi Kim (piano) and Matthias Balzat (cello) will tour nationwide from May through to December. “We decided to place Robert Schumann’s deeply personal and Romantic piano trios at the epicentre. The dramatic intensity of his works felt like the perfect basis for weaving around a curated selection of scintillating works for our audiences,” say the trio.
Cubbin Theatre’s residency in Christchurch extended.
After an initial one year residency in 2025, Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre has extended Cubbin Theatre’s Company in Residence programme through 2026 and 2027 – a move almost unheard of! Bringing babies, children and whānau into The Arts Centre has helped activate the precinct during the day, while offering a central, welcoming and safe place for young children to experience live performance and creative play.
“One of the biggest gifts arts companies need is space and time, and Te Matatiki Toi Ora has given us that,” says Cubbin's Artistic Director Melanie Luckman. “Being invited back for another two years means we can keep growing the work we have been developing here, build stronger relationships with whānau, and properly invest in making theatre for young audiences in Aotearoa.” It’s welcome news considering children’s theatre in New Zealand has been under pressure for a long time.
New award for speculative fiction
Te Pae Tawhiti Awards (Distant Horizons) and Hamilton Book Month have collaborated to create a new award for speculative fiction. “Speculative fiction, particularly Māori and Pasifika storytelling, has not only shaped our identity as a nation, but it helps us to make sense of the world we live in, offering new thinking to get us through difficult times,” says award-winning author Lee Murray. The hope is that the award gives this genre the dues it deserves. Te Pae Tawhiti Awards evening will be held on 22 August 2026 in Te Whare Tāpere Iti at the Gallagher Performing Arts Centre.
Auction fundraises $120,350 to help TOITŪ documentary travel overseas
On Thursday 29 January, a special fundraising event was held at Auckland Art Gallery. Art was auctioned with proceeds going towards supporting TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty, Chelsea Winstanley’s documentary head overseas to Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Berlin European Film Market and beyond. The film documents the preparation and presentation of Toi Tū Toi Ora, the largest exhibition of contemporary Māori art ever staged in Aotearoa New Zealand, at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2021. If documentaries can have a star, Nigel Borell would be it. The auction, including works by Taika Waititi, Star Gossage, Shane Cotton, Emily Karaka and more, raised $120,350.
Grace gallery moves into a new space
Grace, a gallery specialising in the representation of early career artists, left its Pitt Street, Central Auckland, site after two years at the end of January. It promptly announced its new, slightly off-kilter location – Rationalist House on Symonds Street. It's a landmark Edwardian building that has for many years seemed under-utilised. Gallery founder Emil Scheffmann told Emma Gleason of Crust that when the gallery’s lease came up for renewal and the landlord upped the rent, he quickly realised the gallery needed an “anomaly landlord” – one that wasn’t chasing the highest price possible. He picked up the phone and cold-called a few of his favourite old buildings around town. So old fashioned and apparently effective – now Grace has a “secure long-term home” that is larger and more beautiful than their previous space.
We will have to wait to be let inside – Grace says it will reopen in Autumn, a slightly hazy timeline.
St James Theatre’s reopening on the horizon
The historic St James Theatre in mid-town Auckland is in the throes of a $49 million rebuild – and hopes are pinned to it reopening next year, for its centenary. It's a Category 1 heritage-listed theatre, and restorations are taking it back to its original opening-era aesthetic – stripping back multiple decades of alterations. Steve Bielby, who bought the building in 2011, described himself as “an arts and culture lover and a historic building lover,” to RNZ this week. With about 1,480 seats, he doesn't believe it will compete with the Civic or Spark Arena for blockbuster productions, instead he expects it will carve out a niche for smaller-scale and local shows.
Further reading
We opened the new website on Monday with a story by none other than Mark Amery. He’s been important in The Big Idea’s past, and we hope its future too. His feature asks if public institutions should be judged on how they use their collections of art, and uses three current exhibitions to illustrate approaches.
Asian in Aotearoa is a podcast that’s been around since 2020. Jean Teng talks to its creator, Jenna Wee, about how it came to be and why it’s heading into a fourth season.
Shoreside Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park is hitting its 30th anniversary. Sam Brooks looks into how they’ve managed to build and keep a community.
But wait! Don’t go! We’ve got another story tomorrow, a Shameless Plug from actor and producer Kate Low.
