The Big Idea | Valuing creativity, accelerating success

VIDEO: Dance and Art Therapy

WATCH: The lives of thousands of New Zealanders are uplifted through creativity, with leading dance and arts therapists making a difference to those who need this specalised support the most.

VIDEO: Living Your Art

WATCH: An unrelenting dedication to his award-winning craft, Kalisolaite ‘Uhila gives us an insight into the sacrifice he makes to drive his performance art.

VIDEO: The Bigger Picture

WATCH: Running a gallery in Aotearoa - or getting your work inside one - can be a fraught assignment. An internationally experienced gallerist gives a frank and honest assessment.

VIDEO: Arts Sector: The Student Perspective

WATCH: Arts education comes under fire from all quarters but what do those actually in the tertiary art system think about it - and their prospects of entering the industry?

VIDEO: From Streets To Studio

WATCH: From a high school dropout and tagger to a fulfilled glass artist, Simon Lewis Wards proves formal training isn't a prerequisite for success.

VIDEO: Village Radio - Keeping The Beat

WATCH: From an age where it was all about the wireless - not wifi - a group of passionate volunteers are ensuring the glory days of music and radio aren't forgotten.

VIDEO: Teen Talent Takes On The World

WATCH: Already an international sensation, Bella Black is in the driving seat of her dance career - but isn't old enough to drive a car yet.

VIDEO: Success In Self-Publishing

WATCH: Legally blind and dropped from her publishing deal, Steffanie Holmes went it alone and has sold nearly 1 million copies of her books.

VIDEO: Asian Theatre in Aotearoa

WATCH: Its history might be short, but the Asian performing arts community is growing in voice and understanding of its own identity.

VIDEO: Defying Definition

WATCH: Levi Hawken isn't giving over control of his creative legacy - so when his art was disappearing, he continues to evolve to make it more permanent.

VIDEO: For The Birds

WATCH: How a neighbourhood arts practice made it international - and what happens when your art becomes the target of copycat creations.

VIDEO: Continuity of Creativity

WATCH: Decades of application - and financial insecurity - have helped large-scale artist David McCracken find what matters most to him about his creative journey.

VIDEO: The Social Artist

WATCH: Seb Gower's always wanted to share his creativity with the world - he explains how he's built a connection to hundreds of thousands of admirers around the globe.

VIDEO: Stage Of Dreams

WATCH: Follow the journey of one South Auckland choir as they represent their culture and collectiveness on their biggest stage - the World Choir Games.

VIDEO - Homeless: Where The Art Is

WATCH: Would you be prepared to sacrifice everything to follow your dream? Steve Christian explains why he's happy to give up a roof over his head to pursue his artistic endeavours.

VIDEO: Art Shines During Matariki

WATCH: Aotearoa’s newest public holiday means more than just a long weekend. Witness how creatives play a crucial part in making Matariki a true celebration of New Zealand’s many cultures in a uniquely New Zealand way.

VIDEO: Making A Career Out Of Children’s Music

WATCH: It's one of NZ's most unsung success stories - but Aotearoa's children's music scene is the envy of many countries. See why it's so important our stories are shared in song to the next generation.

VIDEO: Transcending Oceans And Generations

WATCH: An extraordinary piece of ngā toi Māori isn't just inspiring awe and reflection from New Zealanders, it's proving a connecting kaupapa for indigenous people from across the globe.

VIDEO: Carve Your Own Path

WATCH: From tradesman to craftsman, a retired Pākehā joiner explains what led him out of his comfort zone and into studying toi whakairo rākau.

VIDEO: Naked Ambition

WATCH: Art is about expression, creativity and freedom yet when it comes to burlesque, performers still have to battle stigmas and stereotypes - even from within the creative community.

VIDEO: Going, Going...Gone West?

WATCH: Behind the emotion of Aotearoa's pioneering literary festival's heart-breaking decision and an insightful, insider's guide to the creative community's funding crisis.

VIDEO: Art Heals All

WATCH: Fiona Hayward considers herself lucky to be alive - this inspiring artist explains how her love of painting helped her out of hospice care and overcome stage 4 cancer.

VIDEO: Young Māori Creatives Shine Bright

VIDEO: Representation matters - Four talented wāhine explain why being authentic matters as they embrace Te Ao Toi by their own rules.

VIDEO: From Crime To Comedy

WATCH: After getting his life back on track after a stint in prison, former gang member Richard Fa'avesi explains how his creative outlet paved the way.

VIDEO: Write Them Off At Your Folly

WATCH: Rejection sucks - but this trio of creative women show that when someone closes the door on you, the best answer is sometimes to kick down the wall and build your own door for others to enter.

VIDEO: Finding Your Voice - The Journey Of Opening Your Own Gallery

VIDEO: How family, passion and a desire to hold space for Pasifika people drove Kim Meredith to step into the challenge of becoming a gallery owner.

Featured Stories

Pulling queer space from the archive

For-and-about: The National Grid’s school years

Artswire: Anapela Polataivao on her new Senior Pacific Artist award, and more mostly good news

‘No re-takes, no going back’: Ellie Smith on why she loves theatre most of all

Featured Jobs

Major Productions Director

Creative Producer: Auckland Live

Programme Manager: Auckland Live

Stories

Talanoa with a Tusitala: Melissa Gilbert

'It sets something on fire in me’: Lila Crichton on his addiction to beautiful vocals

Artswire: Koha not cutting it, goodbye to a trapdoor, and Marlon wins again

Community and excellence: Prayas Theatre hits 20 years

‘Quarter the budget but triple the workload’: The future of theatre is broken

Writers rally as Robin Hyde’s attic faces demolition

Exploding Rainbow Orchestra: A joyful eruption of sound, colour and spectacle unlike anything else

‘I’d rather learn that way than stick to a tepid middle-ground’: Virginia Frankovich on going too far

‘I CAN BE TOLD TO STOP’: Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin on clowning and running a maths classroom

Artswire: Help! It's festival season, magazines are falling and emos are back

‘They’ve worked so hard for me, I’m lucky’: Alyssa Medel on the immigrant hustle.

How to tour a show without wrecking the Earth

How I quit worrying and learned to love the Bard

Jobs

Major Productions Director

Creative Producer: Auckland Live

Programme Manager: Auckland Live

Senior Programme Lead - Public Realm Programming: Auckland Live

Creative Producer: Public Realm - Auckland Live

Art Centre Staff

AKO Kaiwhakahaere | Education & Development Programme Manager

Contributing Artist Call Out

Sales Account Manager

The FAME Mid-Career Awards

RAW Exhibition | Call for Entries

Administrative Assistant

PARK(ing) Day 2026 - Call for proposals - NOW OPEN!

Events

A Body Of Work By Matt Jordan

Governance Workshops

Creative Wellbeing Studio

Auckland Theatre Company presents- Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking by Witi Ihimaera

Stitching Anew

Curators' Talk - Reclaimed Land: Tāngata, Tiriti, Taiao

Auckland Teachers and Theatre Practitioner's Workshop

Videos