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

Featured Stories

  • "Morally Adrift" - Culture & Value Needs Democracy, Not Democratisation

    Seasoned creative leader Philip Clarke states our lens on culture and value needs to change - and how the passing of the Queen helped sparked this conversation.
    Soapbox

  • The Only Permission You Need Is Your Own

    Tatiana Hotere's road to career satisfaction wasn't an easy one - but that makes it all the more worthwhile. She gives the career tips she wishes she knew when starting on her creative journey.
    Advice to My 22-Year-Old Self
  • Professional services directory promo image

    Professional Services Directory 2022/2023

    Aotearoa's premiere creative product and service directory. Find what you need, or how to get listed, in this exclusive index made for artists and creatives.
    Guides

  • Summer Guide 2022/23

    See what's happening across the motu this summer
    Guides

Featured Jobs

opportunity
Experience Wellington
Kaiako | Learning Specialist - Science
Share your excitement for science at Te Ara Whānui ki te Rangi Space Place.
Region:
Wellington
Closes:
19 Feb 2023
opportunity
Auckland Theatre Company
Producer
Auckland Theatre Company (ATC) is looking for a Producer to join the Artistic Operations team.
Region:
Auckland
Closes:
22 Feb 2023
opportunity
Arts Whakatāne
Light up Whakatāne - Call for Entries
Entries are welcomed from artists working with any form of Light and Installations.
Region:
Bay of Plenty
Closes:
10 Apr 2023
Light up Whakatāne Call for Entries

Stories

  • Creative Heartbreak, Aroha & Resilience In Auckland's Flooding State of Emergency

    Tāmaki Makaurau artists are among those confronted with the devastation gripping so many in the city - we hear heart-wrenching tales, shows of support and the latest on what comes next.
    Feature

  • Lowdown: Big Picture Focus, Immediate Arts Urgency

    Creative sector info years in the planning & alarming statistics on the housing/income issues facing artists have been released - The Lowdown breaks them down as well as emotional news for many.
    The Lowdown

  • Opinion: How Has Creative Community Fared In The Ardern Era?

    Much has been said of Jacinda Ardern's success & failures in the Prime Minister's role - but Andrew Wood gives his personal thoughts on what's been achieved in the Arts, Culture & Heritage portfolio.
    Soapbox

  • The Jacinda Effect - How PM Brought The WOW Factor for Kiwi Creative

    Award-winning designer Dylan Mulder explains the impact the outgoing Prime Minister made on his career by wearing his garment at last year's World of WearableArts show.
    Feature

  • 8 Steps To Rewrite Your Bio

    A well-written creative bio does more than list your accomplishments - it makes readers curious.
    Arts Smarts

  • Lowdown - Creative Leadership on Merry-Go-Round

    The leading arts news bulletin is back for 2023 - and rips straight into the big issues. Who's leaving their gigs and what happens next plus farewells and congratulations are in order.
    The Lowdown

  • Auckland Pride's Big Change

    This year's Festival will be the end of a transformative period for a crucial event in Tāmaki Makaurau's creative community - find what's happening here.
    Feature

  • The Big Catch Up - Creative News You May Have Missed Over Summer

    Been off the grid or just not bothering with keeping up with the news over Summer? We've got you - here's a quick recap of the biggest news in Aotearoa's creative community over the holiday period.
    Feature

  • Developing A Culture Of Arts Philanthropy

    Policy-makers and arts organisations must consider how to encourage next-generation philanthropy, writes an internationally acclaimed Artistic Director.
    Soapbox

  • New Year Honours List - Art's Latest Dame & All Creative Recipients

    The Big Idea has gone through the full New Year Honours and brings you the list of more than 35 members of the creative community - from the latest Dame and Knight through to regional arts champions.
    Feature

  • Black Saturday - And Why You Need To Know About It

    Nestled between December's public holidays is a date of huge significance to NZ and Samoa. Pacific creative powerhouse Andy Leleisi’uao is calling for the Sky Tower to help shine a light on it.
    Soapbox

  • Cultural Regeneration Fund Round Two Recipients Revealed

    The $28 million MCH fund is highly sought after - find out who got the green light in round two and how much money is left in the kitty for the remaining two rounds.
    Feature

  • Major Opportunity To Create Nelson's New Artistic Innovation

    Sculpture by day, light art projector by night - do you have the imagination to help make this bold vision a reality? Find out what a RAPS is and how creatives can drive the project.
    Feature

  • Best (And Worst) of Aotearoa Creativity in 2022

    Andrew Wood casts his eye over the year that's been - and shoots from both the lip and the hip with his opinion on this year's highlights and lowlights.
    Soapbox

  • Lowdown: What Creative Sector Needs To Know Before 'Ho Ho Ho'

    Do they know it's Christmas time at all? The powerbrokers in Aotearoa's creative sector have a wealth of information and responses - the final Lowdown of 2022 gives you a must-read breakdown.
    The Lowdown

  • Creating Art, Creating Artists

    Anyone can talk the talk - we speak to a pair of leading arts educators who walk the walk, building their own artistic reputations while sculpting the futures of the next generation.
    Feature

  • "Time To Do Things Differently" - Calls for Funding Model Change Too Loud To Ignore

    We review the winners and losers from the most contested arts grant round ever - and get reaction to Creative NZ's acknowledgement that their funding approach needs a reboot.
    Feature

  • Controversial Decision - Creative NZ Defends We Are Indigo/Toi ki Tua Choice

    We go Inside Toi ki Tua, hearing from CNZ and its critics to find out what the creative community can expect from the the new digital service.
    Feature

  • Final Funding Hopes Of 2022

    Get the Lowdown ahead of the most contested funding round in CNZ history, the future of established creative ventures in a state of flux and all the arts news you need to know.
    The Lowdown

  • Late To The Party

    How late is too late to chase your creative dreams? An ex-pat New Zealander talks us through making the leap of faith to make hers a reality.
    Soapbox

  • Why Lying Down Is An Artistic Superpower

    End of year madness hampering your creative flow? Find out how the simple act of lying flat can open your mind to new ideas.
    Feature

  • Will End Of An Era Impact Iconic Creative Event?

    The Lowdown goes behind the sale of an Aotearoa artistic taonga, looks at the opportunities on the horizon, the passing of a creative powerhouse as well as major awards and movements in the sector.
    The Lowdown

  • The Final Deadline: 50,000 Word Novel In A Month

    Did playwright Courtney Rose Brown bite off more than she could chew in the National Novel Writing Month challenge? Follow her creative journey that had more twists and turns than most fiction books.
    Feature

  • Tyla Vaeau - Female Tufuga

    Courtney Sina Meredith details the path - and the passion - of a Sāmoan tatau artist, watching her in action and understanding the importance of breaking stereotypes in a male-dominated practice.
    Feature
View all stories

Jobs

  • Kaiako | Learning Specialist - Science

    Share your excitement for science at Te Ara Whānui ki te Rangi Space Place.
    Wellington
    02/19/2023

  • Producer

    Auckland Theatre Company (ATC) is looking for a Producer to join the Artistic Operations team.
    Auckland
    02/22/2023
  • Light up Whakatāne Call for Entries

    Light up Whakatāne - Call for Entries

    Entries are welcomed from artists working with any form of Light and Installations.
    Bay of Plenty
    04/10/2023

  • Communications Coordinator (Storytelling & writing)

    A self-starting story-listener/writer, you will create content, enhance our media presence, and support engagement with priority communities.
    Auckland
    02/14/2023

  • Trust Board Member - Connected Media Trust

    We are looking for new members to join the Board of Trustees for Connected Media Trust who run The Outlook for Someday sustainability film project for young people.
    National, Auckland
    04/03/2023

  • Manager Education and Community Engagement

    The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) has set its ambition to be Aotearoa New Zealand’s most loved entertainment brand.
    Wellington
    02/15/2023

  • Business Development Manager

    Looking for a rewarding career challenge with a growing digital media group centered around the creative industries?
    Online, Overseas
    02/12/2023
  • I Love You / Aroha atu, Aroha mai - Lonnie Hutchinson

    Expressions of Interest - Public Art Advisory Panel

    Auckland Council Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau is seeking expressions of interest to fill two vacancies on the Public Art Advisory Panel.
    Auckland
    02/17/2023

  • Youth Choral Outreach Coordinator

    Help us promote singing for lifelong wellbeing by providing support and training for 18-25 year olds to continue group singing into adulthood
    National
    02/10/2023

  • Primary Choral Outreach Coordinator

    An opportunity to play a key role in our programmes aimed at transforming children’s lives through group singing
    National
    02/10/2023

  • PANNZ Arts Market 2023 - registrations are open

    Calling all artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders - registrations for the PANNZ (Performing Arts Network New Zealand) Arts Market 2023 are now open!
    Online, Auckland
    03/12/2023

  • Call for Entries - 2023 Cleveland National Art Awards

    Closing Date Friday 10th March. Includes Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Digital, 3D, Jewellery and more.
    National
    03/10/2023

Events

02/10/2023

Live panel: Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement

Join us online to celebrate the Winners of the 2022 Prime Ministers Awards for Literary Achievement: Stephanie Johnson (fiction), Vincent O’Malley (nonfiction), James Norcliffe (poetry).
03/03/2023 to 03/05/2023

Off Centre

An arts festival bursting with music, comedy, theatre, food, a market, and vibrant entertainment to celebrate The Arts Centre's glorious restoration.
01/14/2023 to 02/05/2023

5 Plus 2

5 plus 2 showcases work from 5 female glass artists touring New Zealand, alongside work from 2 invited local Waikato emerging artists - Wallace Gallery, Morrinsville
View all Events

Community Announcements

Carolyn Mills stands with her harp in a Celtic background
Community Announcement

Celtic Enchantment

'An Enchanted Land' is a collection of beautiful Celtic tunes enriched by the sounds of the harp of Carolyn Mills - one of our most well-known harpists.
Community Announcement

At Colombia's Poetry Festival for Peace

New Zealand poet Charles Olsen tells of participating in the 2022 Poetry Festival of Cartagena, Colombia
Community Announcement

Album tribute to the life and work of Katherine Mansfield

Katherine Mansfield remains one of New Zealand’s most well-known writers, despite her life being cut cruelly short by terminal illness. To commemorate the centenary of her untimely death on 9th Janua
Winners & Top 5 Finalists | Short Film Fund Fall Season
Community Announcement

Winners & Top 5 Finalists | Short Film Fund Fall Season

We are honored to announce the Winners and Top 5 Finalists of the Fall Season of the 2022 Short Film Fund!
Community Announcement

MMCA - Painting & Drawing 2023 Finalists Announced!

Out of 454 entries , 50 have been selected to make up the finalist's exhibition
2022 Feature & TV Pilot Winners Announced!
Community Announcement

2022 Feature & TV Pilot Winners Announced!

There is no better way to end the year than by celebrating the talented writers we have had the pleasure of reading this year.
View all Community announcements

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Top Reads
  1. Opinion: How Has Creative Community Fared In The Ardern Era?
  2. Lowdown - Creative Leadership on Merry-Go-Round
  3. Creative Heartbreak, Aroha & Resilience In Auckland's Flooding State of Emergency
  4. The Jacinda Effect - How PM Brought The WOW Factor for Kiwi Creative
  5. 8 Steps To Rewrite Your Bio
  6. New Year Honours List - Art's Latest Dame & All Creative Recipients
  7. Lowdown: Big Picture Focus, Immediate Arts Urgency
  8. Auckland Pride's Big Change
  9. The Big Catch Up - Creative News You May Have Missed Over Summer
  10. Developing A Culture Of Arts Philanthropy
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This site © The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui Charitable Trust 2018. All Rights reserved The Big Idea.

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