This fortnight has been another busy one with Te Muka Toi, Te Muka Tākata Hui in Tāhuna, a Ministerial Roundtable on Copyright Reform at Parliament and the Museums Aotearoa AGM.

Every hui we’ve attended has been successful thanks to member expertise – thank you, we stand on your shoulders.

I continue to be inspired (and challenged) by the sheer scale of the work happening across our sector and the ways you each turn your energy and expertise to the challenges we collectively face.

Member advocacy

I want to specifically acknowledge Olivia Egerton, Director at Te Atamira for her kōrero on the power and the value of the creative economy at the recent cross-sector hui in Tāhuna.

Liv’s address was a showstopper, and it served to remind me of the power of regional member advocacy in rooms where arts and culture are too often a bit player.

Liv joined a panel discussion with engineers, film makers and planners and spoke fiercely about the creative industries as the silent heroes (and the fastest growing and most sustainable) of Queenstown’s economy.

Hot on the heels of the Minister’s own address, Liv spoke to the experience of Te Atamira and the strategic advantage of investing in arts and culture;

“Arts and cultural tourists don’t just visit — they engage, invest, and amplify. While Tāhuna Queenstown is globally celebrated for its natural beauty and adventure tourism, it’s our creative and cultural offering that transforms visits into meaningful experience - and our communities into a thriving ecosystems. As the region evolves, investing in arts and culture isn’t just desirable — it’s strategic. We win by making partnerships.”

The Minister’s address had highlighted the Government’s focus on leveraging regional cultural innovation to drive growth. Liv’s speech underlined our sector already walks this talk and is a ready champion for this ambition.

Te Atamira is a great example of how community-driven project supported by Council by way of long-term lease can be successfully built by and for the people.

We know, arts and cultural tourism is high-value, low-impact, and deeply regenerative;

People might say the arts aren’t “practical.” And then?

They read poetry at weddings.

They cry during films.

They search for meaning in ancient wisdom.

Surviving is one kind of practicality.

Knowing why we bother is another.

Kōrero!

Museums Aotearoa will be turning its own advocacy back towards tourism and our considerable contribution to this sector, particularly during the winter months.

Copyright Roundtable

Last week we presented at Minister Simpson’s stakeholder roundtable on Copyright Reform. Our position, for those interested is reflected in detail in our 2019 submission.

We were grateful for the support and solidarity from Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa LIANZA - is Aotearoa’s library association and are pleased to report lively cross-sector debate and discussion on topics from orphaned works to the permissions governing digital copies.

A special thanks to Zoe Richardson from Auckland Museum and Catriona McPherson from Te Papa for your guidance and coaching. The GLAM sector was able to put its best foot forward and advocate those concerns members hold.

From here, we will work closely with MBIE on the next iteration of the reform, updating members as public proposals become available.

Read about our advocacy work here