We’d like to share the results of our second State of the Arts survey, undertaken in September 2021.
The responses we received from creatives, administrators and enablers across so many different art forms was pessimistic in view overall, and deepened our understanding about how this longitudinal survey can start to act as strong advocacy for the sector over time.
It’s also essential to acknowledge that the landscape we are now working and living in is continually changing, and so many of the responses we received from in July would look starkly different right now. Our February 2022 survey will provide respondents the opportunity to give feedback on their present situation and articulate the support they may need in the Omicron Covid-19 environment.
The key sector issues that respondents raised were emergency relief / resilience funding to support core operations, mental health and wellbeing support, Business support, tools, and people to help adapt to the sector challenges of COVID, recognition of the role arts, culture, and creativity plays, and new strategies to support the creative sector.
An important note on the use of the language of ‘creative’ in the description of ‘creative work’. This term is meant to encompass the wide range of roles that exist within the arts, culture, heritage and creative industries - across administration, management, production, curatorial, technical staff - the enablers and supporters of creative work, as well as artists and practitioners.
This survey was run by Dovetail, led by Arts Wellington supported by Wellington City Council