Creative New Zealand is proposing to cut a third of its
workforce – 23 jobs – as part of a sweeping restructure that
will fundamentally change how arts funding is delivered
across the country, with workers and artists set to pay the
price for chronic government underfunding.
Creative NZ
is proposing to devolve significant funding responsibility
to 16 regional partners from 2027, shifting to a national
leadership and oversight role it claims will better meet the
sector’s funding challenges. With no increase in
government funding, it has told staff it needs ‘to reduce
operating costs significantly for the future.’
“This
is cultural vandalism. It’s hard proof of the poor choices
this government is making. Arts workers and artists are
paying because the Government chose to give landlords and
tobacco companies billions in tax cuts instead,” said Fleur
Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service
Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The
proposal now in front of staff, comes hard on the heels of
Dame Lynda Topp’s heartfelt plea at the Aotearoa Music
Awards for the Government to properly support the arts. Just
days after the death of her twin sister Dame Jools, she told
Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith that New Zealand needed ‘a
government that says the arts is more important than a
defence budget.’
“Dame Lynda put into words what
thousands of artists and arts workers know to be
true.”
Budget 2026 cut Creative NZ’s government
baseline funding by $1.3 million over four years. In total
in Budget 2026, Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage was cut by
$27 million over four years, with Defence given a $1.6
billion boost.
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“The creative sector contributes around
4.2 percent of GDP. That tells you everything you need to
know about the Government’s priorities.”
The
proposal involves disestablishing or reducing dozens of
roles, including specialists in Māori and Pacific arts,
literature, music, theatre, dance, and visual
arts.
“These are not back-office jobs. These are
people with deep expertise and genuine relationships in the
sector, who work alongside artists and arts organisations
every day. Cutting them is a serious hollowing out of mana,
trust and capability,” Fitzsimons said.
“Devolution
done well can work. But with the arts sector in many regions
already stretched this loss of expertise could end up
undermining the very thing Creative NZ is trying to support,
empowering stronger regional connections with local artists
and cultural organisations.
“Bedding in a new system
will be challenging with fewer staff who know their way
around the arts system. Workloads will increase. Creative NZ
doesn’t even know if there are enough regional partners
capable of taking over distributing some $40 million of
funding.
“Dame Lynda Topp was right. Artists and those
who support them like those at Creative NZ deserve better.
The PSA will be strongly opposing the cuts to roles in its
submission to Creative NZ on the proposal.
“New
Zealanders are defined by their culture and their art as
Dame Lynda said so powerfully last week. We are all richer
for it. The PSA calls on the Government to hear that
message, and act on it.”
The
Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing
and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central
government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health
boards and community
groups.
