Background
Council are facilitating a community-led, strategic approach to increasing the capacity, capability and reach of the arts sector in the Waimakariri District. We will do this by developing a strategy that enables our local arts-centred groups and organisations to adapt, grow and develop in the post-COVID environment, benefitting both the arts sector and the well-being and resilience of the wider community.
Council recognises the place that the arts can play in the social and economic wellbeing of communities, empowering people, improving connection and wellbeing, contributing to district attraction as well as bringing employment and spending into the District.
We are presented with new opportunities for collaboration and growth for our local arts practitioners and organisations through the development of a local arts strategy. This will also enable our wider community to be exposed to and enjoy the many expressions of the Arts sector that we have here in the Waimakariri.
What's happened so far?
We've gathered a wide range of feedback about the arts from both the public and practitioners. This feedback formed the material shared at a local workshop to start to shape a draft Arts Strategy. The output from this workshop was then developed and refined by a working group and Council staff. A draft strategy and supporting action plan is now being fine tuned before being shared with the wider community for feedback.
Next Steps
Community Engagement later in 2023.