Archive for the ‘New in the sector’ Category

Creative New Zealand, Auckland City Council and ASB Community Trust have just released their research into the attitudes and participation of Asian Aucklanders with the arts. It’s interesting reading - you can get a copy of the report from Creative New Zealand.

The Asian population is growing faster than any other ethnic group in New Zealand, with a 49% increase between 2001 and 2006. The research shows that arts and culture are important to Asian Aucklanders: the arts are seen as a part of everyday life, and food, socialising and the arts are often entwined for these communities.

This beautifully presented report lists some of the barriers to participation for Asian Aucklanders, and also practical suggestions for how arts organisations can align their practises with the nature of this audience. I’m sure this is also true for the cultural sector more broadly.

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by Sarah Hughes, Whitireia Publishing student 

Puke Ariki, Taranaki cultural centre, has got a wiki! That’s right, as part of Puke Ariki’s digital strategy, 1 December 2006 saw the launch of what we believe is New Zealand’s only regional ‘wiki.’

‘But what is a wiki?’ I hear you ask. According to techweb, a wiki is ‘A Web site that can be quickly edited by its visitors with simple formatting rules.’ A wiki is used as an informal encyclopedia, and it’s a place where anybody can go online and add or subtract information.

In my discussion with Kate Roberts, Manager of Service Delivery for Puke Ariki, she stated that the purpose of the Taranaki Wiki was to ‘increase community engagement,’ both within the community and with Puke Ariki as a resource. As the site itself states, ‘This Wiki has been set up to allow the people of Taranaki, and elsewhere, to share their knowledge of all things Taranaki.’

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Radio New Zealand has received accolades (and lots of visits) for their use of podcasts on their website. It’s certainly worth a look – all your favourite shows are on the site as downloadable podcasts for your MP3 or computer. There’s also plenty of options for listening ‘on demand’ (clicking on a link to hear audio). Visitors have listened to around 4,000 ‘on demand’ audio items.

Richard Hulse and Mark Cubey from RNZ tell me that they are building audiences by making content more accessible – content that listeners may not hear if their personal listening schedule does not coincide with programming timetables. Richard told me about a university student who said he wouldn’t be seen dead listening to the station, but who downloads podcasts and tells his friends about them.

Other initiatives on the website include a blog from Todd Niall at the Amercia’s cup. Over in Valencia, Todd writes content, records audio, takes photos and uploads material to the website. I also really like the photos on the website of kiwis enjoying their national radio station (like the one with this post). A simple way to involve users in the website as well as imparting a strong impression that RNZ is our radio station.

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TheNewDowse art gallery re-opened in February after major works that have improved and expanded their exhibition spaces in their Lower Hutt building.

I’ve really enjoyed their re-launch campaign, featuring a blistering pink on posters and balloons. The slogan ‘TheNewDowse is the *!’ invites you to make up your own mind. Nice one!

I took a photo of this poster on the edge of Wellington’s central business district. Is this the first ever campaign that’s compatible with graffiti? (The graffiti is the black squiggle in the bottom right hand corner.) Perhaps not what TheNewDowse intended - but it doesn’t look out of place.

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