New Zealanders and the Arts – Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi | Creative New Zealand (creativenz.govt.nz)

New Zealanders and the Arts – Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi

Findings from independent research by Colmar Brunton into New Zealanders’ attitudes to, attendance at, and participation in the arts in 2020.

New Zealanders and the Arts — Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi provides a benchmark for New Zealanders’ engagement with the arts over time. This research has been done every three years since 2005 – the only longitudinal survey of its kind in Aotearoa.

The research provides a rich picture of the powerful impact the arts have on our lives, for both adults and young people alike.

The 2020 report is the sixth edition of the research and provides much for us to acknowledge, reflect on, and celebrate.

We want to stimulate debate. And we want to provide arts communities throughout the country with information they can use to advocate for the value of the arts

Research summary 2020

The research summary document, produced by Creative New Zealand, brings together and summarises the numerous reports created by Colmar Brunton and contains:

• key insights from the adult and young New Zealanders surveys
• overview of attendance, participation, and attitudes
• community perspectives on the arts:
  • Māori
  • Pasifika
  • Asian New Zealanders
  • New Zealanders with lived experience of disability
  • across the regions
• more about the research.

Research Summary 2020 (pdf 9MB) [58 pages]

Easy Read Research Summary 2020 (pdf 2.4MB) [31 pages]
The research summary has been translated into Easy Read by the Make It Easy services of People First New Zealand Inc. Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi.

Plain Text Research Summary 2020 (docx 110KB) [50 pages] or Plain text Research Summary 2020 (pdf 400KB)

The five key insights 

The research summary holds up five key insights:

1. New Zealanders are more positive than ever about the vital role the arts play in our lives.
2. The arts are making a powerful contribution to New Zealanders’ wellbeing, and are helping us get through COVID-19.
3. More New Zealanders appreciate the arts’ powerful role in connecting whānau and communities, but access to the arts could be improved.
4. The arts are helping more of us explore and build our own sense of identity, as well as growing our connections with other New Zealanders.
5. Attendance has declined but participation has held steady, and how we want to experience the arts is changing.