Creative industries
Introduction |
Research reports |
Action plan |
Advisory group |
Business and industry events |
Key facts |
Screen production industry |
Business support |
Features
Features
The following content features articles written about creative industries in
Auckland and Auckland City Council's support of them.
Pixar Animation Studios visits Auckland animators
Pixar at Semi-permanent in August
In late August, Semi-Permanent collaborated with Auckland City Council, Media Design School and Creative Digital Content
- Auckland (CDC) to offer a unique professional development opportunity to the New Zealand animation industry.
It was a day long master class with Pixar's Andrew Gordon.
Mr Gordon was invited to New Zealand as a speaker at Semi Permanent, the annual design symposium that brings together speakers from a broad range of design disciplines. His talk was a programme highlight for many who attended the event, however it was the chance to participate in the one-off master class that really got the sector buzzing.
Anna Cameron, event producer, explained the addition of master classes to this year's event really broadened the benefits of the event to the design sector, something she hopes will continue at future events.
"We aim to bring the worlds best to Semi each year, and by extending the programme in this way, we deepen the experiences of both the speakers and the audience. Andrew was very keen to offer a master class while in New Zealand, his dedication to developing the skills of local animators was a real gift," said Anna.
CDC Auckland's president, Brent Chambers, knew the opportunity to collaborate on this master class met the association's strategic objectives to strengthen global and national connections and develop the skill of the workforce.
"Andrew's depth of experience at Pixar where he has been an animator on A Bug's Life, Toy Story 3, Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles just to name a few, meant the local participants were treated to an outstanding programme of detailed animation principals that could be applied in their own studios" said Brent.
"The industry is developing so rapidly that it is important to get a check from time to time to see if our processes in both production and training are relevant and cutting edge."
Brent was fortunate to attend Richard Williams' Master class a few years back, which meant a costly and time consuming trip to the UK.
"For Auckland to have the mountain come to Mohammad is a great opportunity and gives the local industry the chance to have follow up discussions and pass information onto other animators. I know our studio has been a buzz since the master class discussing aspects and reviewing procedures," he explained.
CDC Auckland has established a strong leadership for creative digital content in the Auckland region, with key industry stakeholders as fully engaged members. Auckland City Council became a sponsor earlier this year to assist the association.
Working together, CDC Auckland is putting measures into place to grow the body and ensure that it is inclusive of the regional sector and, going forward, the national sector.
Screen production industry welcome in Auckland
Film protocol.
Auckland City Council is working to make it easier for filming to take place in the city. Working closely with the screen production industry, the council has developed a
protocol to streamline the process for obtaining consents and permits.
Following the advice from key industry players, Auckland City Council has followed other international cities and introduced a streamlined protocol for granting permission to film in the city. The steps taken to make Auckland city more film-friendly could also be applied to the whole region after the Auckland Council is established in November.
Auckland has the infrastructure, technology and skilled workers to make it an attractive place to film. By reducing compliance costs and responding more quickly to requests, the council can help grow the city's film business further.
Generating annual gross revenue of almost $880 million and employing around 3600 people, Auckland's screen production industry provides real economic benefits to the city.
Film Auckland executive manager Michael Brook said he welcomed the council’s moves to make Auckland a more attractive place for film companies.
"I don't think many Aucklanders realise the economic contribution the film industry makes to the city. That's perhaps a contributing factor to why there can be delays in getting permission to film or sorting out logistics like parking for film trucks or consents for temporary structures. Film Auckland looks forward to working closely with the council to enhance Auckland's reputation as a world class screen production centre," says Mr Brook.
Art based team building sessions
Artstation upstairs studio
Artstation, Auckland City Council's visual arts facility based in Ponsonby, is providing art based team building sessions for businesses and corporations. Under the direction of a corporate facilitator, the arts sessions are usually part of a bigger team building session or conference. Working with the client Artstation will tailor the sessions to meet the specific outcomes required by the organisation.
The art sessions are used to reinforce the values of the clients business, or establish strategic purpose and vision. The workshops also give opportunities to create an experience that allows people to let go of their inhabitations and explore a creative element of their brain and to retrain their mind to be more creative.
One client, who recently held a session at Artstation, used it as an opportunity to learn new skills. The client, a major financial services company, found that the workshop helped increase people's learning agility and opened them to new experiences, whilst having FUN.
The workshops can be run out of Artstation's heritage studios in the former Grey Lynn Police Barracks at 1 Ponsonby Road or onsite at the clients venue.
For more information contact Artstation on (09) 376 3221,
artstation@aucklandcity.govt.nz or visit the website
www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/artstation.
Location, location, location...
Michael Brook, Film Auckland (second from left) and the team at the Film New Zealand stand.
Locations Trade Show is the premier international gathering of location filmmakers, and Film Auckland was on hand to profile the region's capability to 4000 industry professionals.
Executive Manager Michael Brook was impressed with the great response he received while promoting the Auckland screen production industry on the Film New Zealand stand.
"We had some fantastic enquiries across all sectors of the screen production industry, from television and documentary through to full length feature films".
Further genuine leads were discussed during a series of industry meetings arranged by Mr Brook to coincide with his visit, and he is confident some of these will progress to the next stage.
Film Auckland also took advantage of Auckland City Council's long-standing international partnership with Los Angeles during the visit, by calling on our sister city's film office for some valuable best practice information exchange.
"Film LA rolled out the welcome mat for my visit, and some of their systems are worth considering in light of the Auckland City Council Film Protocol currently being developed" explained Mr Brook.
A further advantage of the visit to Los Angeles was the chance to reunite with another of Auckland's partner city film offices, the Busan Film Commission. Since linking up with Korean counterparts during the Busan International Film Commission and Industry Showcase last year, Mr Brook has had ongoing discussions regarding a strengthened working relationship between the two offices.
Locations Trade Show is organised annually by the Association of Film Commissions International. For more information visit
www.locationstradeshow.com.
Auckland's creative industries grow despite recession
The creative industries cover a number of sub-sectors, which have mostly grown steadily over the past eight years.
Employment in the Auckland city creative industries is concentrated in design (38 per cent), publishing (23 per cent) and screen production - TV, film and video (23 per cent). The remaining 15 per cent includes radio, digital media, performing arts, visual arts and music. In the past two years (from 2006-2008), Auckland city employment growth in the creative industries was almost six times the national average (2.9 per cent per year compared with 0.5 per cent) and faster than overall employment growth in Auckland city (2.9 per cent compared with 2.1 per cent).
The main growth has occurred in digital media and design. Between 2000 and 2008, employment in digital media grew almost 9 per cent per year, and just over 6 per cent per year in design.
City Development chairperson Aaron Bhatnagar says Auckland City Council has focused its support on the creative industries as these have produced strong economic growth in terms of revenue, employment, exports, city and national branding, while continuing to attract and retain a skilled workforce.
"In 2007 the council published a ten-year action plan outlining steps to help build the creative industries called Blueprint: Growing Auckland's Creative Industries. We realised there was so much potential in these businesses and we wanted to support that," says Councillor Bhatnagar.
Auckland city has the largest concentration of creative industries employment and businesses in the country, equating to 5 per cent of the city's total employment and 2.3 per cent of total nationwide employment. The creative industries' stand-alone contribution to Auckland city's GDP is estimated at more than $1.8 billion for 2008, or 6.6 per cent of the city's total GDP. The industries also stimulate economic activity in other sectors.
The Numbers 2009
Blueprint report
To be considered for the business and industry events support programme, please contact the
sectors project coordinator for a copy of the assessment criteria and sponsorship guide.
Applications for the 2010/2011 programme close at 5pm on 31 March 2010.
Boost for Auckland's screen production industry
Mayor John Banks meets Yogi Bear's onscreen mayor, Andrew Daly, during filming at the Auckland Town Hall.
Last month the Mayor of Auckland city, Hon. John Banks met the crew of Yogi Bear, a new movie being produced by De Line Pictures for Warner Bros. It is the first 3D feature film to be shot in Auckland and its production involves hundreds of cast, crew and extras.
"We are honoured to have this movie filmed in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand," says Mr Banks.
"Not only is this film providing excellent economic benefits to Auckland, but it is offering fantastic opportunities for highly skilled local film industry workers and helping Auckland retain young, creative and educated talent."
"We look forward to attracting even more film productions to Auckland."
Auckland City Council is working to make it easier for filming to take place in the city. Working closely with the screen production industry, the council is developing a protocol to streamline the process for obtaining consents and permits.
Generating annual gross revenue of almost $880 million and employing around 3600 people, Auckland's screen production industry provides real economic benefits to the city.
"Auckland has the infrastructure, technology and skilled workers to make it an attractive place to film. By reducing compliance costs and responding more quickly to requests, we can help grow the city's film business further," says Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, chairperson of the City Development Committee.
"Key industry players have said that they would like Auckland City Council to follow other
international cities and introduce a streamlined protocol for granting permission to film in the city. We don't want to be in a situation where Auckland misses out on film business because we can't respond quickly enough," says Councillor Bhatnagar.
The City Development Committee in December last year agreed to a three phased response. Phase 1, which is complete, involved the issue of a Memorandum of Support to council staff and businesses in the film industry, signalling council's intention to support the film industry and to introduce measures to make filming in the city easier. The council will work with industry stakeholders to develop a protocol for filming in Auckland that will streamline the processes for obtaining consents and permits. We will also work with Film Auckland to develop a register of assets in the Auckland area listing locations where filming is permitted and encouraged.
Councillor Bhatnagar said that the steps taken to make Auckland city more film-friendly could be applied to the whole region after the Auckland Council is established in November.
Film Auckland executive manager Michael Brook said he welcomed the council's moves to make Auckland a more attractive place for film companies.
"I don't think many Aucklanders realise the economic contribution the film industry makes to the city. That's perhaps a contributing factor to why there can be delays in getting permission to film or sorting out logistics like parking for film trucks or consents for temporary structures. Film Auckland looks forward to working closely with the council to enhance Auckland's reputation as a world class screen production centre," says Michael Brook.
Generating success in the creative sector
Art Generator
The ART Generator programme is already generating some great successes for the creative sector. Launched by Arts Regional Trust and The Big Idea website in 2009, the programme focuses on assisting creative entrepreneurs and helping their businesses survive and thrive in these challenging economic times.
The programme has three core components, the first of which is a network for creative entrepreneurs drawn from across the Auckland region who have completed the ART Venture and ART Source programmes. Network participants meet regularly for a year to work with a diverse range of specialists to assist with business development, engage in peer-to-peer networking, and to receive ongoing assistance to strongly ground and grow their creative businesses.
The second component involves two regional creative sector (public) forums offering knowledge, networking and the sharing of opportunities from across the region to help creative businesses survive and grow. The first public event was held in November 2009 at the Telstra Pacific Events Centre as part of the Manukau Festival of the Arts. The event was open to all creative business people and participants heard from a range of influential and inspirational speakers such as Rhonda Kite (Kiwa Media) and Moana Maniapoto. The second forum will be held in Auckland CBD in April.
Finally, the programme will soon be offering a curated space on The Big Idea website for creative entrepreneurs and practitioners to hone their business skills and learn through shared experiences. There will also be access to
'how to' information to support, develop and accelerate creative enterprise goals.
Candy Elsmore, project director, explains the benefits of the programme:
"Drawing together all these components means that all ART Venture and ART Source participants will be able to draw experience from a larger and stronger network, thereby making the region a better place for creative entrepreneurship to flourish.
"We are really starting to see the results of their individual development plans and pathways. These not only support their own development as creative entrepreneurs, but also mean that at least one project is accelerated during the year. Current projects include an art gallery space, animation music composition and theatre productions."
If you would like to hear more about the new Generator section on the Big Idea Website and the next Creative Sector Forum in April, please
join the ART database and full details will be sent to you as information becomes available.
ART Generator is supported by Arts Regional Trust Te Taumata Toi a Iwi (ART), The Big Idea website, Auckland City Council, and Waitakere City Council.
Lonely Hearts named New Zealand's hottest up-and-coming fashion exporter
Lonely Hearts
The DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship, now in its second year, was open to New Zealand fashion designers who have been exporting for less than four years. Applicants were assessed on their business, marketing and design ability, and asked to present a detailed export growth strategy.
"Lonely Hearts was the unanimous choice as the recipient of the 2009 DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship. Their achievements to date are truly outstanding and we were presented with a very sophisticated export strategy," says Mapihi Opai, executive officer of Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ) and one of the judges of this year's scholarship.
"In Helene, Steve and Aimee, we saw a team of genuine entrepreneurs. What
impressed the judges most was their finely tuned awareness of the changing
fashion landscape and the way that they addressed the needs of retailers and
consumers alike. Their design aesthetic also has a real point of difference that
is sure to appeal to key fashion export markets."
Mapihi Opai was joined on the judging panel by Liz Findlay of
Zambesi; Fiona Hawtin, editor of
Fashion Quarterly; Sarah Gibbs, founder of
Trilogy; and Jason Orlop, fashion
and textile strategic account manager at
DHL Express New Zealand.
Liz Findlay was pleased with the high quality and quantity of entries this year.
"The designers that entered this year's scholarship were very impressive. They each showed a mix of creativity, ingenuity and business savvy, which is vital when taking on international markets. The creativity of Lonely Hearts' collection was exceptional. I think they have a great future ahead of them."
This year's prize package included international freight to the value of NZ$10,000 and coaching in freight and logistics from DHL Express, as well as an individually tailored export mentoring programme and annual membership from FINZ.
Creative director of Lonely Hearts, Steve Ferguson, says: "The scholarship provides a platform for us to push into different markets. The NZ$10,000 in freight will help us grow our label by expanding in Australia, while also entering into Japan, the U.S. and U.K."
Launched in 2008, the DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship was developed as a partnership between DHL Express New Zealand and FINZ, with the aim of identifying the country's most promising fashion exporter and assisting them in achieving international growth. The inaugural winner was Stolen Girlfriends Club.
"We're really looking forward to working with Lonely Hearts over the coming months and helping them to grow their business internationally," says Jason Orlop.
Auckland City Council is a long-term supporter of FINZ as part of its contribution to the city's Economic Development Strategy under the action plan:
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
To be considered for the business and industry events support programme, please contact the
sectors project coordinator for a copy of the assessment criteria and sponsorship guide. Applications for the 2010/2011 programme close at 5pm on 31 March 2010.
Making shifts happen in brands
Duke Stump
"Look at me" branding has given way to meaningful dialogue between brands and their customers. And taking inspiration from nature will help create sustainable brands that draw people to them, and are inherently sustainable.
These were some of the pointers provided by US-based brand architect Duke Stump (www.thenorthstarmanifesto.com) at Semi Permanent 09 and in an Auckland City Council workshop (the Sustainable Brands 09 Outreach) in August. Mr Stump challenged the audience to take a pause, step back, and seize a different approach in brand development.
Under the title of "Shift Happens", he urged brand builders to be audacious about building genuine principles of sustainability into brands. He said a new approach to brand building could be applied to cities too.
"If you're branding a city," he said, "as Auckland will soon be doing with the unification of councils, make the city a place of inspiration. Ask yourselves: what are we really good at? What are our passion and our aptitude? What is the nexus between what the city's strengths are, and what the local or global stakeholders need (e.g. food, water, land, transportation, health etc), and rally people around that."
Mr Stump argued that sustainable brands of the future were 'beyond green' and were about a shift in the actions of companies (or cities)
- what companies actually do and the effect they have, rather than what they say.
"Strong sustainable brands are incredibly transparent. They are about creating meaningful, relevant, trusted relationships," he said. Giving as an example California outdoor clothing company Patagonia (www.Patagonia.com) which he dubbed
"conscious capitalism" because of its efforts to document where every item of clothing had come from in its manufacture, Duke said:
"They have created the 'footprint chronicles' - complete transparency in all
they do in terms of CO2 emissions, carbon footprint and so on. They also tell
you what's good and what's bad about them."
"Green principles" and "Sustainability" become brand drivers rather than anchors where companies are transparent, he argued.
Mr Stump outlined five beliefs and five principles of a sustainable, trusted and relevant brand.
Five beliefs
- Building bonfires with soul. Sustainable brands build bonfires with soul where all stakeholders are passionate.
- A different lens. Sustainable brands see the world through a different lens. A Japanese farmer Stump admires did not use pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers. Yet his farm produced more and better crops than any other farm around him.
"He saw the world differently," said Stump.
- A wider lens. Sustainable brands see the world holistically - as a whole.
They have a full appreciation of biodiversity and place humanity first. Duke
says - "Place humanity in your every deliberation."
- Aim for icebergs. Sustainable brands see the tip of something new, and don't disregard it. US companies Pixar and Seventh Generation are examples. Pixar saw opportunities Disney did not, and seized them.
- Empathy for the 'we' generation. Sustainable brands understand the 'we' generation (1976 to 1996).
"These young people don't define success as doing better than their parents. They believe in environmental stewardship and social justice," he says.
Five principles
- It begins inside. Great brands have great cultures. Human capital is the basis of brand capital.
- Inspiration overcomes desperation. Great brands play to their strengths. They play to win, rather than not to lose.
- See, feel, change. Master the art of storytelling by getting folks to see the vision of the brand and opportunity, in a way that they feel it
- and are subsequently moved to change.
- Nature as a mentor. Nature's principles can inform thinking in a way that helps create thriving, living cultures.
- Trust equals authenticity. Great brands recognise people don't want perfection
- they want honesty.
A beginner's guide to sponsorship
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| Air New Zealand Fashion Week ad. |
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Common mistakes for an organisation or individual seeking sponsorship include: making assumptions about the sponsor, and a cookie cutter approach to the pitch. Yet by astute observation, asking the target organisation for pertinent information, and understanding their objectives, those new to seeking sponsorship can be successful.
Recently Auckland City Council co-hosted a Fashion Industry New Zealand-WHK Gosling Chapman workshop on sponsorship. The workshop was delivered through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's Enterprise Training programme, and was targeted at young fashion industry entrepreneurs and seed companies.
Paula Corcoran, event sponsorship manager for Auckland City Council presented to the gathering which aimed to assist young fashion designers in their development of sponsorship.
"Sponsors need a return on investment from their contribution," says Paula, "and this is a source of misunderstanding by those new to seeking sponsorship. Basically, prospective sponsorship seekers have to connect with the objectives of the sponsor. The matching of objectives
- where both partners look at exactly what they can each achieve, and how they can achieve it together
- provides the basis for any sponsorship proposal and on-going collaboration.
"Too often, she says, while the organisation seeking sponsorship understands exactly what their own points of difference are, and what their business and marketing needs are, they can be bereft of the same information about their prospective sponsor.
"It's easy to become fixated on the pitch for sponsorship," she says, "but the content is very, very important
- more important than the presentation. The content needs to focus on the unique ways you can add value to the sponsor
- not the other way around."
Paula listed key points about seeking sponsorship:
- Don't make it a best guess proposal. Find out about the sponsor's market, their target customers, and their marketing needs. Ask the target sponsor questions to find out information about them. Don't just look at what they're doing now. That activity will probably have been planned 12 or more months ago. Insightful questions about where their brand is going, and how they wish to grow it will help tailor the sponsorship proposal.
- Understand the difference between sponsorship and grants (funding). Grants are usually contestable funds which can be applied for (often by application to a public organisation or a benefactor. They usually impose few commercial obligations, but there are still contractual clauses to be met.) In a sponsorship, there is a contractual obligation on the part of the sponsored party to assist the sponsor in its commercial goals. These may be very clearly specified.
"The objectives of a contract need to be fully serviced by the organisation that's sponsored. If you don't deliver on them, sponsors may withhold money or product in kind," says Paula.
- Measure the outcome of the sponsorship against the objectives you both set in the first place.
- The proposal itself should be tailored - and never generic. It is highly
unlikely a sponsor will meet the full financial needs in the proposal first
time round, so offer options that they might consider. While every proposal
structure is different, it still must have all the relevant factual information which might include:
- the date and nature of any event
- the cost of admission to any event
- numbers expected
- type of market reached (socio-demographic etc).
- Clearly understand how the audience for your own product connects with the audience targeted by your sponsor. If their target audience is 45 plus, with discretionary expenditure, and yours is not, the fit won't work.
- Always formally contract with your sponsor, recording what you have agreed will be delivered (and how). Many sponsors want to use their own (complex and long) contracts. This saves you money, but you need to be mindful of what they contain.Paula listed key points about seeking sponsorship:
Don't make it a best guess proposal. Find out about the sponsor's market, their target customers, and their marketing needs. Ask the target sponsor questions to find out information about them. Paula listed key points about seeking sponsorship:
Don't make it a best guess proposal. Find out about the sponsor's market, their target customers, and their marketing needs. Ask the target sponsor questions to find out information about them.
Paula also says there is a psychology of sponsorship which the sponsorship seeker needs to understand.
"Sponsors don't need to be passionate about your brand. To get their signup, you need to be passionate and knowledgeable about theirs!" she says.
"They just need to be able to see the unique commercial benefits of the potential partnership."
While no sponsorship workshops are currently firmly planned, please contact us if you would like to put your name down for any in the future.
There's no business like… the fashion business
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Design by AUT Rookie student
Abby Foy. |
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New Zealand's fashion industry is centred in Auckland, and over the last few months, the fashion industry has been in the city's spotlight, with help from Auckland City Council.
First down the catwalk in September was
Air New Zealand Fashion Week, held at Auckland's unique Viaduct Harbour Marine Village. The council recognises the important contribution the fashion industry makes to Auckland's economy, and is proud to be a longstanding supporter of Fashion Week as the industry's premier event.
In 2006, an economic impact report stated that Fashion Week 2004 was worth an estimated $33.06 million to the New Zealand economy in terms of total output generated, and an estimated $29.75 million in the Auckland economy. The event has continued to grow since this report, in terms of participating designers, buyers, registered delegates and media coverage.
The council is also working to nurture young talent in the industry. AUT University held its Rookie fashion show independently from Fashion Week for the first time this year, and the council was proud to continue sponsoring this exciting showcase of emerging talent.
Alex Jaeha Kim's stellar rise through the New Zealand fashion industry shows the path possible. Kim made his Fashion Week debut in 2006 with the AUT
Rookie Show, and his debut solo runway show last year was hailed as one of the
best of the week. This year Kim returned with a stunning collection, "Call Me
Princess, My Daddy Says So". The 'Jaeha' label is sold through stockists in New Zealand, Australia and the US, and the designer is currently a finalist in the 2008 Mango Fashion Awards, a major international award backed by the world's most prestigious fashion schools.
Conquering the fashion industry is not just about talent and determination - and Auckland City Council recently held a workshop on
'The Business of Fashion' for graduating fashion students. Open to final year students from AUT University and Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, the workshop focused on the critical success factors of the fashion business world and was designed to develop business acumen and commercial savvy. Guest speakers were Murray Bevan, director of Showroom 22, and leading New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester.
The students found facilitator Dianne Ludwig's expertise particularly impressive and valuable. Whitecliffe College graduate Maxine Woolridge said,
"I have already graduated and have started my own label so this workshop was
perfect for bringing my knowledge up to date - loved it!"
The various projects the council supports in the fashion industry are part of its commitment to growing the city's creative industries through its action plan,
Blueprint. The council also sponsors Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ)
as an industry organisation.
The Big Idea moves to Web 2.0
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The Big Idea is the online home
of New Zealand's creative community. |
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The Big Idea is the online home of New Zealand's creative community. As the most visited creative sector website in the country, TBI is about to step up a gear by migrating to a Web 2.0 format, with the help of Auckland City Council sponsorship.
Te Aria Nui, www.thebigidea.co.nz is the space where creative people find the connections between creativity, innovation, enterprise, and each other - to activate creative thinking and innovation across sectors, disciplines and communities. The site has a growing membership and currently has 17,000 registered members.
TBI 2 will bring Web 2.0 innovations seen in social networking sites to the creative entrepreneur network TBI has developed over the last seven years. It will bring in new users and extend possibilities for sharing, collaboration, and of course, creativity.
Visitors to the site will still be able to keep up to date with the latest creative industry news, interviews and columns, as well as find tools for creative development, browse forums and galleries. Members create profiles of themselves and their creative work - and the job and opportunity listings remain a steady drawcard. The weekly e-newsletter, the navigator bulletin, helps to keep members informed, and stimulate discussion and debate.
Increasing the functionality of TBI will help creative people to make the most of new web technology to showcase their work in dynamic and versatile ways, and improve the ability to connect with creative sector employers. TBI 2 is currently undergoing trials and will be formally launching in February 2009.
The creative industries employ around 13,100 people in Auckland city, and the sector's stand-alone contribution to Auckland city's GDP is estimated at over $1.7 billion for 2006, equivalent to seven per cent of the city's total GDP. The creative sector is also an enabler of economic activity in other sectors.
Auckland City Council sponsors The Big Idea as an important vehicle to
deliver the goals under its action plan,
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
Visit www.thebigidea.co.nz to become a member and profile yourself or organisation.
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Cover of Auckland's creative industries:
The Numbers 2007 report. |
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Auckland's creative industries - we have The Numbers
With its wealth of talented and highly creative people and
businesses, without a doubt Auckland is the home of New Zealand's creative
industries. Auckland City Council's in-depth quantitative research report
'Auckland's creative industries: The Numbers 2007' shows how it all stacks up.
The update of the creative sector business location and
employment data originally set out in
Snapshot: Auckland's creative industries shows that the creative industries
are still extremely important to the city's economy.
Of all New Zealand's cities, Auckland city has the largest
number of people employed in the creative industries (approximately 13,100
employees).
The creative sector is concentrated in Auckland city, with 39 per
cent of New Zealand's creative sector workforce.
The sector is estimated to
contribute over $1.7 billion GDP to the Auckland city economy.
Location-wise,
three-quarters of Auckland city's creative sector employment is located in the CBD and fringe areas.
Download 'Auckland's creative industries: The
numbers 2007'.
Design for Auckland - Designers
Institute of New Zealand
Design is a major contributor to
Auckland's cultural and economic landscape. Design
unlocks business and is a driver of innovation. Good
design facilitates social cohesion and wellbeing, and sets New Zealand and New
Zealand goods apart on the international stage. The Designers Institute of New
Zealand plays a key role in the recognition and growth of the sector.
The DINZ national conference day will
be held on 10 October at Auckland Museum, with the
BeST Design Awards taking
place at Aotea Centre that evening, celebrating the best in New Zealand's design
industry. The conference theme this year is around sustainability and imminent
change, see
www.dinz.org.nz for registration.
By supporting DINZ, Auckland City
Council is implementing its goals in
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
An Evening of Shameless Networking
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| Sea cocktail by SEA. |
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It was billed tongue-in-cheek, as an Evening of Shameless
Networking for creative entrepreneurs, 'business cards essential' - and the
results are proving that networking works.
On 13 August, Auckland City Council and the British Council
co-hosted an Evening of Shameless Networking, featuring Bryan Edmondson of
SEA Design. The London-based designer
came to Auckland for a fleeting visit to speak at
Semi-Permanent, the largest
design forum in the country held at Aotea Centre, also proudly sponsored by the
council.
Ingrid Leary, country director of the
British Council in New
Zealand, says the event was a great example of how willing creative
entrepreneurs are to jump in and make connections. "Many people have told me
already how they were able to find synergies with their creative projects
through connecting at this event," she says.
Bryan Edmondson gave his tips for creative entrepreneurs,
based on his own experience of learning things the hard way on his road to
success. Established in 1997 by himself and John Simpson, SEA is an
independent, multi-disciplinary and award-winning design agency. A popular
example of their work is the brand identity for Jamie Oliver. The picture
(right)
is from the name generation and identity for a London Restaurant, OQO.
Facilitating opportunities for the people working in the
creative industries to build networks is a crucial part of Auckland City
Council's work as outlined in its action plan
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
Renewed commitment to Film Auckland
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Filming of a TV commercial for
VISA Brasil, courtesy of Joyride Films. |
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Auckland City Council has increased its sponsorship of Film
Auckland, the destination marketing office and industry body for screen
production in the Auckland region. The organisation, which has received support
from council since its inauguration in 2003, promotes the local screen
industry's capabilities nationally and globally.
"Productions have been brought to New Zealand as a result
of Auckland City Council's support," says Michael Brook, Executive Manager of
Film Auckland. "By providing sponsorship to Film Auckland, they help give us
the ability to really achieve."
Not only are productions attracted, more than 500
productions are also facilitated and permitted by council's event and film
operations team annually.
Feature films such as Under the Mountain, Underworld 3
and Apron Strings, television productions Life's a Riot, Diplomatic Immunity, Shortland Street and commercials for X-Box, National Bank, and Visa Brazil
(pictured, courtesy of Joyride Films) have all been facilitated in recent
months.
Auckland is the home of New
Zealand's screen production industry, with half of the nation's screen
production employment, and three quarters of television employment. The screen
production industry is the second largest subsector in Auckland city's creative
industries. Auckland City
Council is committed to assisting growth in this significant sector as outlined
in Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
See
www.filmauckland.com for more
information.
Updated September 2010
