25 March 2004

Strategy for Northland’s Creative Industries to be Produced

Northland’s creative industries are the latest sector of the regional economy to have a comprehensive strategy under development.

The “Northland Forward Together” strategy, launched in 2002, identified the arts as a potential growth sector for the region.

Now a strategy is to be prepared, outlining the opportunities and economic benefits for the arts sector and how to advance them to a higher level across the Northland region.

“The arts sector has the potential to provide significant and sustainable further employment opportunities within Northland,” said Bill Shepherd, chair of the Enterprise Northland Creative Industries Development Group, a 12-member steering group.

Consultants to develop the strategy are currently being chosen, and there will be opportunities for community input during the second half of the year, with the strategy scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

“It will definitely be an inclusive process, and we will be looking for suggestions from anybody that’s involved in the creative side of the economy,” said Mr Shepherd.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>