Creative NZ and the British Council forge new cultural links

CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND MEDIA RELEASE

12 August 2013

Creative New Zealand and the British Council forge new cultural links

Creative New Zealand and the British Council have created a new partnership, MOMENTUM New Zealand, to support greater artistic collaboration and exchange.

This month, MOMENTUM New Zealand is supporting a delegation of 18 arts professionals to attend this year’s Edinburgh Festivals.

MOMENTUM NZ delegates will be introduced to Scottish, UK and international producers, festival directors and venue managers and supported by Creative Scotland and Festivals Edinburgh to develop their own professional networks via hosted events and individual meetings.

The Edinburgh Festivals are the largest and most acclaimed in the world and Creative New Zealand welcomes the opportunity to boost New Zealand’s involvement, says Creative New Zealand’s Senior Manager, Arts Policy, Capability and International, Cath Cardiff.

“Our arts professionals will experience first-hand how this huge multi-layered event is put together and plan how their work might fit within that. We look forward to working with the sector and the British Council on this initiative and exploring on-going relationships together,” she says.

As a result of this new partnership, it is anticipated that more New Zealand companies and artists will feature in the Edinburgh Festivals in 2014. “With the Commonwealth Games being staged in Glasgow in 2014 at the same time as the Edinburgh Festival, the timing of this new initiative just couldn’t be better,” says Director of Arts, British Council, Graham Sheffield. “We look forward to the development of exciting new work and to greater artistic collaboration between our two countries.”

“Having the Games and the Festivals taking place at the same time is an opportunity for New Zealand to raise awareness of the diversity and richness of our culture and create a lasting impact in Scotland, the UK and internationally,” says Ms Cardiff.

Members of the delegation were selected by British Council officers and Edinburgh Festival directors and venue managers who attended the Auckland Arts Festival earlier this year as part of Creative New Zealand’s Te Manu Ka Tau: Flying Friends initiative.

Creative New Zealand has contributed $30,000 towards Momentum NZ. The full programme of Edinburgh Festivals work will not be known until early 2014.
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