AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE

7 December 2006

Blueprint: Growing Auckland city's creative industries

An action plan to support the growth of Auckland city's creative sector was endorsed by the council's Economic Development and Sustainable Business Committee yesterday.

The plan "Blueprint: Growing Auckland city's creative industries" outlines new initiatives aimed at growing Auckland's creative sector. These include working with organisations to link Auckland's creative industries to international markets and increase exports; contributing to career development of emerging creative talent; and providing business incubator support and enterprise development initiatives.

These initiatives are a result of extensive research into the creative sector and a 2005 report "Snapshot: Auckland's Creative Industries", which showed the creative sector contributed $1.17 billion (6.3 per cent) to the city's GDP in 2003 and accounted for 37 per cent of the nation's creative sector jobs.

"Blueprint: Growing Auckland city's creative industries" outlines three main goals: * Raise Profile aims to increase the visibility of Auckland's creative industries * Support Enterprise aims to enhance Auckland's creative industries competitive advantage in the national and international economy * Create Environment aims to make Auckland a stimulating city to live and work in, with infrastructure and council policies that foster creativity and enterprise.

Councillor Richard Northey, Economic Development and Sustainable Business Committee chairperson says "Blueprint" will result in the council actively promoting and assisting Auckland city's creative industries to greater national and international economic success.

"We have listened to what the creative sector has said and as a result of our findings, we now have an agenda for action - one that matches our vision of creating a city that attracts talent, nurtures ideas and embraces our unique critical mass in the creative industries," says Mr Northey.

"Implementing the strategies and actions within each goal will contribute to growing Auckland city's creative industries and enhancing the city's performance on a long-term sustainable basis. These three goals are interconnected and they work together in a cyclical way, which means performance in one area has flow-on benefits in other areas."

Mr Northey says the council is looking forward to more effective collaboration with the sector and building relationships that will help generate a shared understanding for the future sustainability of the creative industries in Auckland.

"Auckland City already is a significant supporter of creative and artistic endeavour. Traditionally that support has been measured in cultural terms. Blueprint is different in that it reflects Auckland City's commitment in an economic context to strengthen the sustainable development of our city's creative industries."

Blueprint contributes to the council's economic development strategy and aligns with other Auckland City plans and strategies such as the Urban Design frameworks, CBD Public Art Plan, Our Future Auckland, Auckland's CBD - Into the Future strategy, Auckland City events strategy and Arts Agenda.

Note to editors Auckland City uses a definition of creative industries that is broadly comparable to international studies and has grouped the creative industries into six key sub sectors:

* design (including graphic design, architecture, advertising and designer fashion) * publishing (including books, periodicals and newspapers) * music * performing arts * visual arts, crafts and photography * screen production and radio (including film, television, video and digital media).

Creative industries are defined as those industries that have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.

(UK Creative Industries Taskforce, Creative Industries Mapping Document 2001, UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2001).

ENDS

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