Culture

Queenstown’s town centre now tells more of the story behind its history in a narrative woven through paving and light poles around the area.

A new art exhibition in Foxton encourages visitors to follow their nose and indulge in the sensory experiences of olfactory art.

Cyclists around Pōneke Wellington will soon see blue and green designs representing hidden waterways and sites of historic cultural significance around the city.

The Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has allocated $22m to the cultural, creative and festival sector to ensure it is able to thrive.

Historic battle site Te Pakanga o Ōhaeawai near Kaikohe in Northland has opened to the public after a $1.79m restoration project.

Māori cultural performances are back at Auckland War Memorial Museum after being suspended due to Covid.

The projects include a digital storytelling app for the Russell Museum, e-commerce functionality for local art galleries, and a 3D virtual exhibition for the Tairawhiti Arts Festival.

Kiwis do not want to pay for Māori tourism experiences – they believe they should get them for free, says Te Puia’s Tim Cossar.

A new kiosk and etching in Tauranga’s Wharf Street Upgrade in Te Papa will showcase the history of the city as part of an interactive audio and video experience.

A plan to transform a Tauranga reserve into a cultural and historic centre would provide a visitor experience around Māori life, including the 1864 battle of Gate Pā Pukehinahina.

The Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund is designed to support strategic, sector-led initiatives that will have lasting benefits for arts, culture, and heritage.

Sections of Tauranga’s Mt Maunganui Mauao will be closed to the public next week as works get underway to place new wayfinding signage and cultural touchpoints across the mountain.

The 44th TuTagata Polynesian Festival will begin at the TSB Arena in Wellington on 27 July.

The first phase of the Ngā Ara Tipuna history trail in Central Hawke’s Bay is now complete.

The 2022 round of the Regional Culture and Heritage Fund (RCHF) is open for applications, with up to $13m earmarked for capital projects at performing arts venues, art galleries, museums, whare taonga, mixed purpose art and museum centres, and other cultural institutions.

The Waitangi National Trust Board has been granted $3m to keep its grounds open to the public.

Budget 2022 has allocated more than $185m to support the country’s cultural sector.

A Tauranga reserve commemorating the 1864 Battle of Re Ranga is being upgraded to create a place of remembrance and storytelling.

The National Library’s He Tohu exhibition has hosted almost 100,000 people over the last five years.

The government’s Arts and Culture Covid Recovery Programme has paid out more than $20m to arts and culture events that were cancelled or suffered a loss of income due to Covid.

Kapa haka festival Te Matatini is celebrating 50 years of the best of Māori performing arts and kaihaka.

Twenty-seven arts, culture and heritage projects across the Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Manawatū regions will benefit from the latest round of Te Urungi: Innovating Aotearoa culture sector funding, says Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni.

The region can become a major showcase for NZ culture, says Northland Inc’s Tania Burt.

The government will provide more support for events through expanding the amount of money and eligibility timeframes for key funding schemes.

The Coastal Arts Trail has teamed up with Quirky Campers NZ to launch a new art-immersive campervan.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds occupies a unique space in the nation’s psyche and its profile as a tourism destination is slowly changing.

An open-air opera event will be held on the Auckland waterfront on 11 – 14 February 2022.

The first round of funding for Ngā Puninga Toi ā-Ahurea me ngā Kaupapa Cultural Installations and Events has opened.

The cultural artworks along SH1 and the railway line on the Kaikōura coastline have been completed. 

Four popular Māori and Pasifika events are set to receive government funding of up to $100,000 apiece through the new Creative and Cultural Events Incubator fund.

Community members of the Queenstown Lakes District have commissioned a “cultural masterplan” to improve arts and culture in the region.