New Campaign Celebrates Creativity In Aotearoa

Today Creative New Zealand proudly launches Creativity makes us – Auahatia!, a newarts advocacy campaign celebrating the power of creativity and its important role in our lives and national identity.

“Aotearoa New Zealand is a nation brimming with creativity,” says Chief Executive, Stephen Wainwright.

“The more we recognise and celebrate this, the more we can all work to ensure our artists and creatives thrive. Creativity makes us – Auahatia! is an invitation for everyone to see themselves as part of this rich creative story,” says Stephen.

Creativity makes us – Auahatia! is both a celebration and a call to action, encouraging New Zealanders to consider their own relationship to creativity. It highlights that creativity makes us who we are as individuals and as a nation. At the same time, it calls to all New Zealanders with the rousing kupu (word) auahatia! This is an energised command which means make! Create!

The launch campaign showcases the depth and breadth of creativity in Aotearoa. The campaign video celebrates everyday creative acts alongside archive footage of leading New Zealand artists, reminding us that New Zealand has always been proudly creative.

“Together these images paint a picture of the collective experience of our creativity and the power of that for us as a nation –our sense of identity is built through the creative and cultural experiences we share,” says Stephen.

Research shows that participating in arts and creative activities improves mental health and helps build understanding and respect between communities, amongst many other benefits, says Advocacy Manager, Tracey Monastra.

“An important part of Creative New Zealand’s role is to advocate for the arts and encourage all New Zealanders to experience creativity in its many forms,” says Tracey.

This campaign is the latest step in Creative New Zealand’s ongoing efforts to champion New Zealand art and artists through campaigns such as Art Work, Creative Wellbeing, Thankful for Art; and event series All in for Arts: He waka toi e eke noa nei tātou in partnership with The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi.

“The time has come to unify the ideas behind our advocacy work under one central, recognisable message for now and into the future – and we’re excited to grow Creativity makes us – Auahatia! from here,” Tracey says.

Creative New Zealand worked with creative agency, Curative, to develop the campaign. “The campaign line forms a powerful call and response”, says Curative Design Director, Kaan Hiini.

“It was important that our message was bilingual, yet not necessarily a direct translation. In te reo Māori, ‘auahatia’ is a command meaning make! Create! There’s a boldness about it that felt right. It implies a speaker and an audience. It implies an invitation,” Kaan says.

Focused squarely on celebrating and awakening the power of creativity, the campaign will roll out publicly over the coming weeks on TVNZ+, Stuff and The Herald, street posters, social media, and on the campaign website. Future campaigns willrun under the same banner.

Featured artists in the campaign video include Ralph Hotere and Mataaho Collective, Booker Prize winners Keri Hulme and Eleanor Catton, beloved performers The Topp Twins and Fred Dagg (John Clarke), globally recognised dancers Parris Goebel and Black Grace, musicians including Bic Runga and Lorde. The waiata in the campaign video is Tarakihi, a song closely linked to Ngāti Maniapoto. The version in the video is sung by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa from her 1999 album Māori Songs.

Creative New Zealand acknowledges and thanks all the artists and creatives involved in the campaign (a full list can be found here on the campaign website). And we thank creative agency Curative for their vision and energy in bringing the campaign to life.

Creative New Zealand encourages arts communities and organisations to share the campaign with your audiences, supporters, whānau and friends.

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