A key priority for Creative New Zealand is to enable New Zealand arts to gain international success through the promotion of New Zealand arts and artists internationally.

The International strategy plan represents three goals:

• Support the development and presentation of distinctive, high quality, 'international-ready' art
• Develop international markets and audiences for New Zealand art
• Build the skills and capability of the arts sector for engaging internationally

International success is a priority for both artistic and economic sustainability. Artists develop their practice through observing and interacting with international colleagues and benchmarking their work against international standards. International markets offer the potential to expand and diversify audiences, extend the life of a work, and provide additional employment and sources of income to artists.

The international strategy spans three areas within Creative New Zealand encompassing the International Programme and the international elements of both Contestable Funding and Recurrently Funded Organisations.
For example, artists may develop potential for international engagement through Creative New Zealand’s residencies, contestable funding or through a specific programme developed by the International Team. Overseas engagement is primarily funded either through grants to recurrently funded organisations or through contestable funding. However, as the International Team is involved in assisting to develop or deepen markets, it may invite artists to participate in overseas engagement through targeted activities.

Creative New Zealand has programmed to:

• Undertake an environmental scan, including a review of activity through contestable funding and recurrently funded organisations, to help identify artists who are ready to work in an international context (who may or may not already be engaging internationally) as well as those with potential, that is, whose practice/work is distinctive, of high quality and viable. This scan will be updated on an annual basis.
• Collaborate with sector partners who have New Zealand arts knowledge and work within an international context to identify artists and their work . We will align planning and investment where it makes sense to do so, including:
• Work with festival directors and curators in the performing and visual arts; and
• Work with partner organisations such as the New Zealand Music Commission, Playmarket, Dance Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ), Composers Association New Zealand (CANZ), Book Publishers Association New Zealand (BPANZ), the New Zealand Book Council and SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.

There are several ways that Creative New Zealand will assist artists to achieve their goal of international ready product:

• Work with the arts community (using mechanisms such as contestable funding, residencies and the Distribution Strategy) to assist in developing high quality artists and international-ready practice/work
• Develop artists to create work of international quality through exchanges, residencies, internship schemes and co-productions with national and international partners (including festivals, presenters, galleries, and international arts councils)
• International artists working with New Zealand companies: this element of the International Programme will be piloted with a Recurrently Funded Organisation in 2009. The aim is for the company to develop a new work that pushes boundaries for them and potentially opens a market opportunity in the guest artist’s country
• New Zealand artists’ international internship initiative: this element will also be piloted (with a selected artist) in 2009. The aim is for the artist to develop his or her practice and work through the exposure and experience gained during internship in another country
• Partnering with the Asia New Zealand Foundation on the development of an Asian internship programme in 2010
• Create opportunities for artists’ development in the area of international indigenous exchange
• Work with festivals and presenters of international standing in New Zealand (including galleries) to assist in developing and raising the standard of New Zealand art work as well as the skills of practitioners.
   

All funding applications are assessed for artistic merit, as well as how strongly they meet at least one of the Creative New Zealand strategic priorities. [link to strat priorities on website] All international opportunities receive an initial strategic and artistic assessment by Creative New Zealand staff to ensure they have a minimum ranking. All international applications are externally assessed other than where specified.

Specific criteria will apply to each international programme please contact

international@creativenz.govt.nz for further details.

For international projects all applicants should apply through Contestable Funding. Specific international programmes are also so open to our recurrently funded organisations and are:

• Advertised as they arrive on our website this includes market development opportunities. These can be seen in the news on the main International page
• Specific funding available for engagements have arised from a pro-active market development programme, specifically the International Arts Markets

For further information please contact international@creativenz.govt.nz

Creative New Zealand is proactive in three international markets:

• Australia and the Pacific
• Asia (incl Hong Kong, Korea and Shanghai)
• West Coast USA and Canada

Please look at the Market development page on our website.

Yes, we recognise a range of key industry bodies such as SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music, Dance Aotearoa NZ, Composers Association of NZ, Playmarket, NZ Music Commission, NZ Book Council, Book Publishers Association of NZ, Tautai Trust, APRA, Arts Alliance as well as major arts presenters such as festivals and galleries and recurrently funded organisations such as Toi Maori and Chamber Music NZ.

We are also seeking to strengthen our partnerships with other relevant agencies, such as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tourism New Zealand and the Asia NZ Foundation. In addition, we will deepen our existing international partnerships and develop new ones. We will prioritise our activities in this area.

Selection for this prestigious event is limited to established, well-respected New Zealand visual art practitioners.

There are strong connections between domestic [link to distribution page] and international distribution of the arts. International engagement is dependent on quality art being created and successfully distributed within New Zealand. Experience in domestic touring and exhibition is a stepping stone to international engagement and supports the development of high quality New Zealand work.

There are strong connections between domestic and international distribution of the arts. International engagement is dependent on quality art being created and successfully distributed within New Zealand. Experience in domestic touring and exhibition is a stepping stone to international engagement and supports the development of high quality New Zealand work.

Outcome indicators that will be used to monitor the International Strategy's overall success will include the following:

• New Zealand art receives positive critical and audience responses overseas
• New Zealand artists can access international markets more readily
• There is a consistent demand for New Zealand artists and/or their work overseas
• International engagements, commissions etc. contribute to the sustainability of New Zealand artists' careers.

The measures will be integrated through cross-organisational monitoring and evaluation that includes contestable funding, the International Programme and Creative NZ's recurrently funded organisations.

The International Strategy will guide Creative New Zealand’s international-related activities and funding from February 2009 to June 2013.

Only New Zealand citizens and residents are able to apply for Creative New Zealand funding. As a New Zealand citizens/resident you do not have to be resident in New Zealand to apply for funding.