WeCreate, the alliance of New Zealand’s creative industries, has welcomed today’s [2 July] release of the government paper From the Knowledge Wave to the Digital Age. The creative sector has come together over the past 3 years to develop an Action Plan that, when implemented, will grow the sector’s contribution to both New Zealand’s economic prosperity and to our wellbeing.
Chair of WeCreate, Paula Browning, said, ”Our Action Plan is the result of collaboration between industry and government. It outlines six areas of work that will deliver bigger, better and faster results. We’re delighted that Minister Parker has included the creative sector in his future-focussed work programme.”
The UK has led the way in demonstrating what can be achieved when government and industry work together to grow a creative economy. New Zealand has different creative strengths and we can leverage our access to the internet, our connectedness and our ideas to achieve significant economic growth through industry partnering with government.
”Building sustainable careers and businesses in the sector, forming productive connections between creative businesses and tertiary education providers, increasing investment in creative business and growing creative exports are just some of the outcomes outlined in the Action Plan.”
New Zealand’s creative people and creative businesses generate high-value, often-digital products and services that are at the forefront of innovation, spearhead new technology and will underpin many future occupations while supporting transition to a lower carbon economy. A joined-up approach by the sector and government to delivering on the Action Plan will achieve much for New Zealand – economically, socially, culturally and environmentally.