Purpose

Nui te Kōrero builds the arts sector’s leadership capability to adapt to the evolving needs of Aotearoa and its people, promoting innovation, sustainability, and collective resilience. Guided by te ao Māori values and perspectives and recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it provides a platform for exploring strategic challenges, seizing opportunities, and fostering transformative thinking.

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Kia kotahi te tū
Standing together for the arts

It is about kotahitanga, standing together, and supporting
the arts sector to respond to some of our biggest challenges. 

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The theme has four focus areas or ‘wero’ to help guide the programme design and development:

1. How will we build equitable and inclusive futures for ngā toi and the arts through partnership, ensuring just outcomes in policy and action? What is the path forward for honouring and implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi for tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti?  

2. What will accessibility look like in our future arts communities? How can we centre the experience of our communities to build inclusive practice and embed access for all, especially for tāngata whaikaha, tāngata turi, Deaf and disabled artists?

3. How will we position ngā toi and the arts as central pou in the economic development of our communities? How can we unlock the potential of the sector in driving economies, fostering and deepening audience participation, and creating revenue opportunities locally, across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa and globally? 

4. What role will AI and other emerging technologies play in ngā toi and, now and tomorrow? How can we harness the potential of technological innovation to enhance creativity and mahi while safeguarding IP, matauranga and artistic integrity? What does this mean for data sovereignty and the future of art sales, distribution, and copyright? 

In our communications and on our website we’ve condensed these into four questions:

1. Equity & Inclusion – How do we ensure just outcomes through partnership, policy, and action, honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi?  

2. Accessibility – How do we centre community experiences to embed access for all, especially for tāngata whaikaha, turi Māori, Deaf and disabled artists? 

3. Emerging Technologies – How do we harness AI and innovation while safeguarding IP, mātauranga, and artistic integrity?  

4. Economic Development – How can ngā toi and the arts be positioned as central pou for economic growth, participation, and global opportunities? 

Target audience

Nui te Kōrero is for arts and cultural organisations, artists, practitioners, managers, leaders, producers, practitioners, marketers and governors working in the arts.

Professional conduct & liability

Speakers agree to conduct themselves in a professional manner when carrying out the speaking activities and abide by all relevant health and safety and equal opportunities laws.  

Speakers agree to personally accept any and all liabilities in relation to any of their acts or omissions while speaking for Creative New Zealand or otherwise participating in Nui te Kōrero.  

Speakers must not undertake any actions which may cause damage or harm to the business or interests of Creative New Zealand or otherwise represent themselves as being a representative of Creative New Zealand.

Speakers must comply with the Supplier Code of Conduct issued by the Procurement Functional Leader (see procurement.govt.nz).

Promotion

Speakers may be asked to support the promotion of Nui te Kōrero as appropriate. This may include being interviewed, writing blogs, using social media such as X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn as approved by Creative New Zealand. However, Speakers must seek approval prior to any such communications being published. This extends to any material published by a Speaker which in any way refers to, or relates to, Nui te Kōrero and/or Creative New Zealand.

Alternative delivery

Nui te Kōrero 2025 will be held in-person. Should the New Zealand government change the requirements to safely host an event the guidelines under which this event is held are subject to change. Anyone attending the in-person event must abide by any changes in the requirements as noted by the New Zealand government to safely host an event. 

This is a kanohi ki te kanohi (in-person) conference. If we need to switch to a virtual conference a decision will be made two weeks out from Nui te Kōrero. If we’re not able to host an in-person event within two weeks we will cancel Nui te Kōrero.  

In the event that Nui te Kōrero is held virtually, and your session is suitable for broadcast you will be required to connect to the broadcast studio. In which case you’ll need a strong internet connection, a quiet space, good lighting, a camera connected to your computer and sound. We will test all this with you prior to the event.