The value of bringing people together in person rather than on a screen was evident at the recent Shifting the Stream: rethinking arts investment forum, held in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Organised by Arts Access Aotearoa and funded by Auckland Council, the forum provided a platform for creative spaces to showcase their mahi to funding agencies such as the Tindall Foundation, Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.

An important part of the event involved participants listening to each other in groups and discussing solutions to hard questions.

A key invitation I made to the 60 participants at the  beginning of the event was to shift our current perspectives, frameworks and processes to make purposeful changes to what we are currently doing.

Throughout the day we heard people say, “You’re on my list to talk to …” and “I’ve been meaning to catch up with you …” That’s one of the things Arts Access Aotearoa does across its programmes: we bring people together to share knowledge, learn from each other and find solutions.

Thanks to the participants, it was a day of meaningful connection with many good ideas for action offered. Across the kōrero, a clear message emerged of the need for multi-year funding to support well-planned, impactful outcomes.

Thinking differently about funding

Keynote speaker Dr Molly Mullen, from the University of Auckland, invited us to think about funding through the lens of what she calls “both+and thinking”. 
She reminded us that arts participation improves wellbeing at individual, community and social levels – a fact supported by extensive research conducted both in Aotearoa and internationally.

Yet despite this evidence, creative spaces continue to face fragile and short-term resourcing.

Molly challenged us all to move beyond “either-or” thinking – to resist habits that separate art from health, outcomes from process. She said that creative spaces specialise in both+and practice. They bring together one or more artforms with one or more social or health practices to meet the needs of specific communities.

Funding systems, however, tend to focus on one outcome. Molly’s message was clear: to sustain this work, funders and practitioners need to collaborate across boundaries, sharing resources and designing funding that reflects the full value of creative practice. 

You can read more about this in Molly’s blog, Both+and thinking needed to change the funding landscape.

Meeting as people, not positions

Throughout the forum, we saw what happens when people connect directly: they collaborate and problem-solve. The table-talk format, where everyone contributed to the discussion around shared questions, sparked peer-to-peer conversation.

Putting funders, practitioners and creative space leaders around the table created a positive, solutions-focused atmosphere. Conversations were grounded in practice but oriented toward shared action.

This face-to-face exchange builds understanding, trust and, ultimately, better investment decisions.

It was encouraging to hear funders speak about what they valued. Liz Tindall of the Tindall Foundation highlighted how rare and rewarding it was to meet practitioners delivering work on the ground. Funders appreciated hearing directly from those who know their communities best, not only from organisational leaders.

What emerged from the forum is a shift in the narrative. We’re not simply asking for more funding: we’re demonstrating how the Creative Spaces Network is actively working to solve the challenges of funding and sustainability.

Funders told us they were drawn to this spirit of collective problem-solving and I felt proud and encouraged by the Network. By showing collaboration, innovation and co-funding approaches, we strengthen our case for long-term investment.

Where to from here

Arts Access Aotearoa is committed to facilitating these conversations where we connect funders, policymakers and creative spaces to help build mutual understanding and systemic change.

Our next steps are already taking shape and we hope to replicate the format across other regions. We’re also sharing the forum highlights with the all of the Creative Spaces Network, reinforcing the importance of collaboration and peer-led connection.

Ultimately, Shifting the Stream showed that when we meet face to face, share our knowledge and listen with curiosity, we can start reshaping the flow of arts investment in Aotearoa.

Both+and thinking and practice calls us to see creative spaces not as projects to be supported temporarily but as essential infrastructure for community wellbeing.

There can be a shift in how creative spaces are seen, valued and funded.

Please get in touch with us if you're a funder, creative space or community ats organisation interested in joining a future forum.