News

Culture crisis – can NZ’s museums be saved?

Surfacing reports on the dire future for Aotearoa's cultural institutions only scratch the surface – Andrew Wood digs deeper to find the crux of the issue and questions where the solutions are.

26 Mar 2024 12:48

The Big Idea

Visual Arts

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Image: Wikicommons.

New Zealand’s museums and art galleries are in crisis.

The institutions tasked as kaitiaki of our most precious taonga are in significant trouble. Museums Aotearoa – the industry body for New Zealand’s museums and galleries – has recently completed qualitative research with its members, and the results look depressingly bleak.

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The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui is New Zealand’s online hub for creative people. Our aim is to support talented, innovative individuals and organisations, back the creative industries and advocate for creativity as an essential ingredient in the cultural and economic wealth of New Zealand. The Big Idea provides resources for the whole creative sector, including those seeking to turn their ‘big ideas’ into viable projects, careers and businesses. We are the go-to destination for work opportunities, event listings, arts stories and creative inspiration. The Big Idea is a not-for-profit trust started in 2001 and is New Zealand’s longest running creative sector website.