The aim of the RDC Arts and Cultural Policy is to:
- Increase opportunities for active participation in arts and cultural activities;
- Develop a higher profile for the arts and culture in Rotorua; and
- Provide support and information to arts providers to improve their effectiveness.
Outcomes of the policy include the fostering of collaborative planning among arts organisations, development of information systems for public use about arts and cultural organisations, active promotion of local arts and cultural organisations and events, and exploring the tourist potential in relation to participation at local community arts events and activities.
Rotorua continues to invest in making improvements to its urban and rural landscapes. An increasing number of art and cultural works on display in public places is adding to the vibrancy of the District.
These works range from:
- Murals of which you will find examples on the Library, Police Station and painted power boxes in the city centre
- Sculptures in our gardens, parks and reserves such as Jean Batten square, The Redwoods and Government Gardens
- Fine Maori carving like the Waka Taua (traditional canoe) Te Arawa, at the Lakefront and Tutanekai and Hinemoa in the City Focus
"Art on the Fence" "Wai-Tu-Kei" by Lyonel Grant
A community project to Commissioned by the Rotorua
beautify the Arts Village fence Museum as part of the
Millennium celebrations
Public artworks create a visual experience which can add to the feel of the area they are in, and also create an opportunity to preserve and to share some of the culture and history which sits behind them.
The Rotorua District Council, Art in Public Places Policy will "create an infrastructure, resources and processes for the creation, interpretation and maintenance of art in public places". The policy aims to provide and support venues and infrastructure for arts and cultural activities, fostering increased opportunities for participation in the arts, and promoting increased recognition and celebration of cultural diversity.
The Art in Public Places Guidelines for Donors are available from the Arts Officer. These set out some considerations for groups or individuals thinking about gifting art or funds for artworks to Council. These considerations include: costs to construct, install, maintain and insure; the potential stakeholders such as iwi or hapu, Historic Places Trust and surrounding land users/owners; potential locations throughout the district; and materials used as well as ongoing maintenence and cessation or decommissioning plans. The goal is to support collaborative planning prior to creation of any artworks.
To find out more about art in Rotorua, contact the Community Arts Officer ph 07 348 4199 overseas +64 7 348 4199 ext 8154.
The Rotorua Arts Village Experience (RAVE) at 1240 Hinemaru Street was constructed in 2002 with funding from the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust. RAVE is governed by a trust, with a manager and administrator responsible for the daily running of the facility in providing a central venue for arts and cultural activities and opportunity for clubs to meet.
The Arts Village is a focal point for Rotorua's growing cluster of artists. There is an expanding programe of evening and holiday arts classes and workshops across a wide range of genre.
Its success to date is a tribute to the many individuals, groups and organisations that have been involved in its development. There is considerable scope for further development of the Arts Village concept, and of the vision of arts organisations working together within a shared facility. The interaction that this creates is a stimulus for creative collaboration.
During the construction of RAVE, a group of passionate artists facilitated the creation of a tile mosaic by the local community, which became the floor of the gallery that connects the spaces in the village. This initiative contributed to the Arts Village being presented with a Community Achievement Award from the City Centres of New Zealand Association. In 2003 RAVE was also a recepient of a Creative New Zealand, Creative Places Award.
For further information contact the Rotorua Arts Village Experience, phone 07 348 9008 overseas +64 7 348 9008 or fax 0-7-343 7108.
An up-to-date calendar of arts & crafts events in the Rotorua area.
Ensuring that people and communities with limited access to the arts have opportunities to create, perform and develop their own arts
Includes an overview of arts organisations, activities and events in the Rotorua District
An online community of New Zealand's creative industries
Arts Council of New Zealand
New Zealand Arts Resources
A membership-based not-for-profit society that aims to represent and advance the professional interests of visual artists in Aotearoa/New Zealand.