This report presents key findings from a survey of creative spaces throughout New Zealand, intended to provide key decision-makers and agencies with information about the sector to better understand how the sector operates, the services it provides and to whom.

Creative spaces are organisations and places where people who experience barriers to participation can create or participate in artforms, including Māori and Pasifika artforms, painting and drawing, crafts, sculpture, photography, theatre, dance, circus, music, film and creative writing.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage, Minister for Social Development and Minister for Disability Issues requested that the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the Office for Disability Issues and the Ministry of Social Development, with assistance from Arts Access Aotearoa, undertake a study on creative spaces to provide information about the sector.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Arts Access Aotearoa identified 67 different organisations as creative spaces.  The survey was distributed to the 67 organisations and responses were received from 42 creative spaces, for a response rate of 63%. 

The report includes case studies of four creative spaces: Māpura Studios in Auckland, Artsenta in Dunedin, Te Whare Toi o Ngāruawāhia – Twin Rivers Community Art Centre in Ngāruawāhia and Vincents Art Workshop in Wellington.