Celebrating the first decade 2001 to 2011 thebigidea.co.nz
celebrating the first decade The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
What is The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui? It’s where people find the tools, networks, opportunities and inspiration to grow their “big ideas” into viable careers, projects and businesses in the creative sector.
Cover image: Conquer by Claire Nicholls
thebigidea.co.nz The home of New Zealand’s creative community – a contemporary and dynamic online resource
Launched on 3 December 2001 and now celebrating 10 years – The Big Idea website has become a place where the depth and diversity of New Zealand’s arts and creative enterprises are showcased to the world. It is a virtual community where creative people connect, celebrate and network with each other. celebrating the first decade
Visitors to The Big Idea website experience a comprehensive understanding of the creative sector through features that include employment listings, up-to-date industry news and showcasing of members’ profiles. Centred around delivering a constant source of vital, current information, The Big Idea signals changing trends and shifts across all segments of New Zealand’s creative community. Now an institution, The Big Idea is an essential piece of infrastructure that offers broad views of New Zealand’s creative ecology and all that
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
makes it hum.
In 2011 The Big Idea website had over 1 million visitors and currently has more than 30,000 members
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I’m usually popping in to check something, and I usually end up staying to read something else. :o) – Miriam Barr
A guiding star – where the The Big Idea logo came from The mattang – a navigation device There were no maps for our Polynesian and European ancestors who travelled to the ends They studied their environment and built their own way finding tools, such as the mattang and the chronometer. The Polynesian mattang is a fitting metaphor for understanding how creative careers and businesses are built. Unlike other areas in the economy, there are few established pathways in the creative sector. So people need to navigate and build their own pathways using their skills, talent and connections as well as
celebrating the first decade
of the earth. They looked to the stars.
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the power of their passion and ideas.
Our mattang is the navigation tool for all in the creative sector
A night on the beach by Grant Buckley
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On the high seas – how it all began Back in the 80s and 90s, creative sector
With the launch of the new website, individuals,
confidence was taking a battering. Established
organisations and companies in the creative
creative practitioners and emerging graduates
sector could identify and relate to each other in
alike faced ‘lumpy’ income, transitory contracts,
one, online home for the first time. The website
isolation, financial stress and the urgent need
connected people, allowing important networks
for more income-generating opportunities.
to develop on personal, local, regional and international levels. Creative talent could now
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
celebrating the first decade
Our very big idea
link with industry, science, commerce, health or agriculture and The Big Idea could promote the
To provide:
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a genuine platform for collaboration
• • • •
a connected creative community
building of relationships across sectors.
through the web a way-finding tool for the creative sector a place to see and be seen, find and be found a place where the success of the creative sector, its businesses and organisations are applauded
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui website went live in 2001, launched by the then Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Helen Clark.
More than 50,000 unique visitors each month and 50% of those visitors keep coming back Google Analytics
Subsee by Chiaradina Cerweny
The Big Idea Charitable Trust A charitable trust was established in 2003 to govern The Big Idea and achieve its vision
Our Vision/Purpose:
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To drive creativity into all sectors of New Zealand society by being an enabler and a broker of ventures that create real
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outcomes.
To design and deliver innovative services, celebrating the first decade
tools and programmes that support practitioners and organisations in New Zealand’s creative community to meet their
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creative and professional goals. To support emerging and established arts practitioners in New Zealand’s creative sector affected by high levels of underemployment and low income-generation.
The Big Idea Trust Driving creativity into all sectors of NZ’s economy
Our services: The Trust runs two innovative communitybuilding projects that service a broadly based
1) The Big Idea Website – which has fast become the online home of New Zealand’s creative community.
The Big Idea Website
TBI Assist
thebigidea.co.nz
Facilitating creative solutions
2) TBI Assist – The face to face social enterprise arm, a creative consultancy offering web, business and facilitation services – see page 14.
Our Goal: To be a viable and strong leadership organisation that has the capacity and confidence to generate, promote and champion leading edge thinking, projects and practice that accelerate the growth and development of the arts and the creative sector.
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The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
artistic/creative community:
A port, not just for storms - creating networks and resources No person’s journey establishing their creative career, organisation or business is the same. celebrating the first decade
People navigate their own way based on what they know and are aware of. The Big Idea was launched to make a difference and to expand people’s knowledge. It has always been our focus that practitioners and organisations in the creative sector are empowered to find and navigate the resources crucial to their long-term viability. On The Big Idea website , people determine their own path in the creative sector inspired by the
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
depth and breadth of content found there.
When I was starting out it let me know that I could become part of this creative industry before I was already a part of it, helping break that Catch-22 that used to seem so hard for up and comers to get past. - Craig Parkes
Abundance Basket by Caroline Robinson (photo by Simon Devitt)
celebrating the first decade The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui Our Goal To be a viable and strong leadership organisation that has the capacity and confidence to generate, promote and champion leading edge thinking, projects and practice that accelerate the growth and development of the arts and the creative sector.
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Casting the net wide – building community A message from the Executive Director
supporting learning communities in which people cluster for long or short periods to collaborate, to innovate, to exchange peer support and to make change.
celebrating the first decade
While we need innovative, creative artsThe Big Idea is grounded in collaboration,
led thinking to solve world problems, we
innovation and community, in that people
believe that it is only through strong creative
actively working together can create or add
communities that these ideas can be realised.
value to something that is very much bigger
In these challenging times The Big Idea
than what any one person could achieve
community has a big role to play in that.
working alone. At an individual level, collaboration is important because it’s the space where people
Elisabeth Vaneveld, Executive Director,
share their aspirations, their concerns, their
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui Charitable Trust
knowledge and their skills; and it’s also the place where people find what they may be looking for. In community, people are not alone; change
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
happens. That may be for individuals, for groups and for seemingly intractable challenges that only large numbers of people working together can impact upon. The development of community is central to how The Big Idea works, be that online or in ‘real’ time. Our big interest is creating and
Engage with creative ideas & inspiration
Find jobs & opportunities
Show creative work Get relevant news
Learn something new
Showcase a project
Advertise an event
Find solutions
What people do on The Big Idea
Build a profile
Network
Realise a goal
Test a new idea Ask a question
Grow a project
Benchmark against others
Connect with a huge arts collective
Engage with a specialist
Feel part of something REALLY big
The Big Idea is a fantastic place to show work, build a profile and advertise news, exhibitions and events. I have used the website many, many times over the years - it’s always the first place I visit. I know the content is current and relevant. – Deanna Gracie
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TBI Assist
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Co lu bl mn og s s &
celebrating the first decade
TBI Assist is a creative consultancy offering web, business and facilitation services.
TBI Assist has provided services to: ART (Arts Regional Trust): ART Venture Programme. Auckland Council: Draft Auckland Plan Sector Consultation. Auckland Council: Howick Local Board Arts & Culture Plan. Auckland Council: Arts Centre Review. Auckland City Council: Artstation. Auckland City Council: Community Planning. Auckland City Council: Economic Development. Auckland Dance Festival Trust. Auckland Museum. Auckland Theatre Company. Booksellers New Zealand. Community
For TBI Assist enquiries contact: Elisabeth Vaneveld | Senior Consultant p | 09 813 3085 m | 027 490 7113 e | elisabeth.vaneveld@thebigidea.co.nz
We accelerate organisation, team and personal
TBI Assist offers
effectiveness by harnessing innovation and facilitating creative solutions. Our work is
Web Services: Strategic content partnerships.
influenced by creativity, the arts, business,
Strategic events (on The Big Idea website).
technology and culture.
Targeted niche promotions. Project management. Requirements research. Website
Business Services: Coaching & mentoring.
Crea com tive mu resea nity rch
& Governance. Financial management. Marketing strategy. Facilitation Services: Organisational
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strategy. Group planning. Conflict processing. Team effectiveness. Workshop delivery. Project evaluation. Community consultation.
ive & Surv e – Thriv l a annu m foru
r rato Gene line - on nal essio prof opment l deve ssist TBI A ing rn - lea nity mu com
ing ribut l Cont siona ofes n to pr pment i lo deve reative the c tor sec
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
g in ic ild eg Bu rat us st foc
c gi te ht ra g hip St ou rs th de a le
Conn orga ecting n with isations crea t com mun ive ities
Business strategy. Business planning. Leadership
celebrating the first decade
development. Open-source solutions.
Energy Network. Corban Estate Arts Centre. Creative Coalition. Creative Northland. Creative New Zealand. Department of Labour. Dunedin Fringe Festival Trust. Going West Festival Trust. Hikurangi Trust. Huia Publishing. Mairangi Arts Centre. Lake House Arts Centre.Mana Retreat Centre. Matariki Festival Trust. New Zealand Comedy Festival Trust. New Zealand Dance Company. North Shore City Council. Q Theatre. Silo Theatre. The BizDojo. Waitakere City Council. Wellington City Council.
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Tangible connections for a creative community
Pipi Basket by Dorothy Ramae MacKinnon
The journey so far World Wide Web consortium founded by Tim Berners-Lee
1994
Email use becomes widespread especially in business settings
1996 Auckland based Arts Work Project develops the idea of building an online hub as a way of being in and connecting with the arts and creative industries
1999
The Big Idea Web is launched and a ‘virtual’ team runs the website
2001
The Big Idea Charitable Trust established
2003
Broadband available to home users and Facebook is launched
2004 The Big Idea Trust’s depth of knowledge and understanding of the creative sector is offered to other enabling organisations through TBI Assist
2006 TBI Assist commissioned to design and implement a development programme investing in creative entrepreneurs on behalf of Arts Regional Trust
2007 The Global Financial Crisis hits. The arts sector is especially hard hit as many grants organisations suspend their funding programmes
2008 The Big Idea Trust works closely with the website team to maintain operations as cuts take hold due to the impact of the global financial crisis
2008 TBI Assist commissioned to create online professional development suite including smART Talk Forums, Generator, Connections, SoundOut
2009
First digital artist residency on The Big Idea
2010
The Big Idea Web has over one million visits in 12 months
2011
The Big Idea celebrates turning 10 years old
2011
It’s where I go when I want to know what’s on, what’s hot, what’s not. I go there when I want to know what’s happening in the arts, when I want advice or professional expertise. – Jackie Hay
On the map – getting results Our big idea works In the 12 months to March 2012 the website recorded:
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over one million visits
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on average, 2.7 pages are viewed per visit
over 400,000 unique visitors celebrating the first decade
over 30,000 community members over 70% of the visits are repeats each visitor stays for an average of 3.2 minutes average 300+ new members each month over 50,000 different visitors each month
Over the last 10 years:
• • • • •
26, 000 jobs advertised
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50 creative entrepreneurs have been
14, 000 articles published 6,000 works of art shown 23,000 events listed over 30 significant organizations have
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
accessed the services of TBI Assist accelerated through ART venture
We launched The Big Idea website not knowing whether New Zealanders would adopt it – it was a leap of faith. We’ve grown by word of mouth and our community has become increasingly digitally savvy. Our thinking for the next 10 years is focused on pushing the boundaries to expand opportunities, markets and services for the arts, creative people and New Zealand’s economy. Sandi Morrison | Foundation Trustee | The Big Idea Charitable Trust
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Windswept by Ben Foster
The Big Idea Charitable Trust A financial summary 2010–2011 Where the money comes from Grant funding
16%
Service contracts
63%
Self generated income [TBI Assist/Enterprise]
20%
Donations/Fundraising 1% $576,634 celebrating the first decade
Total Income for year ended 30 June 2011
Where the money goes Delivery of service to online community
21%
Delivery of service contracts
49%
TBI Online Enterprise
9%
TBI Assist delivery costs
9%
Management & administration Total Expenditure for year ended 30 June 2011
12% $560,346
Services to online community – 21% The cost of providing editorial services The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
& support for our extraordinary community of practitioners, organisations & enterprises in the arts & creative sector. Keeping our virtual ‘home’ intact by maintaining functionality & IT support. Delivery of service contracts – 49% Delivering excellence and innovation in programmes and services to our major clients. For example, The Big Idea is the delivery partner for a suite of programmes resourced by ART (Arts Regional Trust). TBI Online Enterprise – 9% Promoting and testing ideas and opportunities with our creative community, profiling jobs, ‘happenings’ and events; encouraging enterprise and innovation and attracting one million eyeballs over the year. TBI Assist – 9% Providing project leadership, expertise and creative solutions with our colleagues in local government & the remarkable range of organisations in NZ’s arts, creative and community sectors. Management & administration – 12% Our living & management costs - rent, insurance, commodities, office equipment & our part-time executive staff.
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The Invisible City photographed by Peter Kurdulija
Through hard work in the sector, The Big Idea now generates $5.30 for every $1.00 received in grants. The Big Idea Charitable Trust is committed to role modelling the entrepreneurial behaviour we have been championing. As a Trust, we have pushed the boundaries, promoting strategic and thought leadership, recognising all the while, that growth and innovation
As a new Board Member appointed to lift fundraising capacity in 2011, I invite you to consider the amazing value delivered by The Big Idea to the creative sector. Over the past decade the organisation has pushed itself strenuously to reduce funding dependency and increase business sustainability for the longterm. We are delighted to celebrate walking the talk, and grateful for the grants received over the years - many of those pitched towards arts organisations with an ambition to become sustainable – however, we
in our social as well as economic
still need financial support from donors and the
lives embodies challenge and risk.
community we serve.
We do all this while maintaining
Lisa Bates | Trustee
rigorous financial management.
The Big Idea Charitable Trust
It has been wonderful to support TBI as a
but many issues still remain pressing for the
Trustee and to be a member of this thriving
creative sector in NZ. Public policy, investment
on-line community. As a music manager I
practices and weak infrastructure all still
spend my days on the business of creativity: TBI
conspire to hold back the sector’s development
helps keep me in touch with news, views and
and growth.
developments in the creative industries.
We need new ways of thinking; innovative
Lorraine Barry | Trustee
solutions to complex issues.
The Big Idea Charitable Trust
Increasingly in a post-industrial age, new economies and social systems will depend on
Our ongoing success will be shaped by
knowledge and unique intellectual property
Strong organisation, effective governance,
generated through creativity and innovation.
sufficient funding and other resources, targeted marketing and promotion, continuous
Innovation in New Zealand’s creative sector,
improvement, creative and entrepreneurial
combined with entrepreneurial thinking,
thinking, knowledge management, and skills
represents the step-change needed for the
development.
future.
In 2011, the creative sector made up 6.3% of New Zealand’s total employment and contributed over $8 billion to the economy annually. Creative people think laterally - imaginatively and metaphorically, challenging the conventional. Their signs and symbols have
If I had a mission statement it would be: we need to get right the idea of a country where talent wants to live...a place where talent can thrive because, if we can get that right, creative people will want to live here, work here and export their capability to the world.
the capacity to break down usual ways of thinking and seeing. This, in turn, allows for the development of new visions, ideas, products,
Sir Paul Callaghan - Survive & Thrive 2011: Keynote speaker address
processes and services.
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The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
10 years on, in 2012 things have improved,
celebrating the first decade
Into the future – leading the way
The crew – making it happen Conceivers – the original idea
Investors
The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui
celebrating the first decade
Liz Civil. Isabel Evans. Penny Hagen. Peter Harrison. Richard Howard. Maggie Gresson.
ASB Community Trust. Auckland Council.
Sandi Morrison. Helen Schamroth. Elisabeth
Andrew & Jenny Smith. Annie Coney. Connells
Vaneveld. Jacquie Clarke. Andrew Clifford.
Bay Sculpture Trust. Creative New Zealand.
Andrew Ferguson. Chris Hegan. Shawn Lee.
Auckland Tourism Events & Economic
Amokura Panoho. Igor Portugal. John Ringer.
Development. Pub Charity. Lion Foundation.
Caroline Robinson. Baruch Ter Wal. Bronson
SKYCITY Community Trust Auckland.
Yandall.
Governors - The Big Idea Te Aria Nui Charitable Trust Board
Believers – who have worked or are working in this project
Lorraine Barry. Lisa Bates. Sandi Morrison QSM. Prashanta Mukherjee.
Mark Amery. Ruia Aperahama. Cathy Aronson. Craig Barlow. Helen Baxter. Chris Bell. Lorraine Blackley. David Booth. Jon Bridges. Mike Chunn. Jacquie Clarke. Jeff Clarke. Andrew Clifford. Ila
We are proud of the role we have played in
Couch. Andrew Ferguson. Anna Fomison. James
projecting New Zealand’s creative sector
Hadley. Cass Hessom-Williams. Mei Hill. Richard
globally, as well as the national coverage
Howard. Sarah Houbolt. Lena Kovac. Erica Law.
achieved. TBI Assist has also contributed
Margaret Lewis. Renee Liang. Ben McNicol.
strongly to the creative community of
Sandi Morrison. Philip Patston. Caroline
Aotearoa and its ability to build capacity.
Robinson. Ande Schurr. Emmy Seccombe. Pip
Looking forward, I expect us to break further
Sheehan. Jason Smith. Timothy Smith. Antony
ground by driving creativity into all aspects
Spalding. Elise Sterback. Jade Tang. Hinu te
of the New Zealand economy - science,
Hau. Elisabeth Vaneveld. Jodi Yeats. Simon
technology, industry, commerce, health and
Young. Simon Zhou.
even agriculture. After all, many of the most advanced societies in the world are turning their focus to the creative sector and its potential to innovate in business. Prashanta Mukherjee | Trustee
We wish The Big Idea many more years of continued success and growth. We salute their innovation, generosity of spirit, inquisitive nature, integrity and passion for the growth of the arts in New Zealand. – New Zealand Dance Company
Were it not for the strategic thinkers, creative workers, tireless helpers, enthusiastic supporters, fearless risk-takers and flexible specialists who have worked with The Big Idea, the ship would have sunk long ago. We thank you all.
CONTACT US: The Big Idea Charitable Trust
TBI Assist
for all queries including advertising and sponsorship
Elisabeth Vaneveld | Senior Consultant
p | 027 446 1071
m | 027 490 7113
e | community@thebigidea.co.nz
e | elisabeth.vaneveld@thebigidea.co.nz
The Big Idea would like to thank: Hawkins&Co. for the design & Soar Printing for the printing, of this booklet.
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Š The Big Idea 2012
Soul of the Deep by Sofia Minson