Creative Kāpiti Project:

Design & Arts Festival 2022

Design thinking and practice is an essential part of all individual creative industries. It is also very important in forging new solutions for waste management, climate change and environmental sustainability. In 2016, it was identified that ‘if design were treated as an individual industry, its contribution to the New Zealand economy would be larger than agriculture ($8.1b) and on-par with retail trade ($10.6b)’ according to The Value of Design to New Zealand, published in 2017.

A key issue affecting the growth of the Kapiti creative industries is a lack of visibility. That is, local residents and those in other regions being unaware of the quality and range of creative design business practices, many of whom win national awards in their field. Creative Kapiti members first suggested a Design & Arts Festival in 2019, and after receiving a feasibility grant from the Kapiti Coast District Council Major Events Fund in 2020, set about designing a ten day event from 1-10 October, 2021. Due to Levels 4, 3 and 2 restrictions impacting the event marketing and delivery, however, the festival launch has been deferred until 2022.

Festival purpose:

To leverage and raise the visibility of the Kapiti creative industries and be a catalyst for increased visitation to the district.

Festival objectives:

• to connect the public with design and arts practice and provide participation opportunties for acquiring and developing creative skills and knowledge
• raise the visibility of the creative industries and attract 5,000 visitors from year one
• create an event that attracts repeat visitors and grows visitor numbers annually
• foster income generation and employment growth for creative practitioners and hospitality and tourism businesses
• be a catalyst for ongoing creative practice development beyond the event proper.

Festival values:
Pūrākau – telling our stories of creativity, our place in the world, our people.
Aotūroa – creative exploration, skills acquisition and development through taking risks.
Rangatahi – participating as creative leaders, technicians and creative practitioners.
Whenua – identity and belonging, honouring our physical environment and being guardians for future generations.

If you are a design practice interested in participating in the 2022 event or have a creative workshop to offer where visitors can design and make an object, we’d love to hear from you. Contact info @ creativekapiti.nz