Acclaimed Kiwi film director Dame Gaylene Preston is among the advocates and creatives calling for the Government to reinstate the now-canned ‘Creatives in Schools’ programme.

The programme saw music, drama, dance, and art professionals visit schools, allowing those in the creative sector to share their professional knowledge and skills directly with students; the plan was also open to those in filmmaking, fashion, spoken word, and cultural arts.

The Creatives in Schools programme was discontinued from the start of the 2024/25 financial year, in a bid to save around $13 million across four years.

An update on the Ministry of Education website stated the decision was part of a “broader strategic reallocation of funds to better support current priorities”.

“We understand the disappointment this will cause. We’d like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the success of the CiS programme and acknowledge its ongoing legacy,” the statement on the ministry’s website added.

Dame Gaylene said she found it very difficult to contemplate the “siloed thinking” that sees art as separate from anything else.

“A healthy community is a creative community,” she said in an interview, calling the plans “daft”.

“Children sing, dance, play - we are a creative people as humans, and you can’t take creativity out of a school curriculum,” Preston added.

“You’re just imposing a lot of testing and a very narrow, siloed way of thinking about life - that’s what the outcome will be. People will become nouns, rather than verbs [...] we need to be as creative and as collaborative as we possibly can be.”

Dame Gaylene Preston suggested cutting back on creativity in schools was "daft". Photo/ Doug Sherring

Preston, born in 1947, said her schooling in the 50s was full of creativity. “We sang, we danced, we learned times tables, we had spelling competitions, we learned to read, we did plays, we performed, and we drew - we’d do all the things that a growing human being would be doing. I have to say that has stood me in very good stead.

“Creativity is what makes Aotearoa New Zealand the place it is. Whether it’s climbing mountains, whether it’s being shopkeepers - whatever it is, we are an arts-based community. Art is everywhere, art is all of us,” she added.

Proactively-released documents obtained under the Official Information Act confirm there was a “line-by-line review of non-departmental spending,” specifically around the Ministry of Education’s ‘Curriculum and Learner Progress’ area.

A list of savings, including the Creatives in Schools plan, was sent from a Ministry of Education policy analyst to other ministry workers in February, suggesting more savings may be needed.

Staff were told to continue working on additional savings templates in case the Minister wanted to look elsewhere for savings, something seen as “very possible,” as the list did not get the agency to its savings target.

The savings template, also released under the Official Information Act, said the programme supported professional artists and creative practitioners and covered 85 to 100 hours of learning time for students, across eight to 20 weeks.

On cutting the plan, the document said the Government’s priority focus for education is making sure schools are “teaching the basics brilliantly,” with a specific focus on literacy, maths, and science.

The Ministry of Education funded more than 150 schools through the programme.

University of Auckland Education Professor Peter O’Connor said arts in schools are hugely important.

“The Prime Minister thinks [these programmes] are just nice to haves, but all the research tells us that schools which are rich in the arts do really well in literacy and numeracy,” he said.

“Arts-rich schools have higher rates of attendance,” O’Connor added, suggesting investments would keep students interested in school.

He said the Creatives in Schools programme provided stability and support for the arts sector and artists themselves, adding creatives will likely feel “battered” and “hung out to dry” by the policy.

Merena Tahat-Timas (left), Anika Tapiata-Harmer, Horiana Tahau and Georgia Epere with their mosaics in front of a mosaic commemorating 100 years of Waim​ārama School, funded through Creative in Schools. Photo / Warren Buckland

On the potential risks, the savings template said the creative learning experiences enhance students’ wellbeing, improve their core competencies in communication, collaboration and creative thinking, and inspire their awareness of careers in the arts and creative sectors.

The document added the funding supports the arts learning area, a compulsory part of the New Zealand curriculum.

Wellington-based director, drama teacher, and Victoria University of Wellington lecturer Dr Kerryn Palmer said arts bring wellbeing, collaboration, togetherness, and identity to people.

Palmer added the Creatives in Schools programme meant teachers could get additional help, and the removal of it might push arts to the bottom of the pile.

“We’ve actually got to start thinking about wellbeing,” she added, suggesting many children want to come to school for creative activities, like dance, art, or kapa haka.

The budget savings template added there could be wider risks. “Besides the impact on learners, there is a reputational risk to the Ministry in disestablishing this initiative.

“Students will have fewer opportunities to work on a wide range of arts projects, such as a project at Lincoln Heights School in 2022 that provided students with disabilities opportunities to express themselves and gain confidence through music-making, or a project at Aorere College in 2022 that saw students create their own digital media series,” the pre-budget document said.

It warned the level of risk and impact on frontline services was high, as tens of thousands of students have taken part in it.

In a statement, Minister of Education Erica Stanford said the programme does not directly progress the Government’s education priorities.

“Every dollar of reprioritisation is being reinvested in the frontline of the education system - our children, teachers and education providers - to lift student achievement and close the equity gap.

“The Ministry still provides funding support for programmes to enhance teaching and learning in the arts. Schools can also use operational funding at their discretion and may choose to use this for creative education programmes,” Stanford confirmed.

Ministry of Education acting general manager of the NZ Curriculum and Te Whāriki Claire Eden said schools can still use operational funding based on what works best, “and may choose to use this funding to support a creative project”.

Eden said the ministry continued to fund and support programmes in the arts sector, such as its Enriching Local Curriculum plans, bands mentoring in schools allowing kids to gain music confidence, and performing arts competitions including Rockquest, Showquest and Tangata Beats.

Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.