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Purpose

The CDIP Strategic Plan sets out the intent and priorities for the Cultural Diplomacy International Programme (CDIP) for the period 2026 to 2029, including alignment to Amplify – a Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand.

Authority for the strategic plan

CDIP was established by Cabinet in 2004 as a funding programme to help develop and/or maintain a New Zealand cultural presence in key overseas regions or countries.

The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage is responsible for the CDIP strategic plan and decision-making, with support from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage (the Ministry).

The Ministry is responsible for the implementation and ongoing maintenance of the CDIP strategic plan. This includes ensuring that the strategic objectives are effectively translated into action, monitoring progress over time, and making necessary adjustments to keep the strategic plan aligned with evolving government priorities and circumstances.

The Ministry implements the CDIP strategic plan with the support of a Steering Group comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Tourism New Zealand, Education New Zealand, Te Puni Kōkiri, and New Zealand Story.

Strategic opportunity

Cultural diplomacy allows us to share and promote our nation’s unique arts, culture and heritage in a way that enhances mutual understanding and influences long-term relationships between New Zealand and our international neighbours and partners.

Sharing distinctively New Zealand arts, culture and heritage with international audiences builds on our positive national reputation and helps us unlock new support and opportunities that contribute to wider political and economic goals.

Global influence through culture: empowering New Zealand creatives

Our arts and culture sector is a vibrant expression of our identity, creativity, and values that can resonate far beyond our borders. Our artists, creatives, and cultural leaders are recognised internationally for their originality, depth, and innovation and deliver work that captivates global audiences and showcases New Zealand.

The 2025 Market Pulse research, from seven key markets, reaffirms that New Zealand’s global reputation remains strong, anchored in perceptions of integrity and cultural respect. In Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power index, New Zealand ranks 14th globally for people’s willingness to recommend it as a country brand. Māori culture and bicultural foundations are key assets in shaping New Zealand’s distinctiveness.

This reputation is a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy, enabling New Zealand to build meaningful relationships and foster mutual understanding across diverse communities and nations. Ngā toi Māori and Pacific Peoples’ cultural and creative activity are a unique aspect of New Zealand on the world stage and receive high international interest.

Events and festivals in key international markets extend our cultural reach and influence, creating platforms for exchange, collaboration, and commercial opportunity. These engagements elevate our artists and open doors for trade, tourism, and diplomatic connections.

By investing in and amplifying our cultural and creative sectors, we create opportunities for New Zealand talent to shine, grow, and contribute to a more connected and culturally rich global community.

Amplify – a Creative and Cultural Strategy for New Zealand 2025 to 2030

The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage released Amplify in August 2025. Amplify seeks to amplify our creative and cultural sectors to make New Zealand a global creative powerhouse, growing the sector’s GDP contribution from $17.5 billion to $22 billion by 2030. This reflects a strategic commitment to unlocking value through smarter investment, talent development, and regulatory reform.

Amplify defines the cultural and creative sectors in the broadest sense, including arts in all forms of expression: museums and galleries, music, screen, gaming, fashion, architecture and design. The creative and cultural sectors include Māori arts, culture and heritage.

The Amplify implementation plan identifies CDIP as a contributer to Amplify, especially in growing creative exports and cultural tourism. Through Amplify, Government seeks to maximise the impact of government investment through CDIP.

Cultural diplomacy provides economic benefits for New Zealand’s arts and culture sector, including nurturing local talent, while further leveraging those initiatives to enhance New Zealand’s wider economic, trade, tourism and diplomatic interests.

A strategic approach for the 2026 to 2029 period

Cabinet agreed the following CDIP aims, objectives and principles in 2010 which are carried through in this strategic plan.

Aim

The aim of CDIP is to help establish and/or maintain a New Zealand cultural presence in key overseas regions or countries to boost New Zealand’s profile and economic, trade, tourism, diplomatic and cultural interests.

Objectives

CDIP’s objectives are to:

  1. contribute to growing New Zealand economic prosperity by presenting our culture to key audiences.
  2. project in targeted settings a distinctive profile of New Zealand as a creative and diverse society with a unique contemporary culture.

Principles

CDIP-funded initiatives will:

  1. link to economic outcomes for New Zealand
  2. showcase cultural activity that is distinctive and contemporary
  3. demonstrate collaboration between the CDIP agencies.

Priorities for the 2026-2029 period

Economic benefits for New Zealand’s cultural and creative sectors

CDIP investment helps to unleash the economic potential of New Zealand’s cultural and creative sectors.

CDIP will prioritise funding for cultural diplomacy activities that:

  • raise international visibility of New Zealand’s cultural and creative sectors and connect our creatives to global audiences
  • increase economic opportunities for cultural and creative practitioners through greater sales, exports, contracts, employment or skills development opportunities
  • leverage our participation at international cultural and creative events, to maximise opportunities to showcase our unique cultures globally
  • stimulate opportunities for Māori and Pasifika arts, culture and heritage to reach new international audiences.

Enhance New Zealand’s cultural, economic, trade, tourism and diplomatic interests

Arts, culture and heritage are recognised for their power to generate interest and passion, and as platforms for reshaping perceptions and fostering connections. CDIP investment leverages that power to enhance New Zealand’s profile and support a range of wider benefits for New Zealand. 

CDIP will prioritise funding for cultural diplomacy activities that:

  • include opportunities to leverage or support wider government and Ministerial priorities, including:
    • strengthening international relationships to foster bilateral cooperation, secure trade access/agreements, increase New Zealand export revenue and attract foreign investment while building influence in support of New Zealand’s national interests
    • marketing New Zealand as a tourism and study destination.
  • complement rather than duplicate existing efforts to support the wider government priorities noted above
  • build positive perceptions of New Zealand through large-scale or multi-dimensional events that showcase New Zealand’s unique contemporary culture.

Amplify our creative and cultural profile in priority regions and countries

Preference may be given to regions and countries where there is:

  • Government and/or Ministerial prioritisation
  • potential to grow and/or maintain high demand for New Zealand’s cultural and creative talent
  • established cultural and/or diplomatic connections and relationships
  • existing large-scale events that can be leveraged to showcase New Zealand’s unique cultural and creative sectors to international audiences
  • strong alignment to the economic, trade, tourism, diplomatic and cultural objectives of multiple CDIP Steering Group members.

Priority regions and countries can be updated during the lifecycle of the strategic plan.

Delivery model

The key components supporting the delivery of this strategic plan include:

1) Funding model

CDIP is a limited fund supporting the strategic identification of a multi-year programme of cultural events that can be leveraged to collectively deliver against CDIP objectives.

Funding will primarily be used to support the delivery of cultural events proactively identified by the cultural and creative sectors and/or Steering Group members during the strategic plan period. A proportion of funding will be set aside to respond to demand throughout the strategic plan period.

2) Designations

The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage has overall responsibility for the Cultural Diplomacy International Programme.

The CDIP Steering Group will identify and evaluate all cultural activity proposals and provide advice to the Minister. It will assess how proposals deliver benefits for the cultural and creative sectors, and deliver opportunities to leverage wider economic, trade, tourism, diplomatic and cultural benefits for New Zealand.   

The Steering Group will identify a lead or co-lead agency to support successful applicants with the delivery of their cultural activity/programme of events. Generally, a lead agency will be the ministry and/or sector agency that can provide or coordinate on the ground support in the country in which the activity/programme of events will take place.

The Steering Group will work in partnership with cultural sector agencies and practitioners to provide visibility of overseas cultural activity and target a pipeline of potential opportunities for CDIP investment.

3) Evaluation

A reporting and evidence framework will help demonstrate outcomes and impacts from the programme delivery model and individual funded events.

Review of the strategy

Review of this strategy is due by 2029 or as required.