During early 2015 Creative New Zealand reviewed its funding priorities, programmes and initiatives for supporting opera in New Zealand.

As a result they are making some changes to how they support opera though their Toi Totara Haemata (Arts Leadership) Investment Programme.

The Arts Council has agreed a key role for opera with three supporting activities, which are:

• building diverse New Zealand audiences and presenting high-quality opera
• providing performance and development opportunities for New Zealand opera practitioners
• collaborating with partners to develop and present operas created by New Zealanders.

The priority for the key role is to support the building of diverse New Zealand audiences for high-quality opera – as this will be essential for the artform to survive and thrive.

The two remaining activities will support more professional development opportunities for New Zealand opera practitioners and the presentation of New Zealand work.

Previously Creative New Zealand required the opera company supported by the Tōtara programme to develop and present New Zealand singers. This now includes a wider range of practitioners - such as directors, designers and conductors.

The third activity is to collaborate with partners to develop and present opera created by New Zealanders. This acknowledges that other parts of the arts sector (festivals, other opera groups and companies, orchestras, private foundations) make important contributions to the successful development and presentation of New Zealand operas.

http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/en/news/results-of-creative-new-zealand-s-review-of-opera