Mayor's Message

Council at its first meeting of the year resolved to register with UNESCO Nelson’s interest in being recognised as a Creative City of Craft.

It’s an exciting opportunity to build our identity as a city that values and nurtures the arts.

This idea came from the City Revitalisation Summit last year and the What If Whakatū Nelson initiative. It has been further investigated by the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce, Arts Council Nelson and Council’s City Revitalisation Taskforce, Chaired by Deputy Mayor Rohan O'Neill-Stevens.

The benefits of Nelson gaining this international recognition include enhancing our creative sectors, helping retain and attract talent and growing our visitor industry. We are a popular visitor destination due to our stunning scenery and climate, but we need to extend our brand, so we attract more visitors out of the peak summer season.

A total of 350 cities worldwide are part of the UNESCO Creative Cities network. Auckland has gained UNESCO recognition for its Music, Wellington for its Film, Whanganui for Design and Dunedin for its Literature.

Craft is a natural fit for Nelson. Māori used the unique resources available in Te Tauihu to craft valuable taonga such as pakohe/argillite. We have long had a diverse range of talented craftspeople in ceramics, costume design, jewellery, glassware, boat building, fine woodwork and craft brewing.

Registering our interest is the first step. We will be working with the creative sector to build our application, which we will lodge next year. We need to maintain successful events such as Pottery Week, Jewellery Week, the Fringe Festival, Marchfest, the Arts Festival and the light festival of Te Ramaroa. I also think there is an opportunity to further develop Founders Park as a centre for our craftspeople.

I also must take this opportunity to congratulate the Council team behind the recent very successful 20th Opera in the Park, particular its creator and Artistic Director Pete Rainey. We need such community events to bring our city together and it give a timely lift in spirits.

It is my view that Council’s top priority should be the provision of basic infrastructure such as water, roads and pathways but we also have an important role in enhancing Nelson’s identity and lifestyle. The arts will always need private funding, sponsorship and volunteers, particularly in these difficult times when rates are under pressure. Partnerships with others will be pivotal to acquiring this UN recognition for our creative sector and helping it grow.

Mayor Nick Smith