Overview
CNZ wishes to establish an independent digital commissioning and capability service (Digital Service) for the arts sector.
The Digital Service will be a small, agile, independent, national organisation that:
• works proactively with artists and arts organisations in Aotearoa to increase the arts and cultural sector’s digital capability, consistent with CNZ’s Digital Framework.
• enables the work of our arts and cultural practitioners to be more accessible to local and international audiences, including those communities that can experience barriers to engagement such as people with disabilities; and
• includes co-leadership by Māori, consistent with our commitment under Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Council and iwi/Māori to work with each other in a strong and enduring relationship.
The Digital Service will provide services consistent with the focus areas of creation, distribution, access, and resilience, e.g.:
• commission digital content/art across multiple platforms including the provision of immersive or interactive experiences
• broker partnerships and networks across industries nationally and globally to develop or realise a project
• assist arts organisations and artists to increase, diversify and deepen audiences and access new platforms for digital content
• provide training or skill development in terms of digital engagement including e-commerce platforms, digital rights, digital safety, and Intellectual Property, including preservation and protection of Mātauranga Māori
• consider new business models for monetising digital arts experiences.
The Digital Service will give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Cultural and creative practices from Aotearoa and the wider Pacific, including an understanding of mātauranga, whakapapa, connection with communities and mana tuku iho (identity and belonging), will be valued and acknowledged by the Digital Service for the contribution they make to our wellbeing (social, cultural, environmental, and economic).
A precedent for such a Digital Service exists in the UK (see https://www.thespace.org/who-we-are).
CNZ is adopting a two-stage process to award a contract for this Digital Service.
In this first stage we will evaluate Registrations of Interest received from parties interested in establishing and operating the Digital Service. From this we will determine a short list of parties that best demonstrate the attributes necessary for the Digital Service to succeed.
Your response should:
introduce who you are.
provide evidence that you possess the attributes - each of the 10 that we believe are essential to the success of the Digital Service.
provide us with referees to attest to your strength in each attribute.
undertake a self- assessment of your relative strength for each of the 10 attributes and, if you are not strong in any particular attribute, tell us how you would go about acquiring greater strength, e.g., through bringing in a joint venture party.
iSPARX™
4 Shareholders :
- Lostboys Digital Limited - CEO Finn Beattie, CTO James Norling & Studio Manager Ethan Wimsett;
- JACOB Industries Limited - CCO & Founder Joff Rae & Director Audrey Holyoake, Cole Holyoake & siblings Oscar & Bram are JACOB;
- Oscar Holyoake - Oscar invested in the foundation technology & business of iSPARX™;
- Ditto - CFO Michael Hurle ex partner PWC Moscow & New York.
iSPARX™ NETWORK OF BUSINESSES :
ALPHA State Limited / JACOB Industries Limited - shareholder of iSPARX™.
- t/a ARTIVIST : creative (Joff Rae & Audrey Holyoake) - independent art producer & agent; event & content producer; & line producer.
- t/a Cole Holyoake Design (Cole Holyoake) - designer. Cole is presently Lead Designer & Product Owner for Agency Paperkite (BP) & a board member of iSPARX™.
- t/a OPH (Oscar Holyoake) - 360° video, 3D modelling, LED & visuals technician & mathematician - as an individual Oscar is an iSPARX™ shareholder.indigi.nz™ is a content producer; has an established blockchain marketplace on the NEAR Platform - sustainable & carbon neutral blockchain, NFT’s.
Ditto is a digital twin company specialising in photogrammetry. Owner Michael Hurle is an ex partner of PWC Moscow & New York; Ditto is a shareholder in iSPARX™.
NJL Productions is an event production company. Aaron Hobman is an event producer. With international experience NJL are delivering art installations with iSPARX™. Recent live production clients feature Paris Goebel & Palace Dance Company & Voice of the Youth (Dubai EXPO 2020), Wellington City Council (Waitangi Day; Matariki), Americas Cup Waterfront production.
COLLABORATORS
Native Sista Limited - artist / studio. Wellington
AgentX - Leesa Tilley - event director / publicist / agent, Auckland
PREFERRED SUPPLIERS
AWS - cloud services
Monstavision - LED company, Auckland
Streamliner - AV company, Wellington
ETS - event lighting, Auckland & Christchurch
NZ Sound - event audio, Taupo
Western Audio - event audio, Wellington
College Hill Audio - event audio, Auckland
Grouse Lighting - event lighting, Wellington
Audio Progress - staging, Palmerston North
Tana Group - scaffolding
Cubeman - streaming & visuals, Wellington
clients / projects
Pacific Sisters - Hawai’i Triennial
Suzanne Tamaki - Auckland City Gallery
Native Sista Limited
Toi Ārahitanga - Matariki
indigi.nz™ - 5G art+media studio
OUR STORY
iSPARX - The Immersive Space Programme Augmented Reality Exchange is changing the way we interact with the world. Turn everyday objects, images, and places into new opportunities for engagement.
In 2017 we had been experimenting with interactive immersive media & 360° video production. iSPARX developed an AR App for an art exhibition in Wellington & soon after was involved in an International Indigenous Art & Technology Conference ABTEC in Winnipeg Canada where the technology gained some attention in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives & museums) industry. We then developed an interactive AR App Hinatore for Te Papa which won the prestigious National Digital Forum Award for Innovative Technology.
With our reputation establishing in the GLAM Industry we were asked to develop an App visualising statistics in sport for a Sydney based agency that won the Hyper Sports Innovation prize at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. We went on to work on Augmented Reality visualisation of statistics in live games with SportRadar (Worlds largest sports statistics agency) with Stadium Capital One, Washington.
Through reputation & networking we started to work with New York Agency Two Goats. They engaged iSPARX to develop & deliver an AR element to the Telemundo Latin Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. This led to concept development for other media including a showcase for NBC Universal & Telemundo Innovation Expo in New York with our interactive & dynamic broadcast AR element.
Eventually we were given a simple brief by EY Seren (Ernst & Young UK) for a retail interactive AR App. We were told it was an App for a UK based retailer. We made the assumption that it would be a retailer with 200 outlets & proposed a positioning POC with AR & a collectible element with rewards. The "retailer" was BP International. We discovered while developing the POC that scale was the most important issue of the development. We had designed all our Apps to be dynamic in content & media & to have the ability to have a CMS applied to the functionality.
The EY/BP experience was a pivotal time in our direction. We made an effort to consolidate our development focus on our ability to provide templates of CMS & App with immersive media of substance; avoiding ‘novelty’ & concentrating on functional dynamic media; & working on products that are anticipating 5G & new technologies.
We all experienced the COVID-19 pandemic… soon after the first lockdown we decided to consolidate the business & structure again - this time in preparation for expansion & investment as we developed the ability to duplicate templates.
The iSPARX platform includes a powerful drag-and-drop web studio that enables anyone to easily create, manage, and track augmented reality experiences.
Evaluation criteria
1. An understanding of the arts and cultural ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand
10% / 10%
Very Strong; work with artists & events; National Digital Forum Award for innovation in technology.
*Rueben Friend, Curator; Auckland City Gallery Board Māori Advisor.
2. Knowledge and understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application in business development and delivery
5% / 5%
Very Strong; developing & own an indigenous digital platform - indigi.nz™ with Toi Iho endorsement. Toi Iho.
3. Knowledge and experience in current and emerging digital technology and service delivery as it may apply to the arts and cultural ecosystem
20% / 20%
Very Strong; exhibitions, installations & events, streaming, 3D content, 360° media, AR/VR/XR, location & blockchain projects.
Pacific Sisters, Hawaii Triennial (AR+ App & interactive content)
Te Ra, WCC Waitangi Day (produced / live streaming)
Mango Collective, Toi Poneke (live streaming artists talks)
Sandy Adsett, Toi Kuru, Pātaka (live interactive streaming & live production)
Kapa Haka, Hutt (live streaming)
Tame Iti, Artists Studio, Whakatane (live interactive streaming installation)
Tame Iti, Whakatumatuma for the NZ Festival of The Arts (event production, design & content; live interactive & immersive media; AR+ App)
Matariki, Civic Square (event production, design & content; live interactive & immersive media; AR+ App)
4. Knowledgeable in delivering to kaupapa Pacific values
5% / 4%
Strong; work with…
*Benna / BroD
5. Knowledge and experience in the successful establishment and operation of a commercial enterprise including business planning, fiscal management, accountability and compliance reporting, and stakeholder relationship management
15% / 15%
Very strong; team members with extensive experience. In operations we have relationships with various public & private sector stakeholders.
We would collaborate with specific partners to maintain this element of our operation.
*Suzanne Tamaki, Senior Events Manager, Wellington City Council.
6. Specific knowledge and experience of Te Ao Māori with capability to embed kaupapa Māori approaches across the Digital Service’s strategic direction, management, financial and operating models, including engagement and funding and commercialisation strategies
15% / 15%
Very strong. Art consultants & collaborators. *Reuben Friend / Michael Hurle
7. Established and credible diverse relationships across the creative, arts and cultural sector of Aotearoa New Zealand, including Māori and Pasifika
10% / 10%
LETTERS:
*Reuben Friend / Toi Iho / Pātaka ART+Museum
*Auckland City Gallery
*Pātaka ART+Museum
*Tāme Iti
*Suzanne Tamaki / WCC
*Porirua City
*list artists & musicians
8. Specific experience in programme and service design/delivery
5%
Strong. A developed business of design & delivery.
We would collaborate with partners to scale operations nationwide.
*Leesa Tilley, Director Matariki Waikato
9. Specific experience in contracting and commissioning
5%
Very strong. Extensive experience in commissioning artists & musicians; event design & production.
*Suzanne Tamaki, Senior Event Manager, WCC
10. Specific experience in business development for the purpose of securing income/funding/revenue
10% / 10%
Very strong. Independent businesses:
indigi.nz™ > www.indigi.gallery
ARTIVIST : by any means necessary!
*Michael Hurle, ex PWC Partner Moscow & New York
About the Digital Service.
The Digital Service is expected to be a small, agile, independent, national organisation that:
More about the CNZ Digital Framework can be found in Appendix 1 to this ROI. Registration of Interest March 2022
works proactively with artists and arts organisations in Aotearoa to increase the arts and cultural sector’s digital capability, consistent with CNZ’s Digital Framework;
enables the work of our arts and cultural practitioners to be more accessible to local and international audiences, including those communities that can experience barriers to engagement such as people with disabilities; and
includes co-leadership by Māori, consistent with our commitment under Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Council and iwi/Māori to work with each other in a strong and enduring relationship.
The Digital Service will provide a range of services consistent with the focus areas of creation, distribution, access, and resilience, for example:
commission digital content/art across multiple platforms including the provision of immersive or interactive experiences
broker partnerships and networks across industries nationally and globally to develop or realise a project
assist arts organisations and artists to increase, diversify and deepen audiences and access new platforms for digital content
ensure that digital content is available to the broadest range of New Zealanders, and ensure content can be accessed by those with disabilities and reach communities of high users (e.g., young Pasifika artist/arts organisations) by addressing barriers to engagement
provide training or skill development in terms of digital engagement including e-commerce platforms, digital rights, digital safety, and Intellectual Property, including preservation and protection of Mātauranga Māori
consider new business models for monetising digital arts experiences.
The Digital Service will give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Cultural and creative practices from Aotearoa and the wider Pacific, including an understanding of mātauranga, whakapapa, connection with communities and mana tuku iho (identity and belonging), will be valued and acknowledged by the Digital Service for the contribution they make to our wellbeing (social, cultural, environmental, and economic).
A precedent for such a Digital Service exists in the UK (see https://www.thespace.org/who-we-are).
He pūkenga wai, he nōhanga tangata. He nōhanga tangata, he pūkenga kōrero.
Where the rivers meet, people come together. When people come together, there is debate and learning.
What's happening and why
Through a new initiative, we’re aiming to connect the arts and cultural sector with emergent digital technology to transform the sector’s ability to create, distribute and reach new audiences.
The exciting possibilities offered by combining creativity and arts practice with digital technology continue to grow. With the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on the arts community – especially live performance – it’s become even more important to support building the sector's capability in the digital space.
At Creative New Zealand we’re planning to support a digital commissioning and capability service for the arts sector that incentivises this potential and fills the gaps within the current creative digital eco-system.
The Arts Council has approved taking a first step to engage with those who can or could provide services in this space.
We’re currently seeking Registrations of Interest (ROI) until 12 noon 14 April 2022.
Find out more about this opportunity and how to register your interest on the GETS website
We’re casting the net wide as part of this first stage, and welcome questions from those potentially interested by 12 noon 4 April 2022 (to allow time for people to process answers before the ROI closes). Please email: capability@creativenz.govt.nz.
Following approval from our Council we’ll invite a shortlist of potential providers to submit Requests for Proposals to provide this digital service.
What could this do for the arts?
Through this initiative we want to see:
access to arts and culture in Aotearoa improved
improved resilience for the arts and culture sector in Aotearoa
new or improved commercial opportunities developed within the arts and culture sector, including export opportunities
improved innovation in New Zealand arts practice.
This Digital Service should enhance the mana of people and communities, guided by the intellectual traditions, knowledge and tikanga of Tangata Whenua – alongside Tangata Tiriti and conventional Government approaches – acknowledging our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
What we're looking for
The successful provider will see the potential of digital in the arts, be knowledgeable about the arts sector, have the cultural capability and knowledge, and have the business skills and nous to identify opportunities and provide support.
We’d like this digital service provider to:
commission digital content/art across multiple platforms and provide immersive or interactive experiences
broker partnerships and networks across industries, nationally and globally, to develop or realise a project
assist arts organisations and artists to increase, diversify and deepen audiences, as well as access new platforms for digital content
remove barriers to engagement and ensure that digital content is available to the broadest range of New Zealanders – including making sure that content can be accessed by those with disabilities and that it reaches communities of high users (eg young Pasifika artists/arts organisations)
include co-leadership by Māori, consistent with our commitment under Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Council and iwi/Māori to work with each other in a strong and enduring relationship
provide training or skills development in digital engagement – such as e-commerce platforms, digital rights, digital safety, and Intellectual Property (including preservation and protection of Mātauranga Māori)
consider new business models for monetising digital arts experiences.
The digital service will give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The digital service provider will value and acknowledge the cultural and creative practices from Aotearoa and the wider Pacific – including an understanding of mātauranga, whakapapa, connection with communities and mana tuku iho (identity and belonging) – for the contribution they make to our wellbeing (social, cultural, environmental, and economic).
A full list of required attributes is included in the ROI. If you don’t have all the attributes, you can tell us how you would gather this knowledge or partner with others.