Cultural Sector Partnerships

The Latin America Centre of Asia–Pacific Excellence Cultural Sector Partnerships programme aims to encourage long lasting and productive partnerships between the cultural and creative sectors in New Zealand and Latin America. The programme intends to make people in our cultural and creative industries more aware of Latin America, to improve our economic, trade and political relationships with the region.

New Zealand’s cultural sector is a big employer that makes a significant contribution to our economy. Museums and other cultural institutions reach a large proportion of the New Zealand public, giving them the potential to influence people’s understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Many of these institutions are already working internationally, or would like to. However, they need the skills to develop partnerships with institutions overseas and work effectively with people from other cultures.

The concept of partnerships in the cultural sector emerged from Dr Lee Davidson’s and Dr Leticia Pérez-Castellanos’s research for Cosmopolitan Ambassadors, which examines the experience and benefits of large cultural exhibitions exchanged between Mexico and New Zealand, and the impact they have on people and host institutions. Lee (Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington) and Leticia (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía) developed the Cultural Sector Partnerships programme to equip professionals in the cultural sector with the skills they need to work effectively with their counterparts in Latin America, and to develop cultural and creative products that will deepen New Zealanders’ understanding and appreciation of Latin America.

Since it began, the Cultural Sector Partnerships programme has included four remote internships with Mexican cultural institutions for New Zealand postgraduate students or early-career professionals; six in-country internships in intercultural museum practice for New Zealand postgraduate students; and five workshops on intercultural skills for working in Latin America for 63 professionals in New Zealand’s cultural and creative sectors. The internships led to the exhibition De la Milpa a la Mesa: A Mexican Food Journey.

The Cultural Sector Partnerships programme has created a model for internships and exhibitions that Lee would like to use to develop similar relationships between museums in New Zealand and Chile.

Published 02 November 2023

Dates

Launched in 2020

Venues

Canterbury Museum, Christchurch

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth

Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington

Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Auckland campus

University of Otago, Dunedin

Further reading

Lee Davidson & Leticia Pérez-Castellanos. 2019. Cosmopolitan Ambassadors: International Exhibitions, Cultural Diplomacy and The Polycentral Museum. Vernon Press.

Languages of delivery

English

Spanish