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The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government established in 1963. It invests in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets and audiences for New Zealand arts domestically and internationally.

Creative New Zealand started out as the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council which was set up in 1963. Prior to that in the 1940s because of centennial celebrations the government set up a cultural office within the Department of Internal Affairs, the New Zealand Film Unit and a national orchestra. A literary fund was also established.

The Māori and South Pacific Arts Council (MASPAC) was part of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. They were set up in 1978 to 'encourage, promote and develop the practice and appreciation of the arts and crafts of the Māori and South Pacific people in New Zealand. 

In 1993 the Arts Council restructured with separate general and Māori arts boards. In 1994 the crown entity of Creative New Zealand replaced the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council.

Creative New Zealand funds projects and organisations across many artforms, including theatredancemusicliteraturevisual art, craft object art, Māori arts, Pacific arts, Inter-arts and Multi-disciplinary.

The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa is the governing board of Creative New Zealand. Creative New Zealand is a crown entity and works within a legislative framework formed by the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 2014 and the Crown Entities Act 2004.

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