Creative Spaces NetworkWhy do you want to profile and promote your creative space and its artists? What are the benefits? Who do you want to read, watch or listen to your news stories, blogs, profiles and features?
An introduction
Promoting your creative space creates a sense of pride and achievement for artists; provides valuable information for your funders and supporters; and helps attract more people to your space. This page includes some of ways you can spread the word.
Arts Access Aotearoa can help you promote your creative space. We write news stories and articles. We then post these on the website and, sometimes, they are posted on The Big Idea, Creative New Zealand, Scoop, and the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage websites.
We also promote these stories on social media and can help you reach a larger audience by sharing, reposting or commenting on your posts or tweets.
There are several ways you can tell a story:
- a written story: this might be a news story, media release, feature article or blog.
- photography: this might be a photo essay; to enhance a written story; or included in a video.
- a video: this might be super-short (30 seconds) or longer (three minutes)
- an audio recording: this might be part of a podcast series or a one-off.
Underlying elements of your stories
Although each format is very different, there are some underlying elements that you need to include at the beginning of your story: who, what, when, where – and, often, why. The story also needs to have a shape: engaging beginning, interesting middle, satisfying ending.
So what makes a good – or newsworthy – story? How does it align with your creative space’s strategic plan and mission/values? Of all the artists, artworks, staff and events at your creative space, how do you prioritise which stories to write, video or record on audio?
This may depend on what the creative space sees as most important or urgent: for example, a story about a forthcoming exhibition will be more timely and topical than an artist’s profile not related to a specific event.
Writing a story, article or blog
This website has many examples of stories and blogs about creative spaces, their artists and staff. What do they include? Is the first paragraph compelling? Is it too long? Or maybe too short?
Read more about how to write a story, article or blog
Smartphone photography
Making a video
Video can make a powerful impact, and filming on your phone means you have easy access to equipment and good video quality. It's important to plan ahead: length, what you want the video to convey and who will be involved.
Read more about making a video
Recording audio and podcasts
Podcasts are audio or video files available on the internet and usually involving a series of episodes. They are an increasingly popular way to tell stories, and share people’s experiences, events and opinions. You can listen to them any time – cooking, walking, resting.
In August 2022, Arts Access Aotearoa launched its first podcast series, featuring champions of accessibility in the arts and profiling disabled artists. Called The Arts Access Podcast, it has two episodes profiling creative spaces:
Read more about recording audio and podcasts
How to promote your stories
So much communication today is online and means there are many opportunities for cost-effective and powerful communications. Websites and social media channels are a great way to promote your creative space, artists, events and activities.
Read more about promoting your stories
