Rau rangatira mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi nui ki a koutou. Nau mai haere mai ki Te Whare Kawana o Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Kia ora tātou katoa.
It’s my great pleasure to welcome you all to Government House Wellington. I’d like to specifically acknowledge: Vic Crockford, Chair of Arts Access Aotearoa; Richard Benge, Executive Director; Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp, Kaumātua; Robyn Hunt, Arts Council Member; and Merril Holdsworth, Philanthropist.
And to all supporters and distinguished guests here today – tēnā koutou katoa. As Governor-General, and patron of Arts Access Aotearoa, I’m delighted to have this opportunity to celebrate your thirtieth birthday, and to acknowledge all that your organisation does to support increased access to the arts in New Zealand.
As many of you may know, prior to becoming Governor-General, I spent much of my career in leadership positions across academia and the public sector. Through my experiences in both of those worlds, I have come to understand what a fraught and often reductive thing it can be to discuss the ‘value’ of the arts.
However, I think few have answered the question better than the great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, who said: ‘A true work of art is the revelation of a new conception of life arising in the artist’s soul, which, when expressed, lights up the path along which humanity progresses.’
Indeed, the arts are so important for providing us all with that guiding light. At a time when it might be too easy to feel despair and confusion at events in the world around us, the arts remain a place of comfort, and a source of wisdom and guidance – somewhere we can remind ourselves of the wonder and beauty and goodness in this world we share.
More than that, and perhaps even more importantly, the arts give us that elusive and precious power of creative empathy: of imbuing in each of us the capacity to understand and express those things that are a deepest part of who we are – and to see those things in each other.
Arts Access Aotearoa clearly understands these truths, and by breaking down the barriers in the way of access to the arts, you are enriching, and, quite simply, improving the lives of so many New Zealanders.
Through your partnerships with organisations such as the Department of Corrections, and initiatives such as the Arts For All Network, you create new and safe spaces for New Zealanders to access the arts; you deploy the arts as a support for rehabilitation and healing; and you nurture artists in developing their creative practices and building their careers.
The whakataukī says: ‘he toi whakairo, he mana tangata – where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity’ – words which so perfectly encapsulate the work and ethos of Arts Access Aotearoa. As Governor-General, I extend my very sincerest thanks to Vic, your team, and all who support this remarkable organisation – for the dignity that you afford so many through the precious gift of the arts.
Finally, my sincere congratulations on this significant milestone. I am proud to serve as your patron, and I wish you all the very best for your future.
Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.