We Are Creative.

“Creative Industries don’t just make themselves money, they support whole swathes of the New Zealand economy.”

who we are

We are Creative Coromandel. We’re here to harness the power of the creative sector to build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous future.

As Creative Coromandel Trust we advocate for our region’s creative industries/creative communites and offer opportunities, resources, and support to promote their activities.

We know that the arts, culture, and creativity strengthen our communities and contribute significantly to our region’s economic output through creative economies and positive social well-being outcomes.

Our Story

The Coromandel Peninsula is a beautiful region filled with pockets of stunning scenery, wild terrain and an abundance of talented creatives offering unique performing and visual arts experiences.

In 2015, driven by the Thames-Coromandel arts sector, a District-wide arts strategy was created through consultation with artists, art leaders and arts groups to develop, promote and sustain local artists and arts activities. In 2016 the Arts & Creative Industries Strategy was adopted by TCDC and an Advisory Board represented by all five communities was formed to implement it.

The Advisory Board became the He Mana Toi Moehau Trust, commonly known as Creative Coromandel, an independent charitable trust, made up of visual artists, performing artists and arts leaders from the region.

Our Board of Trustees and sub committees are all arts & community passionate volunteers committed to advocating for and championing the arts in the Thames-Coromandel District and Hauraki rohe. Our mahi is supported by our specific projects committees, the District Arts Manager and our part time Creative Coromandel & Board of Trustees support Team.

The artbeat

Following the devastating effects of several traumatic events like COVID and Cyclone Gabrielle that severly impacted the peninsula in general and the creative communites in specific, we decided that something needed to be done.

In 2023 Creative Coromandel started the coromandel artbeat spring festival.

The purpose of the new arts festival was to strengthen and envigorate the communities within the region after the traumatic effects of these disasters.

A key focus was put on strengthening connections:

A) Within communities
B) Between communities
C) Between these communities and the nearby urban centres.
Celebrating the arts was identified as a key element in strengthening these connections.

The concept is simple – provide an umbrella festival container and brand which allows and encourages individual artists and event organisers to add their own event into this festival at no cost. Promote the festival as the whole creative region to the nearby urban centres. Collaborate with other key stakeholders and encourage those connections within and without.

The 2024 artbeat impact report showcases the positive impact the festival is having on the region. You can view the full report here.

By 2025 the coromandel artbeat spring festival has become a firm instalment on the event calendar of the Hauraki Coromandel. In 2025 we have also added a new element to the offering which are art workshops organised in-house by Creative Coromandel.

Head over to the artbeat website here

The current event lisitings for the artbeat festival can be found here

Find out more about our Trustees and supporters