NewZealand

= By Casey Droste = = = = Introduction = New Zealand consists of a North and South Island, as well as smaller surrounding islands,in the Pacific Ocean of the southeast coast of Australia. Many of the outlying islands are uninhabited, but three of them are. The estimated population is a little over 4 million people. New Zealand is known for exporting dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, and machinery. New Zealand does most trading with Australia, United States, China, and Japan. There are two official languages, English and Maori, the indigenous inhabitants. But surprisingly the Maori only make up 8% of New Zealand's population, lead by European background with 70%, Asian with 5% and Pacific Islanders with over 4%. New Zealand's government is the monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. A Fun Fact About New Zealand It is the first country to see the sunrise

New Zealand has always had a rich art culture starting with its Maori and Pakeha background. Being known for landscapes, historical portraits, glass, ceramics and sculptures. This Maori culture takes a large part in New Zealands art, mainly involving wood, bone and jade carving, flax weaving and ta moko, better known as tattooing are all very popular traditional and modern practices. New Zealands island's are covered with galleries ranging from the larger like Auckland Art Gallery, to hole in the wall galleries like Forrester Gallery in Oamaru. New Zealand is home to all different art forms due to its beauty of landscape and mind. The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand. The culture of art in New Zealand is strong and growing, the arts are greatly supported by the government and many initiatives to encourage more expression are in the present and near future. = = = Profile of An Accomplished Artist = Keith Urban born in Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand on October 26, 1967. Keith Urban is a world renowned country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Although born in New Zealand Keith Urban really found a love for American country music. Although Keith was successful in Australia he moved to Nashville to show off his mix of rock guitar and country. Keith's solo career sparked in 2000 with his first self-titled solo album. Two years following this albums release Urban had 3 Number 1 hits and was named Top New Male Vocalist at the CMA Awards. Urban was climbing the charts fast and he just kept going up. He has added many titles to his list with Entertainer of the Year, Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, many more Number one hits and albums, as well as many Country Music Award nominations. On Keith's greatest accomplishments list there would probably be his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman and their daughter born July 7, 2008, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. Keith Urban had a low point in 2006 when he checked himself into rehab, Urban worked hard to recover and thanked his friends, family, and fans for their support. Keith is still a wonderful and successful country music musician and loved by many!

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= Profile of a successful arts organization = Creative New Zealand is the national arts development agency developing, investing in and advocating for the arts. research done by Creative New Zealand found some interesting and important facts about their art :

• 79 percent of New Zealanders agree that our arts help define who we are as New Zealanders • 72 percent of New Zealanders think that the arts are for people like them, and • 73 percent of us agree our communities would be poorer without the arts.

This organization is striving to get New Zealanders participating in the arts, to produce high quality arts in New Zealand, to let their citizens experience high-quality art and to lead New Zealand to international success in the arts. This organization provides grants to individuals, programs, and community art projects to help encourage the success of New Zealand arts. There are many specific grants for many different types of programs related to the arts. A list of activities funded are: • Artform publications • Audience development • Bringing international artists to New Zealand • Commissions • Community arts • Collaborations • Creation of new work • Critical dialogue and discourse • Development of work • Distribution of work • Film and moving-image art • International professional development or postgraduate study • Mentoring • Presentation of work • Research • Residencies • Residencies overseas for New Zealand artists • Professional development • Touring - domestic • Touring/exhibition - international • Websites

One specific music group funded was Urbantramper, they made the album Rise & Ride Toward.. with their Quick response grant in 2009. Urbantramper is a band of three who loved to play, write, perform and record their music as well as inspire others to create!

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= Description of school arts programs =

NEG 1
The highest standards of achievement, through programmes which enable all students to realise their full potential as individuals, and to develop the values needed to become full members of New Zealand's society.

NEG 2
Equality of educational opportunity for all New Zealanders, by identifying and removing barriers to achievement.

NEG 3
Development of the knowledge, understanding and skills needed by New Zealanders to compete successfully in the modern, ever-changing world.

NEG 4
A sound foundation in the early years for future learning and achievement through programmes which include support for parents in their vital role as their children's first teachers.

NEG 5
A broad education through a balanced curriculum covering essential learning areas. Priority should be given to the development of high levels of competence (knowledge and skills) in literacy and numeracy, science and technology and physical activity.

NEG 6
Excellence achieved through the establishment of clear learning objectives, monitoring student performance against those objectives, and programmes to meet individual need.

NEG 7
Success in their learning for those with special needs by ensuring that they are identified and receive appropriate support.

NEG 8
Access for students to a nationally and internationally recognised qualifications system to encourage a high level of participation in post-school education in New Zealand.

NEG 9
Increased participation and success by Māori through the advancement of Māori education initiatives, including education in Te Reo Māori, consistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

NEG 10
Respect for the diverse ethnic and cultural heritage of New Zealand people, with acknowledgment of the unique place of Māori, and New Zealand's role in the Pacific and as a member of the international community of nations.

=== It is interesting to note that although the country of New Zealand is working to progress their art programing they do not list it in any of their educational goals. Now there are art classes offered in the schools and there are also art schools available in New Zealand. I have read about many different programs that can be brought into schools to allow for arts and creativity one was the inclusion of gardening in with the ordinary school day. Like many other places New Zealand does not have a specific program in their schooling systems to promote and work towards the arts in schooling or art integration. The schooling focuses a lot of literacy and mathematics even from an early age these are areas stressed in Early Childhood Education by the Ministry of Education. ===

= Conclusion = After my beginning research with the arts in New Zealand I was expecting and hoping to find an initiative set in their schools of some sort to the greater advancement of the arts. New Zealands government is involved in programs allowing grants to further the arts of New Zealand and become internationally famous but they do not want to implement this into their schools?! Now that is confusing to me! After looking into the Minister of Education for New Zealand I found their goals to be helpful in the description of their program. I think that these goals are great but I think they are so limited to the obvious, to the things everyone must include but they do not go much deeper than that. The conclusion that I come to in comparison to New Zealand and my schooling experience is very similar. I know there are always those exception, always those schools that are taking it to the next level and doing everything they can to work with arts integration but I personally have not experienced any of these, only through research. My schooling had the traditional art classes and many teachers used creative projects to help use learn and have fun while doing it but there was never someone or some program trying (or at least in my view) to take arts integration out of the world and bring it into "our" world. What surprised me about New Zealand was its lack of effort in the schooling of arts. Due to the Maori population and the great lengths that the government and the schools are going to to keep this heritage alive, this heritage that dwells on the arts I was expecting more. The language of the Maori seems to be the current biggest concern with New Zealand to keep the culture alive. I was really just expecting more from the schooling after finding so many different grant opportunities in the country. With such a beautiful and natural existence I would hope to see the arts thriving from an early age. = Sources =

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/New_Zealand_Cities.PNG/160px-New_Zealand_Cities.PNG http://www.southpacificvacations.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/new-zealand-vacation-ideas1.jpg http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/en/results-of-our-work/funded-artists-and-their-work/lake-mckenna?tab=artform&title=Artists+by+artform+ http://www.urbantramper.com/ http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0859990.html http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107834.html http://funfacter.hubpages.com/hub/Fun-Facts-About-New-Zealand http://listverse.com/2008/06/19/top-20-cool-facts-about-new-zealand/ http://www.biography.com/people/keith-urban-193217 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtfBxUTXRY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j6EPsQ0u5A http://www.southpacificvacations.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/new-zealand-vacation-ideas1.jpg

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/PolicyAndStrategy/PlanningReportingRelevantLegislationNEGSAndNAGS/TheNationalEducationGoalsNEGs.aspx http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation.aspx