Creative freelancers dominated the Tāmaki Makaurau sample: More respondents reported being a creative freelancer (61%) than any other role in the creative sector. This was followed leaders of a creative not-for-profit (25%), and unpaid creative individuals (18%).

Performing and visual arts were strongly represented by Tāmaki Makaurau respondents: Tāmaki Makaurau respondents were active in many creative areas. Visual arts was the most prominent area reported (45%), followed by performing arts (43%) and music (24%).

Tāmaki Makaurau respondents have slightly restored their optimism about their financial position: Respondents rated their outlook on whether their creative work would support their financial position in the next 12 months (from 1 meaning very pessimistic to 6 meaning very optimistic). Compared to the February-March 2022 survey, pessimism decreased from 66% to 49%, and optimism rose from 32% to 49%, indicating a trend toward levels of optimism reported in the initial June-July 2021 survey. The increase in financial optimism between the February and June quarters was statistically significant
(p<0.001). The shifts that occurred between the June 2021 and June 2022 quarterly surveys were also statistically significant (p<0.01), but indicated confidence had not yet reached the same levels as June 2021.

More respondents expected to increase their current staff or contractor numbers, compared to the previous survey: The number of respondents who expect to take on new staff or contractors or expected staff numbers to stay the same had increased (from 25% to 35% and 42% to 46% respectively). Those who expected staff numbers to reduce had decreased from 19% to 8%. The increase in expectation to take on new staff between the February and June quarterly surveys were statistically significant (p<0.05).

Tāmaki Makaurau respondents’ view on achieving their creative goals shifted to become more optimistic once again: Respondents rated their outlook on whether they would achieve their own or their organisations’ creative goals in the next 12 months (from 1 meaning very pessimistic to 6 meaning very optimistic). Compared to the February-March 2022 survey, pessimism decreased from 50% to 33%, and optimism rose from 49% to 64%. This indicates a trend of restored optimism back toward levels reported in the initial June-July 2021 survey. This increase in optimism, when comparing the February and June quarterly surveys, was statistically significant (p<0.001).

Tāmaki Makaurau respondents’ perception of audience appetite for their creative work seems to have slightly increased: With 30% reporting audience appetite being more than usual, 29% reporting that it was the less than usual and 27% reporting that it was the same. Overall, the average rating was 2 out of 3 (from 1 meaning less than usual to 3 meaning more than usual). This is only slightly higher than the average rating for February-March 2022 (1.9), but there was a significant drop in those reporting audience appetite as less than usual compared to the February quarterly survey (p<0.05).