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About ARMS
Helping Artists Help Themselves
ARMS was formed to help existing and aspiring artists establish and develop sustainable long-term careers in New Zealand. We help artists by explaining enterprise skills and the opportunities available to work together in a community of mutual trust and benefit.
The ARMS programme has three main areas:
Coaching
We motivate, train and advise art industry practitioners, instilling an enterprise attitude and developing self reliance and enterprise skills.
Connecting
We connect industry participants and organisations and maintain interaction through gatherings, direct mail, this website and other initiatives.
Championing
We applaud, represent and promote arts practitioners on a national and international basis, by identifying, targeting and exploiting new opportunities that assist individuals and the community.
Background
The New Zealand Government has identified the creative industries as a sector with the potential for economic growth in excess of the norm.
We see no problem with the first half of the "arts business" concept - there's a lot of great art out there. Yet the lack of business smarts and infrastructure that has hampered the local industry for decades still exists. The arts industry in New Zealand has to move away from a "cargo culture" mentality, and become self-sufficient.
New Zealand's small market is no longer such a drawback in the 2ist century era of the global niche bazaar. However, to exploit the opportunities to gather worldwide income from their work, New Zealand artists must understand the ways in which their art creates value, and work out how to ensure that this value is realised financially.
This involves getting a proper understanding of marketing, sales, promotion, legal and accounting issues, doing these things properly yourself, or finding the right people to do them for you.
To be able to keep doing exactly what they want to do in their chosen art form, practitioners must take responsibility for their own success and implement smart business planning.
We arm artists with enterprise skills and tactics and supply the necessary industry network so that they are able to help themselves
ARMS Dealers
Mark Cubey - Creative Motivator
Mark is a leader, creative motivator and change agent who has worked in an entrepreneurial owner/operator or managerial capacity for most of his working life. Mark's business focus has included broadcasting, publishing, design and production. He has been intimately involved as a participant, supporter and commentator in most levels of New Zealand's art and creative industries and believes passionately in its opportunity for global success.
Michael Lockhart - Smarts Agent
Michael is an entrepreneur who has owned and operated his own enterprises for most of his business life. His business focus has included marketing, promotion, visual communications, graphic design and identity management. Michael has long been a passionate supporter of New Zealand's art and creative industries and his vision of a self-supporting and growing arts industry led him to partner with Mark Cubey to create ARMS. Michael is a designer, typographer and writer; also a one-time band member, manager and promoter, music venue owner, radio presenter and magazine publisher.
 Arts Centre, West Building
ARMS is now located in the Wellington Arts Centre. We are on the first floor of the west building at 69 Abel Smith Street.
Our neighbours are Barbarian Productions, Taki Rua, Empress Stilt Dance, The Blue Room, WriteClick, and Shakespeare Globe.
Downstairs you can find the Fringe and DANZ.
We're experimenting with free telephony through Skype.
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