Symposium 2025
CREATE Symposium 2025
17 JUNE 2025
The inaugural CREATE Symposium will bring together leading creators and innovators from across Aotearoa to inspire, empower and activate collective creativity.
Uniquely targeting both the business and creative sectors, this event will explore how to harness the transformative power of storytelling in the context of business, innovation, creative practice, and community.
This event is being organised by Ngā Toi Creative Hawke’s Bay, the arts council of Te Matau-a-Maui Hawke’s Bay, in partnership with Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc. and Creative New Zealand, supported by Hastings District and Napier City Councils.
CREATE SYMPOSIUM
WHEN: Tuesday 17 June 2025, 8.30am to 4.30pm
COST: $195 per person
WHERE: Napier War Memorial Centre, Napier
CELEBRATION DINNER
WHEN: Tuesday 17 June 2025, from 6.30pm
COST: $150 per person
WHERE: Black Barn Estate Winery, Havelock North
OUR STORYTELLERS
My Story | EMMA SLADE
Prue Storytelling | KIM THORP
Our Story | DAVID DOWNS
Plus a Panel of Local Legends
Theme
Storytelling has been a part of the human experience since the dawn of time. We use stories to connect with others, experience emotions and feel understood. In business, storytelling plays a powerful role in driving change, building trust and credibility.
‘The Power of Storytelling’ celebrates the synergy of business and art -creators and innovators – our solutionaries. Our aim is to weave together our business and creative sectors to show that at the heart of all good practice is a strong kaupapa (story).
We forget facts, but we remember stories. Imagine the difference it could make to your business, your brand, your influence, if you harnessed the power of storytelling.
Great things grow here! Yes they do…Te Matau-a-Maui Hawke’s Bay is home to a broad range of world leading individuals, businesses, products and organisations. We are known for our innovative thinking, creative practice and skills in developing cutting edge ideas and resources.
Food bowl of New Zealand – exporting 64% of New Zealand’s apples to global markets as well as other fresh produce, meat, fish, seafood and artisan cheeses. New Zealand’s oldest wine region, recently crowned 12th Great Wine Capital of the World.
With such a creative and innovative community, Hawke’s Bay is also home to World leading designers, innovators, architects, artists, wine growers, film makers and rocket scientists.
Matariki
In winter, the appearance of the Matariki star cluster on the eastern horizon, directly above the rising sun, signals the arrival of Matariki, the Māori New Year. This is a time to remember loved ones who have passed since the last rising of Matariki, to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest, and to plan for the future. Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc has been celebrating Matariki – the Māori New Year – with fireworks since 2002, and this tradition has become immensely popular across their rohe (territory) from Te Wairoa in the north to Wairarapa in the south.
The Matariki holiday is on Friday, 20 June this year. Come for our symposium, stay and enjoy Matariki Celebrations with us and engage with our Te Matau-a-Māui story
Celebration Dinner
Black Barn will host a dinner for up to 100 participants.
The CREATE Symposium Team invites you to join us at Black Barn to celebrate local food and wine, creative practitioners and hear from David Downs in a more intimate setting. It is a chance to network and connect in one of Hawke’s Bay’s most iconic restaurants just under Te Mata Peak. Kim Thorp owner of Black Barn will welcome the group and share their story.
It will be a night filled with music, poetry, performance and laughter so make sure you secure your place as space will be limited.
Our Amazing Storytellers
The CREATE Team have curated keynotes, presentations and masterclasses aimed to inspire, ignite ideas and share a journey in both the creative and business sectors. Our storytellers will weave together the importance of creative thinking, the evolution of their personal stories and the importance of collective storytelling to build awareness.
EMMA SLADE
Emma Slade runs production company Firefly Films and National screen industry training organisation Share hte Knowledge. Her producing credits include 1981 Springbok tour drama Uproar, Bookworm and Margaret Mahy tale The Changeover and more recently Holy Days about to be released in cinemas. She was one of the producers of Ant Timpson’s “deranged comic” thriller Come to Daddy, Chinese-Kiwi fantasy Into the Rainbow, and an associate producer on Brazilian/Kiwi drama Little Secret. In 2017 Slade was one of six founders of the Screen Women’s Action Group (SWAG), which advocates against sexual harassment.
KIM THORP
Kim runs his own Communications, Marketing and Branding Consultancy – Kim Thorp Consultancy from Hawke’s Bay. He was a founding Partner of Assignment Group – a communications consultancy and Antipodes Water Company – New Zealand’s only water company to receive acknowledgement from the United Nations. He is co-owner of Black Barn Vineyards. Kim spent much of his career in Wellington where he was Executive Creative Director and Chairman of Saatchi and Saatchi New Zealand Limited. He was the Australasian
representative on the Saatchi Worldwide Creative Board for 12 years advising large global clients on strategic and communications platforms across multiple markets.
DAVID DOWNS
David Downs BSc, CMInstD is a consultant and board director, with a portfolio of interests keeping him busy, across some key theme areas of technology for public good, healthcare and education. David is currently CEO of the New Zealand Story, an ambitious organisation marketing New Zealand to the world.
He’s an ex-comedian, TV and Radio actor, semi-finalist for New Zealander of the Year, and a genetically modified organism who documented his battle with cancer in the book A Mild Touch of the Cancer. David is a popular MC and speaker, and he regularly presents and gives talks on his cancer journey and on the power of positive thinking and optimism.
Presentations, a keynote, a masterclass and a panel...
Nga Toi Creative Hawke’s Bay has identified current trends that a broad range of sectors are asking deep questions about how we can do this better. Across the day the CREATE Symposium will provide an opportunity for participants to engage with the following:
A CULTURAL STORY - Te Matau-a-Maui Platform
Overview:
Place based storytelling is a powerful tool. Through a partnership between Hawke’s Bay Tourism, Nga Toi Creative Hawke’s Bay and leading content creators the Te Matau-a-Maui platform has been established. It is a chance to hear from the makers and watch the outcome
Presentation
Hamish Saxton
Te Rangi Huata
Tom Allan
Karl Wixon
MY STORY Firefly Films and Share the Knowledge
Overview:
As a leading international film producer and educator Emma will explore the significance of creating stories through her company Firefly Films and ensuring the importance of creating models that support people, industry and business to grow.
Keynote
Emma Slade
PURE STORY A Controversial Tale
Overview:
An interactive presentation exploring the power of storytelling and who resonates with your story. A challenge to both the business and creative sector.
Presentation
Kim Thorp
OUR STORY NZ to the World
Overview:
A masterclass from David Downs and the impact your story can have on others. It will explore current ways New Zealand is represented and identified from a global perspective and explore how best to position your story in a noisy marketplace.
Masterclass
David Downs
Karl Wixon
YOUR STORY Local legends
Overview:
A discussion that explores our region and how local business weaves together the creative and business sector. As a region ‘Great Things Grow Here’ and if we grow together our region thrives.
Panel
A broad range of invited local leaders
Looking to stay over?
Scenic Hotel Te Pania located opposite the Napier War Memorial Convention Centre is offering Create Symposium delegates a special 10% discount when they book their accommodation direct and mention the Create symposium or Nga Toi Black Barn Conference Dinner.
REGISTRATION
To register for CREATE Symposium 2025 please follow the link below. This includes registration for the Symposium and the Celebration Dinner.
NOTE:
Payment to be made at time of registration.
Our Supporters:
