Strengthening arts and culture across Central Otago
Connecting artists, communities,
and creative opportunities.
Our vision
A Central Otago where the arts flourish; where creativity is visible, valued, and embedded in everyday life.
Established in 2009, the Central Otago District Arts Trust (CODAT) works to celebrate, support, develop, and advocate for the arts across all disciplines. We are committed to growing Central Otago as a vibrant arts destination, increasing participation, strengthening the arts community, and enhancing wellbeing through creative engagement. CODAT promotes a positive arts culture, one that is forward-thinking, collaborative, and open to new ideas and approaches. Our work spans communities across the district, including Alexandra, Cromwell, Clyde, Roxburgh, Ranfurly, and Naseby, while also building connections nationally, and internationally. CODAT believes arts and culture are fundamental to identity, connection, wellbeing, and economic vitality. Through our work, we: • Grow participation and access to the arts • Support artists and creative communities • Strengthen Central Otago's reputation as an arts destination • Foster a sustainable and dynamic creative sector Everything we do is guided by our values of innovation, relevance, inclusion, progress and long-term impact.
Here is a summary of our Strategic Plan.
We acknowledge mana whenua and recognise the importance of Māori arts, culture, and storytelling in shaping Central Otago’s identity. We support the visibility and celebration of te ao Māori as an essential and living part of our cultural landscape. Alongside this, we recognise and celebrate the contributions of people from many cultures - including European, Asian, Pasifika, and others, who have made Central Otago their home. Our arts community is enriched by this diversity, and we are committed to fostering inclusive, accessible opportunities for all.
What we do
Delivering excellence in the arts through development, participation, and partnerships.
We connect artists, organisations, communities, and partners to create opportunities for collaboration, creativity, and growth across Central Otago. Our work includes:
Arts Advocacy
Advocating for the arts in Central Otago and representing the region’s creative sector to national agencies.
Arts Development & Participation
Supporting artists at every stage of their creative journey while encouraging greater community participation in the arts.
Education & Professional Development
Providing workshops, training, mentoring and development opportunities that build skills, confidence and sustainable creative careers.
Partnerships
Working collaboratively with councils, communities, organisations, businesses and funding partners to strengthen the creative sector.
Arts Experiences & Events
Delivering and supporting high-quality arts events, exhibitions and creative initiatives that inspire, engage and connect our communities.
Public Art & Placemaking
Embedding creativity into public spaces through collaborative projects that celebrate local identity, culture and sense of place.
Central Otago Arts Trail
Showcasing the region as an arts destination by connecting visitors and locals with artists, galleries, studios and creative spaces across the region.
Our history
The Central Otago District Arts Trust (CODAT) was founded on a simple belief: that the arts enrich communities, connect people, and express the unique identity of Central Otago.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, artists, makers, performers, and arts groups across the district were making a significant contribution to community life. While creativity was thriving, much of it existed in isolation. There was growing recognition that artists and arts organisations would benefit from stronger connections, greater visibility, and a collective voice. These conversations raised important questions: How could Central Otago better support its artists? How could creative people connect across the district's many small communities? And how could the arts help shape the region's identity and future? Those discussions led to the development of the Central Otago District Council's first Arts Strategy in 2008 and, in 2009, the establishment of the Central Otago District Arts Trust. Ceramic artist and educator Kathi McLean was instrumental in the Trust's formation and was joined by a dedicated group of founding trustees, including inaugural Chair John Buchanan, Secretary Alan Janman, Treasurer Jillian Jopp, and Māniatoto representative Jan Bean. Over the years, the Trust has also benefited from the expertise and commitment of many trustees, staff, volunteers, and arts practitioners whose leadership has helped shape Central Otago's cultural landscape. Dedicated Project Leads have played a pivotal role, with Maxine Williams establishing the position and Rebekah de Jong continuing this work over the past nine years. Working alongside successive boards, they have developed programmes, built partnerships, and transformed vision into action across the district. Over the past fifteen years, CODAT has played a key role in connecting artists, organisations, communities, and audiences. Through advocacy, promotion, partnerships, and creative initiatives, the Trust has helped raise the profile of Central Otago's arts sector locally, nationally, and internationally while creating opportunities for artists and increasing participation in the arts. Milestones include the launch of the region's dedicated arts website, centralotagoarts.com, the continued growth of the Central Otago Arts Trail, the Arts Gold Awards, significant public art projects such as The Arrival and the Cromwell Multicultural Mural, alongside exhibitions, festivals, and creative programmes that continue to enrich community life throughout the district. Today, CODAT remains committed to the vision that inspired its creation: a vibrant and connected arts community that contributes to the cultural, social, and economic wellbeing of Central Otago. What began as a conversation about supporting the arts has become a lasting legacy that continues to inspire, connect, and celebrate creativity throughout the region. Mā ngā toi e kōrero ai te whenua me tōna iwi. Through the arts, the land and its people speak.