Mapping the wax and wane of a ‘creative capital’: A personal reflection on 20 years of researching music making in Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand

This paper offers an overview of nearly 20 years of researching music making in Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand. This is a critical commentary that engages with the musical life of the city as it has waxed and waned over that period of time. In reflecting on this, the discussion will engage with the ways in which the ‘creative capital’ of New Zealand has put into various policies that have, over time, cemented its status as a neoliberal, entrepreneurial city, while also noting the ways in which music makers have found ways to work within and without these policy frameworks.