New Zealand artists, sculptors, carvers, jewellers and fashion designers have developed an international reputation, both for the quality of their work and for their use of the countries raw materials.

• The traditional Maori skills of bone and greenstone (Jade) carving, weaving and performance art remain strong.
• The Paua shell has become a distinctive feature of New Zealand artwork. The country has 400 museums and art galleries, with one of the biggest projects in the world, the 'Te Papa' museum in Wellington.
• New Zealander Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is one of the world's leading sopranos.
• New Zealand has two orchestras, a national ballet company and a number of professional theatres.
• Music is a big part of the lives of every New Zealander, from live bands in the bars to world-renowned artistes like Neil and Tim Finn.
• Reading is still listed as a favourite pastime, and the society has provided great inspiration for artists and writers.
• In the last 6 years New Zealand has won 44 Oscars at the Academy Awards. Some world famous movies were filmed in New Zealand; The Piano, Whale Rider, Vertical Limit, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong, The Worlds Fastest Indian, River Queen, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, plus many more projects in the pipeline.
• Bollywood has also discovered this part of the world and is now producing a large amount of Indian films made in the South Island.