The Creative New Zealand Arts Council has appointed academic and historian Professor John Davidson to its board and re-appointed Alistair Carruthers as the chair of the Council. The Arts Council is responsible for overall policy development for Creative New Zealand, which operates at arm's length from government in encouraging, promoting and supporting the Arts in New Zealand. In addition, artist and advocate Anne Rush and the former chair of the Whitirea Community Law Centre Jocelyn Afford have both been appointed as members of the Creative New Zealand Arts Board and the current chair Alan Sorrell has been re-appointed. The Arts Board is responsible for encouraging, promoting, and supporting the development of the Arts in New Zealand through the allocation of funding to artists, arts organisations and arts projects. To read more please visit The Big Idea Website.