Important issues: Arts

Wellington - Arts Capital - is that the central question?

Do we compete primarily against Auckland or are our creative people equally attracted to Adelaide, Melbourne or even Edinburgh or North America? We must value the intrinsic expression of creativity as well as seeing economic benefits spinning off to hotels and bars. Wellingtonians want theatre that challenges as well as amuses, photography that confronts political oppression as well as celebrating landscape beauty, sculptures that have more originality than the wretched Wellywood sign.

Council's cultural wellbeing strategy is a good start and I'm delighted with the success of Toi Poneke, the creative incubator for emerging artists and shared space in Abel Smith Street.

At 4% of our overall operating expenditure, we are making a fairly modest investment and this needs to be compared against Auckland and Christchurch's level of support.

Regional Arts Levy

A good idea if it increases the support for our venues as well as festivals. If Hutt City and Porirua haven't supported their rates going to regional events and venues before, will they now? We must acknowledge the contribution that Pataka and the Dowse make to our Arts scene too.

Mayoral Arts Roundtable

The joint approach to managing St James, Michael Fowler centre and the other Council-owned venues is sensible but we must ensure that the infrastructure for theatre and dance that is independently owned flourishes and that funding is distributed in a more transparent way, especially with the pending changes to Creative NZ funding.

Some organisations get rental subsidy, some get three year contracts and some are recipients of project-based grants. The performances that graduate to tour or perform at overseas venues must have good theatres to start with and Wellington has a great combination with Downstage, BATS, Circa and other venues. Collaboration between venues must be encouraged as each has its niche role. The current funding process may encourage competition more than collaboration and through this campaign I have picked up the idea of having a Mayoral Arts Roundtable to ensure we take a strategic and transparent approach.

Wellington Vector Orchestra and the NZSO have complementary roles to play and Wellignton needs both. The former has a significant role as a pit orchestra supporting opera and ballet.

Our unique geographical and cultural situation must be reflected in our shows and audiences. Which institutions are facing up to the demographic changes? The extraordinary fusion work Elena and Tanemahuta Gray exemplify in their different media could only be born in New Zealand!

NZ Centre for Photography

I would like to see a permanent and accessible home for this organisation. Sadly it did not emerge as compatible with the NZ Portrait Gallery and does need its own space. I'd welcome ideas on where that could work and whether a partnership with another organisation would work effectively. 

Galleries, museums, festivals

These facilities, public and private, dealer or exhibition form a key attraction to locals and visitors alike. Do they all feel equally confident that Positively Wellington Tourism promotes them? I'm keen to maintain free admission to our museums and galleries and am delighted that Te Papa is located on our waterfront - despite my architectural reservations remain! Let's not clutter up its edges with a "transition" building.

Opportunities

Wellington's necessary infrastructure can offer opportunities to integrate art into the built environment. From the swirling patterns on our manhole covers to the murals painted on the pumping station at Kaiwharawhara stream, there are many city canvasses, large and small where artistic expression can add to the city at minimal cost. I would like to see school-children's mosaics and artwork incorporated into more suburban centres and traffic calming projects so they have a real sense of belonging and contribution.

Brisbane's Public Art Strategy is a dynamic statement we can learn from.

Preconditions

Creativity will thrive in a city that welcomes diversity, is affordable, has housing close to venues and transport. Creative people are drawn to places with more places to walk, meet and recreate, with less traffic and pollution! Creativity is needed in every other sphere of business, engineering and government to solve the complex issues of the 21st Century and to see opportunities as well as challenges in resource scarcity, climate change and increasing global population.