The $300k-plus funding gap the arts sector needs to fill
“I’m confident we will be able to continue to have an impact. There is a possibility the level of service we have been providing will have to reduce in align with any reduction in funding."
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A Southland arts organisation says the sector is bursting with opportunities and there is a buzz about what is happening.
However, Arts Murihiku is faced with the significant task of finding hundreds of thousands of dollars to be able to continue its current level of work.
Arts Murihiku received $448,000 in Government funding last year from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Regeneration Fund.
It was a one-off fund and has to be spent by June 2024.
The money has been used to help Arts Murihiku resource and activate the community arts space called Whare Taupua at 34 Forth St in Invercargill.
An “arts incubator programme” has also been established.
The funding has allowed Arts Murihiku to employ staff in different roles, which equates to 115 hours per week in total.
At this stage, they are employed until September.
Beyond that, Arts Murihiku will need to find the funds to continue with the work it is currently doing.
Arts Murihiku chairperson Rebecca Amundsen felt on the back of the Government funding the organisation has been able to prove what can be done for the arts sector with the additional resources it has had in place.
“It’s been pretty amazing to have that dedicated resource for the arts sector out there building relationships and encouraging and supporting people to have a go at things.”
The task now is to gain the required support from various funders to ensure it can replace that initial Government support, which equates to over $300,000 over 12 months.
“We are just in the process of making funding applications both locally and with Creative New Zealand to see what kind of funding we can get to continue the work we are doing,” Amundsen said.
Creative New Zealand is likely to get an increase in funding applications from throughout the country on the back of that one-off Ministry for Culture and Heritage funding coming to an end.
Although Creative New Zealand has not had an increase in funding.
“We are going to be talking to councils and funders highlighting what we have been able to do in the arts sector.”
“I’m confident we will be able to continue to do stuff and have an impact. There is a possibility the level of service we have been providing will have to reduce in align with any reduction in funding.”
“We’ve been working hard to show what having staffing resource can have for the arts community, and I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job of that.”
Amundsen said on top of funding applications it was also working through further fundraising ideas to help come up with the required funds.
Isn’t arts finding funding as important as the largesse of $9.4 million allocation for seating, on top of the ~$5million for unknown leaks on top of the bargain $1 million purchase price of Rugby followers’ Rugby Park? The city plans unwavering speedy benevolence for this interest. Will this occur for the cities Arts sector too? Arts Murihiku has provided amazing oversight,promotiom, coordination and initiation of the Arts during its existence. High output for both artists and the Invercargill and Southlandcommunity . Vibrant and coordinated arts adds to the city’s investment towards a vibrant cbd and city. In contrast, a $9 million or even $5million spend for bums passively sitting for a few hours of rugby, I’m unsure of the benefit to ratepayers and seems Rugbys responsibility. Arts is no poor cousin please Council.