PROMOTION OF THE ARTS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 12

PROMOTION OF THE ARTS

Use Of Lottery Funds Suggested (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. A suggestion that the Government use a large slice of its £240,000 share of revenue from an overseas lottery to foster further the arts in New Zealand was made today by Mr Richard pion.He said that before the Government finally decided to introduce television into New Zealand at the cost of millions, it should give more consideration to encouraging New Zealand musicians, actors, artists, writers, singers and dancers. He said with the introduction of television in Canada, the people there had been “mandated” by American commercial culture. They remedied this disastrous trend by setting up an arts council and financing it with an initial grant. The independent Australian had underwritten his personality with the establishment of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust. “Before spending millions on television here we should spend thousands on establishing firmly our own creative groups—the players, the opera, the ballet, a concert orchestra, workshops for all, and, most important, a training academy for all, he said. The finance could be made available from the Government’s share of revenue from sweep consultations without adding one penny of tax burden to New Zealanders. Proposal Supported The chairman of the New Zealand Opera Company (Mr F. Turnovsky) tonight “heartily endorsed” "Mr Campion’s suggestion. Mr Turnovsky, who is also president of the New Zealand Federation of Chamber Music Societies, commented: “The suggestion goes very much in line with my own thinking. It is time something more substantial and tangible was done to help the arts than the profits from the art union." While the Minister of Internal Affairs did his best with the monies at his disposal, they were too limited and uncertain, continued Mr Turnovsky.

“An idea of mine was that some of the entertainment tax should be ploughed back into the arts. People who pay something for entertainment should get something of more entertaining and cultural value. Whichever idea works better would suit us.”