LOCAL BODY DELEGATES Funds urged for music and arts

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32565, 26 March 1971, Page 3

LOCAL BODY DELEGATES Funds urged for music and arts

Requests for financial assistance to the Christchurch Civic Music Council and to the committee for the 1973 Christchurch Arts Festival received favourable recommendations at a meeting of Christchurch metropolitan local bodies’ representatives yesterday.

The meeting chairman was Mr D, B. Rich, chairman of the Waimairi County Council; and the City Council, Paparua and Heathcote County Councils, and the Riccarton and Lyttelton Borough Councils were represented. The meeting had before it a letter from Mr K. R. Newson, chairman of the Civic Music Council, which is now in its thirtieth year. He said the council existed on a $l5OO grant from the City Council, unchanged for many years and the hire of the Steinway piano and proceeds from concerts. The music council had to pay $lOOO for a part-time secretary, The music council had been responsible for forming the Christchurch Civic Orchestra Foundation and the Christchurch Chamber Music Society, and had run a series of community choirs’ concerts for 22 years. The music council’s work was for the benefit of the whole community and it felt that all local bodies in and around Christchurch might like to assist financially. ONLY ONE Cr H. G. Hay (City Council): We are virtually the only local body assisting. The council provides a room for the secretary, and certain secretarial assistance as well. Other council representatives said they had never before had a request for financial help from the music council.

The Mayor of Riccarton (Mr R. W. J. Harrington): The City Council is so benevolent, helping without an approach to the other councils. Cr Hay: That is a role we are used to. Mr Harrington: We are happy for you to continue. Cr Hay said that the music council had approached 14 other councils, including Rangiora and Waimate, and had had 14 acceptances as associate members. He thought the next step would be to make the acceptors financial members.

The representatives agreed to make a favourable recommendation to their councils for assistance. ARTS FESTIVAL

Cr H. G. Hay said the Christchurch Arts Festival Committee intended to have another festival in 1973, centred on the Town Hall. It was hoped to have future festivals every two years. Support had been received from local bodies: City Council $lOOO, Lyttelton $4O, Paparua $l2O, Riccarton $5O, each sum per year for three years, and Waitnairi, Mount Herbert and Rangiora $2OO, $lO and $lOO, respectively, for 1970. Cr Hay said this amounted to $1520 a year, and the committee hoped that the sum would be raised to $2OOO a year, He said that the public and business community would be asked to give substantially for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Cr E. L. Tyndall (Heath-

cote) said his council had not contributed because of a lost letter. Mr Rich said it seemed a reasonable request in view of the festival. “NOT HIGHBROW”

Cr Hay said the festival would be a truly metropolitan effort. It would not be only a highbrow festival, there would be "bands and Shirley Bassey’s sort of entertainment as we had last time.”

Cr R. C. Neville (Waimairi): I note the executive contains a lot of the old local body workhorses. I rather doubt if they could produce a bright festival. Cr Hay: We have lots of helping sub-committees. A voice: Perhaps Cr Neville would like to help. Cr Neville: No. I class myself as an old workhorse. On the motion of Cr I. Calvert (Waimairi) seconded by Cr Tyndall, it was recommended that councils should contribute, on a population basis, the difference between $1420 (Rangiora borough contribution not being assessed because it was not represented) and $2OOO. DIRECT APPROACH A request by Captain P. J. Lloyd, the Anglican City Missioner, and Mr B. E. Mackenzie, a Baptist, both members of an interdemopinational organisation running the St John’s Open Door Youth Centre, for financial assistance was also heard.

Captain Lloyd outlined the work the centre—a coffee bar and games room, in Lich-

field Street—was doing to help youngsters “who find it difficult to relate to society, and society finds it difficult to relate with them.”

Both speakers said that the centre was somewhere where young persons had to go when they were penniless and without jobs. Otherwise, the only contact with them was when they had come under the notice of the law.

Cr R. C. Neville (Waimairi) said he thought the speakers were under some misapprehension. The meeting was not for the purpose of giving money to charity. Councils gave money to charitable purposes, but if the meeting heard one charity dozens of others could apply to be ■ heard. Mr Mackenzie said the organisation was not purely religious but doing a community service. For instance, it provided a dormitory for girls to stay—otherwise “the only place for a girl with no money, perhaps she has lost it, is some bloke’s flat.” The Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr J. B. Collett) recommended that the organisation write to the individual councils outlining what had been said. His recommendation was adopted.

Frigate here.— H.M.N.Z.S. Taranaki, the second of the; Royal New Zealand Navy’s fast new frigates, arrived at Lyttelton from New I Plymouth yesterday morning! in the course of a training! cruise. She will leave for Auckland on Monday.