Arts Council attacked for grant

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34000, 14 November 1975, Page 14

Arts Council attacked for grant

The Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council has been bitterly attacked by the chairman of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (Mr IN. 11. Buchanan) for granting $25,000 to the Canterbury Orchestra Trust.

Mr Buchanan sent a l ’ letter to the council's ‘ chairman (Mr Hamish ( Keith) yesterday, ex- ( pressing shock at the I announcement of the 1 grant. The council made ‘ the grant after its meeting on Wednesday. It j matches grants made to i the trust by Christ- ’ church local hodie«. In his letter, Mr Buchanan * said: "Your council and the 1 local authorities in Christhurch are readily giving i $50,000 to the trust, when its i only announced activities for * the period of eight months 1 from its establishment to * March 31, 1976, are two con- 1 certs, the second of which I will take place on November 20. 1 "Taxpayers and ratepayers

I will find this generosity’ astounding.” he said. The director of the council* (Mr M. A. Rickard) said last' evening that all comments* had to come from Mr Keith.* But Mr Keith could not be' contacted last evening. Mr Buchanan called the Arts Council grant an attempt to destroy-the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, which, he said, was the only orchestra at present giving anything that approached an adequate service to the musical life of Christchurch. “Your council, and the powerful people who promoted the formtaion of the trust, clearlv believe that all that is needed to solve the Christchurch orchestra prob-[ lem is plenty of money to buy a new one.” Money could not buy human and artistic factors,! said Mr Buchanan.