Lottery Bd support of art appreciated

Press, 21 August 1978, Page 6

Lottery Bd support of art appreciated

The third Southern! Regional Arts Council con-1 ference, opened by Dame; Ngaio Marsh at Lincoln College at the week-end was; attended by more than 200! people. The Under-Secretary for the Arts (Mr Comber) speaking on behalf of the Minister for the Arts (Mr Highet): who was unable to attend, urged the delegates to buy more lottery tickets. He thanked the Lottery Board; for its financial contribution! to the arts. The Arts Council was

•undertaking programmes to 1 ; make artistic activity availjable to every person-in New; (Zealand and to encourage,; (promote and support public! : interest in the arts, he said, j These aims could best be achieved by working at a local level. The advisory committee of the cultural facilities scheme | met last week and it would! recommend to the Minister that 24 projects be assisted ; in the southern region, which j has 14 community councils,; • Mr Comber said. Mr Comber said that New* Zealand could not continue

'artificially to keep artists ini employment in hot-houses. ; ; “We must develop an audi-i ience for the work of artists; iso that in time they can be-' ; come less reliant on the. handouts or the subsidised ; institution,” he said. All the South Island com-; Imunity councils were repre-i isented. Next year the con-1 * ference will be in Dunedin. ; One new member was nominated to the Southern j jArts Regional Council. She is IMs Maureen Eason, of Dar-1 (field. AH other council mem-; bers were re-elected.