Grant for orchestra?

Press, 23 June 1981, Page 6

Grant for orchestra?

An appeal for more orchestra funding from rates was made to the Christchurch City Council yesterday by members of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. The council had decided to scrap community grants allocations from rates this year to save money. But members of the Arts Council said yesterday tha their organisation's dollar-for-dollar orchestra subsidy would not be available if an orchestra grant came only from the Governments recreation and. community development funds. Metropolitan local bodies were' asked to provide about $30,000 from rates for the Christchurch Symphony Or-

chestra this year, but the metropolitan grants committee recommended an allocation of only $lO,OOO. The Auckland Regional Authority allocated $73,000 to that area’s symphony orchestra this year, and will receive the same from the Arts Council subsidy. City councillors have been told "that their decision is contrary to the Arts Council's funding partnership principle for the four main centres. Arts Council members had made it clear yesterday that any grant contemplated for the local orchestra from the Government's $1 a head subsidy would not receive an additional subsidy, said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr Hamish Hay).

“This point was ramined - home.” he said. Councillors * would look for some way ot getting round the problem. ■■ perhaps by transferring rah ing funds from one- area h the orchestra, then making up for it by allocating Gov' ernment grants money to th< first activity. "I think the funding of ? symphony orchestra shduk be a basic policy decision ri the City Council, and not lef to the whim of a grant: committee or estimates coni mittee each year." he said. If such a policy decisioi were made "to strengths the musical and artistic life of the city,” said Mr Hay specific amounts for the-Or-chestra: could be determined each year.