'Arts Council grant not enough’

Press, 25 June 1981, Page 4

'Arts Council grant not enough’

Out of its budget of more than $7 million, the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council’s grant of $440,000 was not enough for regional orchestras, said the chairman of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (Dr D. Shelley) last evening.

But Dr Shelley told the C.S.O.’s annual meeting he believed the Arts Council could be persuaded to increase its grant for regional orchestras. The new Arts Council policy provided a three-tier system of funding. For the 1981-1982 financial year'the orchestra would receive a $30,000 core grant, a dollar-for-dollar subsidy on local authorities grants,, which would amount to $15,000 and funds from the national orchestra project. He said the Arts Council had not decided its budget, but the total amount for regional orchestras was likely to be $440,000. In the meantime the C.S.O. was suubsisting on its annual $15,000 grant. • Dr Shelley said the recent news that the Christchurch City Council had cut community grants from its estimates was worrying. If the council's grant was cut

the orchestra would loose the Arts Council’s dollar-for-dollar subsidy. But after a meeting with the City Council this week he hoped the council would find a way of funding the orchestra on a permanent basis. That would be an important move.

The orchestra’s manager (Mr C. D. Brodrick) said that the C.S.O. suffered a $5600 loss last year, compared with' a loss of nearly $BOOO for the previous financial year.

He said out that the loss would have been greater last year, except that the orchestra members agreed to give their salaries for the fifth subscription concert to the orchestra.

The orchestra's income amounted to about $30,000, which included nearly $23,000 from grants and more than $4OOO from membership fees and donations. It also earned nearly $26,000 from its five concert subscription series. Its expenses amounted to more than $61,000, including $28,500 for players’ salaries, and $lB,OOO for administrative expenses. Dr Shelley said an appointment to the new position of musical director should be made by September.