Arts Festival ‘to go ahead’

Press, 2 September 1981, Page 6

Arts Festival ‘to go ahead’

Next year’s Christchurch Arts Festival will still be held, in spite of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council’s refusal of a $20,000 grant. Mrs Julia Perry, who took over the post of festival director in mid-July, said yesterday that “a huge fundraising stint” would have to be organised so that the 1982 festival could be held. While the Christchurch City Council’s cultural committee has decided to ask the Arts Council to reconsider its decision, Mrs Perry held little hope that a grant would now be made. The council’s reply to a request by the festival committee had been a “bald.no.”

The budget for the 1982 festival included $20,000 from the Arts Council grant and $15,000 from donations and

sponsorships. About $7500 • was budgeted to come from local authority contributions. Mrs Perry said the Arts Festival had always received a $lO,OOO grant from the Arts Council. It was “a shock” to get nothing. She now hoped to find $20,000 through fund-raising efforts. They would be concentrated on the private and business sectors and local authorities. A raffle was planned and approaches would be made to individuals who had supported previous Arts Festivals. Funds would still be available from the Arts Council for special projects that were outside the usual scope of the festival. Applications were being made for special grants for three projects. The lack of a solid grant made planning for next

today I am sure the support is there,” she said. It was too early to comment on the future of the Christchurch Arts Festival, said Mrs Perry. Discussions would have to be held to reassess the situation and find a firm base for future festivals. The chairman of the Arts Council, Miss J. G. E. Kerr, said that the decision not to give a grant to the Christchurch Arts Festival had been made reluctantly. No grant had been made for the Auckland . Arts Festival either, she said.

The council’s budget had been very tight this year. It had decided to give priority to institutions where people were trying to make a living.

There was little hope that the council would reconsider its decision, she said.

year's festival difficult, said Mrs Perry. Artists had been invited to take part, although no firm contracts had yet been made. It was a crucial time for the festival because contracts were about to be confirmed and the problem with funds made negotiations “tricky.” Nevertheless, the festival would go ahead. Overseas content would be pruned and emphasis given to local contributions, Mrs Perry said. She said she was sure that the Christchurch community would respond to support the Arts Festival, which was planned to run from March 6 to 21 next year. “It would be very sad if the festival did not go ahead. But from the number of telephone calls I have had