Arts Centre

Press, 19 June 1986, Page 20

Arts Centre

Sir,—Am I to understand from Mr Doig’s letter (June 5) that the Arts Centre Trust receives no regular funding from the Government or local bodies? As a citizen of Christchurch I feel very grateful that the premises of the old university, (the Arts Centre), and teachers’ college (the Peterborough Centre) are being preserved as architectural features among an ever-growing “sameness” of new buildings, and that these buildings are providing a home to a great many worthwhile community services, and a wide range of high-class arts and crafts. Personally, I would prefer some of my rates to go to this trust than to buying some of the recently acquired featureless paintings at the McDougall Art Gallery. — Yours, etc., B. M. GOLDSBROUGH. June 11, 1986.

[Mr Christopher Doig, director of the Arts Centre, replies: “It is true that the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust receives no funding from local bodies to meet its operating costs or for the maintenance of the buildings. For some years now, however, we have received an annual grant from the municipal bodies of approximately $50,000 to help fund the earthquake-strengthen-ing programme which is being carried out on the buildings. The university, in fact, sought an assurance from local bodies that funding for this specific purpose be made available before they agreed to hand the site over to the trust. That funding has been the only contribution from local or central government and it ceases in three years time. All other revenue to meet the Arts Centre’s operating costs, and to upgrade the buildings must be generated from rents (which are kept artificially low), membership subscriptions, plus contributions from private individuals, companies and service clubs.”]