Arts Council wants Govt grant doubled

Press, 29 December 1986, Page 3

Arts Council wants Govt grant doubled

PA Wellington The Arts Council needs its grant doubled to $2O million if it is to do its job properly, according to the council chairman, Mr lan Cochrane. Mr Cochrane said in the latest edition of the theatre magazine, “Act,” that at the very least the council must have $l5 million. This would keep artists employed, keep up the work of the council for Maori and South Pacific arts and the regional arts councils, as well as train for the future and restore programmes which have been cut. He said that it was clear from the Arts 2000 conference held in Wellington last month that the arts community demands more be done. The arts had been squeezed for a decade and last year’s increased allocation from $6,463,000 to $10,378,000 did not catch up with 10 years of falling behind. “Now we are at the stage where, without a minimum of $l5 million we could see the arts in New Zealand go back five years,” Mr Cochrane said. Professional theatres, orchestras and other arts organisations supported

by the council were employing about 320 people — a drop of about 20 per cent on last year. Last year 299 artists’ projects were supported between April and October 1 — this year the number had dropped to 220. New Zealand could not afford to lose the arts initiatives it had gained, Mr Cochrane said. If the Arts Council grant is doubled it would still lag behind Britain, America, Australia and Canada. The Minister of Arts, Mr Tapsell, said from Rotorua that he accepted there ought to be greater public spending on the arts — something he was continually presssing for in the Cabinet. However, it was not the best time, considering the economic climate, to ask for more. But increased public spending should in no way lessen the responsibility of private spending on the arts. For example, he said the salvation for the performing arts was for people to buy more tickets. But, he said, there was no way the Government would guarantee a living for ever for every person calling himself an artist.