If you had $1 million?
/ 09 October 2009 - 12:22 pm
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17 Comments
If you had $1m to distribute to the arts sector in the Northland and Auckland regions to support the growth and development of the arts, what would you do?
Comments
I would hold a painting, sculpture, photography and carving art award at ground roots level, and on an annual basis. At the beginning of my artistic career I was encouraged by such art awards to 1. complete (an artwork), 2, compete (see my work hung for exhibition), and 3. confirm (my art ability) and my place as a self taught artist in the community. This again made me plan and practice for the next year's event.
Ground roots level means, not an art award with $30,000 in prize money, allocated to an artist who is already on a scholarship and touring overseas. Target the community artist with prizes around the $500 to $2000 mark. Waihi's Annual Art Festival is a fine example.
More funding for youth art, emerging artists and community-based art is something we have been hearing a lot about lately. An art award/exhibition such as you describe is a great way of reaching a wide audience, and as you have noted, small amounts of funding can go a long way for artists at this stage in their career.
If anyone has any other examples of funding youth/emerging artists I would love to hear about them!
20 October 2009 - 16:54 PM
I think what would make such an award even more beneficial is to offer the winner or even finalists something that helps them take their professional practice further - it could be some professional development, business development, mentoring...something that offers more to the winner than just money [even tho I love the money - don't get me wrong].
Margaret Lewis
The Big Idea
margaret.lewis@thebigidea.co.nz
We have multiple examples of the success that is possible in sports when some one with potential is identified and then supported with coaching, mentoring and performance opportunities. I really support the concept of mentoring and coaching alongside the acknowledgement that goes with winning an award.
Thinking about that million dollars, perhaps I would buy three properties in "out of the way" remote places. What artist, or writer, or song writer, or musician wouldn't be refreshed and invigorated and motivated to create after a week, or two weeks of solitude. You could charge a small amount ie $50 for the week, which could cover the rates and water charges. No artist to have more than 1 week per year in the same property. Imagine, a mountain hut, a south island rural station hut, and a stewart island hut, a central north island plateau hut, a coastal hut in the wellington area, a hut among the vineyards of New Zealand, and one on the beautiful rugged west coast. Clean it when you leave, or never get the chance to stay again. Please can I be first in line.
27 October 2009 - 13:43 PM
Sharen - Auckland regional Council have offered a residency in one of their regional parks for the last two years and [I think] are planning to do it again next year. So keep an eye out for it
Margaret Lewis
The Big Idea
margaret.lewis@thebigidea.co.nz
For this posting it took some time to cost out what a million bucks could buy or develop or not, but finally have settled for a few things that are on the wish list long term for the Auckland Festival of Photography Trust - with about $150,000 we'd develop a programme of annual artist commissions for the Festival over a ten year period.
With the rest we'd set up and show our commissioned artist's work in a Auckland Centre For Photography. The Centre would be based on several overseas models and possibly with a tie into the Wellington one around exhibition schedules and artists. We'd have a curatorial staff and expertise on hand to give us the ability to create/host destination exhibitions for the public during the Festival. And also open year round.
We'd brand it Photo Auckland.
We know this is an idea thats already been mooted/kicked about in the region, not by us but we would be happy to collaborate with balance of our million dollars. :-)
We'd also bring to Auckland a series of international must see exhibitions and the artists too.
We would also host a nice lunch to say thank you to whomever gaves us said million dollars!! Maybe several lunches!
I would love to spend a million dollars on a Programme to fund community based residencies for artists. The Programme would be open to applications from artists of any discipline in association with a community organisation. The projects would be designed to add a creative dimension, process or artwork to enhance the community organisation's objectives, communication systems, premises ....the opportunities are limitless....depending on the nature of the project residencies could be for 6 weeks - 3months
I would love to spend another million dollars on an internship Programme for creative practitioners working in any part of the arts and cultural sector. Organisations would be able to apply to provide the internship for 6 - 12 months. Priority would be given to areas where there is a gap in on the job training and professional development opportunities
I would like to see the money used to put in place a programme of artists residencies during 2011 to coincide with the Rugby World Cup.
The only criteria for gaining a residency would be the idea for the project. No one would be excluded from submitting ideas and a range of support would be provided to help the ideas be developed to completion.
The reason for piggybacking on the World Cup is to use the interest and media coverage that will be focusing on New Zealand. Coverage will not be just on the matches but there will be lots of build up interest and to be honest, not everyone loves rugby, do they? The media will be on the lookout for other stories while they are here and what better way to catch their attention than a group of ballet dances scrum down on the rugby field and a year long musical residency finishes with the combined choirs of Northland singing at a Rugby World Cup match.
By showing the important role the arts play in our communities (or should), Through a range of innovative residencies could act as a catalyst for the development of a sustainable programme of residencies in the years to come.
Obviously this is a brief outline, and I am happy to add more detail if anybody is interested. The cheque can be made payable to ‘Simon Gray’ or by direct transfer to my account.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss issues around funding the arts.
Simon
Thanks for all these "big ideas" for funding! I go away from the internet for a couple of days and look what happens! A lot of common themes of residencies, internships and mentoring have been coming out in our consultation in the real world too.....
I'm looking forward to seeing where we can go with these ideas, and have really enjoyed your sharing of thoughts and inspiration!
Richard Howard TICKETUS info.ticketus@gmail.com Sensible affordable ticketing solutions for shows and events.
It would be interesting to put some focus on developing more cost effective production processes in the Arts and Cultural Sector. Current production processes are recognised as both labour intensive and disproportionally expensive against processes in other industry sectors. As a set of industries and activities product and service production costs are increasingly becoming less competitive.
I believe that the environment in which arts and cultural products and services are produced is still substantially lacking and requires further attention and enrichment. I would like to see the concept of the arts community be better realised in practical terms
Accordingly I would like to see some consistent investment over the next 10 years in schemes that foster and make networking and collaborations practical, easier and common practice as means to survive and thrive.
I am not only thinking creative collaborations but also collaborations around shared resources, marketing, ticketing, purchasing, professional development, fundraising and investment in arts product.
Each initiative would need to aim at pooling knowledge and resources and reducing production costs through shared use of resources, services and systems. On-line systems make this kind of collaboration a practical possibility.
I especially note the expense of production and presentation equipment for shows, exhibitions and cultural events. Commercial hire companies do a great job but at substantial and sometimes unrealistic cost to production companies and event developers.
I would like to see a number of creative resource centres established (probably under a trust structure with a membership system) that function as equipment and support providers. Equipment and services would be adequately insured and hired out at nominal cost to organisational members who also pay a fee to participate in the scheme.
I envisage tight professional management supported by volunteers with interest in equipment and technology. I imagine a technical training work scheme might be possible to support individual and industry growth and to support the functioning and economics of the resource centres.
I believe that an on-line community resource exchange facilitating access to existing resources in the community would provide a complementary scheme.
Likewise establishing a subsidy arrangement with current commercial suppliers of production and presentation equipment for identified members of the scheme would also add value to the system.
While I see that capital investment in establishing the centres and purchasing equipment would be necessary and appropriate I also see such centres developing to be substantially self-sustaining through fees, hire charges, sales of consumables, training contracts, fundraising and perhaps some commercial hire services.
The economic, arts and cultural development benefits for the region are I believe obvious. Such an investment cannot but help improve financial and production viability for many individual practitioners, groups and organisations.
Richard Howard
Mancreating@gmail.com
I would use the fund to establish alternative funding solutions for the Performing Arts ensuring a sustainable future by developing a Venture Capital Fund to commit individuals and corporates to invest in the fund. The fund in turn would do one of a number of things:
1. Purchase an established ticketing company that has contracts with major sports grounds, therefore getting sport subsidising theatre in NZ.
2. Fund 4 independent theatre production companies to develop work of a 3 year period with te intention of touring troug te newly created Regional and National Touring Agency, and internationally through reciprocal agreement with international production companies.
3. Establish a subscription series with US Universities for high quality NZ Dance, Music and Theatre.
4. Purchase the Mercury Theatre and run it initially as a venue for hire to fill the current void, and then develop a rep theatre concept for it.
5. Establish the Arts Resource Centre providing administration and Marketing services for the performing arts industry in Auckland and Northland. Te centre will also provide significant rehearsal space at a very resonable price.
and next week...
Am I allowed to add that ASB also has branches and customers outside of the Northland Auckland region? I've been with ASB myself for many years and moved from Auckland 6 years ago after living there all my life. How about a small fund for outside areas to reflect this? Auckland is comparatively rich in resourcing for the arts, whereas smaller towns don't have the same support systems in place.
PS This forum is a great use of the online arts community intellect...congratulations.
I would run a 4 corners of globe arts cultural interchange.
Where young people at risk interested in the arts would apply to join one of the 4 groups made up of 8 participants in each group = sexes as much as possible. Age range 18 to 24. Each group consisting of 8 participants, plus a tutor in the field subject, an observer to gather media & a carer, translator supervisor as needed.
a group for painting & sculpture, go to South Africa
a group for dance would go to Brazil
a group for music would go to Cuba
a goup for cinema would go to the US
each group would be gone for 6 weeks to the prospective countries working closely with a local field cultural arts organisation working with an equally at risk community in each prospective country.
Those 32 young people with tutors & translators would excel in more than thier creativity. And that would trickle down in Aoteroa community for a long time, possibly even be replicated time and again.
(in closing...) It's great to support artists & recognize talent but anyone who appreciates the arts & talent knows that more often than not the greatest talent comes from the ghettos, the marginalised people. New Zealand is rife with talent in it's lower socio economic communities buit there is a massive lack of resources & opportunity. If a budding talent from the hard side is nurtured then the ongoing positive effects that artists carries to thier community is with out parallel.
That's where my money is !!!! think about that
Navigate & Create = Music + Media + Lic. + Pub. Aotearoa-LA-Mexico-Cuba www.trespeso.com youtube.com/trespeso manicomio-records.com ache Guabo