Sue Whale,
Chair of Arts Whakatāne

YOUR letter writers Alan Findlay and Stephanie Hunt dismiss the plans to create an Arts Hub at the former Wally Sutherland site.

They say the arts do not pay and this is not needed and speak disparagingly about the councillors supporting this project.

It seems to me that these letter writers lack deeper knowledge about what has preceded the adoption of the Arts Hub plan.

As an involved member of the arts community, let me enlighten you.

The plan to develop an Arts Hub is the result of several years of consultation with the local arts community and can be read in detailed documentation, resulting in a much-needed long term Arts, Culture and Creativity Strategy for our district.

You can find this on the Whakatāne District Council website. No ratepayer money has gone into this. Funding applications to outside funders were made and everything was paid for in this way.

The result of this consultation was the need for an Arts Hub.

The Rotorua Arts Village, Tauranga’s Historic Village and Whangarei’s Hundertwasser Art Centre are functioning models for this project.

The Arts can pay (just look at WOW). Users hire the council facilities and generate income through commission on sales and ticket sales for events.

Visitors are attracted to town and spend more money here. There are outside funders who will support building upgrades for community facilities, if long-term use is assured.

Also, if you look closely, the council is asking for tenders from interested parties to hire the facility. “Creative Hub – Registrations of interest: We’re on the lookout for a dynamic, creative enterprise to lease this prime spot and help bring our new Constellation Creative Hub to life. Imagine a vibrant space where creativity thrives, local talent shines, and visitors are wowed.”

Stephanie says we already have “council funded arts facilities that are underutilised”.

What is she referring to? There are none. The Arts in Whakatāne are not supported or funded by the council, they happen because volunteers support these activities. The old run-down Arts House (council-owned but users pay rent) is bursting at the seams with people using it. Arts and craftspeople are turned away because there is not enough space.

The EBOP Brass Band own their own building. They are not funded by the council.

The same goes for Theatre Whakatāne and several dance studios. The list goes on. My organisation, Arts Whakatāne, has provided arts events for the people of the district since 1986.

We are not council funded. We are volunteers who raise funds to pay professionals for specific jobs. We have organised such events as the annual Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Award, Art in the Park, the Dance Carnival, Arts on Tour performances, The Arts Trail, Jazz in the Park, Shakespeare in the Park, the Carving Symposium and we have co-produced the Trust Horizon Light Festival with the council events team and EPIC.

We all need a better space with better facilities to work from. We need a space to showcase Māori arts.

The arts are an important part of a healthy and well-functioning community. They can also attract new residents and visitors to our district.

We are keen to create a new attraction that will inspire, entertain and offer a place to meet, collaborate, create and display.