Sue Whale

Creative New Zealand, the government organisation that distributes funding for the arts, culture, creativity and Ngā Toi Māori in New Zealand, has begun a major change process regarding its funding programmes, including creating more equitable funding and development opportunities for regional Aotearoa.

In their document, Tuku Rauemi: Regional Partnerships, they have divided New Zealand up into 16 regions, with the Bay of Plenty just one region.

As you all know, and as David Hick so eloquently demonstrated in his letter in the May 8 Beacon, speaking about the planned amalgamation of councils, the Eastern Bay is vast and very different from Tauranga and the Western Bay.

They are served by Creative Bay of Plenty, which despite the name does not run events or advocate for the arts in our area.

Arts Whakatāne delivers community arts in the Whakatāne district and has done so since 1986.

We now have an opportunity to morph from a volunteer organisation to a professional organisation, serving the whole of the Eastern Bay.

Vanessa Immink, who has previously led the Whakatāne District Council Arts, Culture and Creativity Strategy, and is connected nationally through Regional Arts Network Aotearoa (RANA) and Arts Wellington, working across regional arts development and sector capability, has alerted me to this opportunity.

She will speak at our AGM on May 20.

We have other speakers who are not to be missed: Rohan Stevens O’Neill, director of the Nelson Arts Council, will speak virtually on the exciting developments of community arts in Nelson and Kim Fort, Team Leader Events, will speak about event management in Whakatāne and the awesome work she and her team at the district council do to deliver events.

This meeting will be held at Acacia House in Louvain Street at 6pm on Wednesday, May 20. Come along.