29 August 2003
No of pages: 3 pageno
New Zealand opera receives major funding boost
Creative New Zealand grants support 38 professional arts organisations
New Zealand opera has received a major boost through increased funding from Creative New Zealand to two professional
arts organisations, NBR New Zealand Opera and Canterbury Regional Opera.
Creative New Zealand's Arts Board offered NBR New Zealand Opera funding of $1.15 million per year for the next three
years while Canterbury Regional Opera was offered $325,000 per year for the next three years.
NBR New Zealand Opera has had static funding for a number of years and this 45 per cent increase (from $791,677 per year
for 2001-2003) acknowledges the company's increased level of activity, including regional touring. Arts Board Chair
Murray Shaw said that in offering a significant increase to NBR New Zealand Opera, the Board was supporting the
company's long-term vision and direction, along with the important leadership role it played in the sector.
"The company has already leveraged considerable private funding but this additional funding supports it to continue
developing the artform, provide professional development opportunities, and increase its touring activities to both
small and larger centres throughout New Zealand," Mr Shaw said.
NBR New Zealand Opera's recent successful tour of The Barber of Seville travelled to 12 New Zealand centres.
"The Board also welcomed Canterbury Opera's plans to provide South Island audiences with increased opportunities to
enjoy professional opera," he said.
Creative New Zealand through the funding decisions of its two boards - the Arts Board and Te Waka Toi - offered a total
of $12.6 million, supporting the programmes of activity of the 38 organisations it funds on a recurrent basis (i.e.
annual or three-year) for the 2004 calendar year. Nine of the organisations are funded on a three-year basis.
The Auckland Philharmonia also received a boost to its funding from the Arts Board and was offered $1.5 million per year
for the next three years. "This major orchestra is one of the many examples of arts organisations that make their
funding go a long way," Mr Shaw said. "For every dollar of Creative New Zealand funding, the Auckland Philharmonia
attracts approximately $4 from other sources."
Chief Executive Elizabeth Kerr said that with increased funding to Creative New Zealand from Government through Vote
Arts, Culture and Heritage, the Arts Board and Te Waka Toi together had an additional $1.25 million this year to invest
in the professional arts infrastructure. This resulted in an overall funding increase of 11 per cent to these
organisations.
Among the 38 organisations supported by Creative New Zealand on a recurrent basis are regional orchestras and theatres,
contemporary dance companies, Mäori arts organisations, national advocacy and service organisations, and experimental
galleries.
"The professional arts infrastructure provides critical support for artform development and leadership, at both a
regional and national level," Miss Kerr said. "It also means that New Zealanders can enjoy ongoing relationships with
these organisations through the annual programme of activities they offer."
A feature of a number of these organisations is the strong, confident New Zealand voice that's emerging and Miss Kerr
welcomed this commitment to New Zealand work.
"Audiences now expect New Zealand work to be of a very high standard and many relish the opportunity to hear, see and
read this country's stories," she said. "For some of these organisations, such as Taki Rua Productions and Black Grace
Dance Company, their entire repertoire is new New Zealand work."
Miss Kerr said that through Creative New Zealand's support for the professional arts infrastructure, the Arts Board and
Te Waka Toi were able to fund a range of diverse, exciting activities and services that would benefit the arts sector,
provide opportunities for individual artists, develop art practice, and be enjoyed by New Zealand and overseas
audiences.
Among the many activities supported are:
* a Capital E's National Theatre for Children production of Monkey, a new work by Lynda Chanwai-Earle exploring the
contemporary life of two Chinese children newly arrived in New Zealand
* a new work by composer Anthony Ritchie, Timeless Land, commissioned and performed by Southern Sinfonia
* Auckland Philharmonia's Kiwi Capers, a programme introducing primary and intermediate school children to live
orchestral performance
* new scripts by Rawiri Paratene and Roger Hall to be developed by Downstage Theatre
* the continuation of the New Zealand Book Council's Words on Wheels and Writers in Schools programmes, bringing
together New Zealand writers and readers
* access to the arts for people in the health, justice, disabilities and refugee areas through Arts Access Aotearoa
* a national tour of a new play in te reo Mäori through Taki Rua Productions
* a nine-centre tour of the South Island by The Court Theatre of David Hare's play, Breath of Life
* new work by Raewyn Hill and Jeremy Nelson commissioned by Footnote Dance Company
* an annual programme of concerts in New Zealand and overseas by the New Zealand String Quartet.
ends
Recurrent funding round 2003-2004
Creative New Zealand has offered grants to 38 professional arts organisations for their programme of activity over the
2004 calendar year. This is a complete list of the offers, which totalled $12,618,110. The amounts for organisations
offered three-year funding (shown in italic) have been annualised to reflect the offer for the 2004 calendar year.
Artists Alliance $110,000
Arts Access Aotearoa $278,000
Arts on Tour NZ $127,000
Artspace $290,000
Auckland Philharmonia $1,500,000
Auckland Theatre Company $690,000
BATS Theatre $200,000
Black Grace Dance Company $362,000
Booksellers New Zealand $127,500
Canterbury Regional Opera $325,000
Capital E: National Theatre for Children $262,000
Centre for New Zealand Music Trust (SOUNZ) $142,600
Centrepoint Theatre $383,000
Chamber Music New Zealand $594,000
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra $400,000
Circa Theatre/Theatre Artists Charitable Trust (TACT) $515,500
Dance Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ) $250,000
Downstage Theatre $490,000
Footnote Dance Company $208,500
Fortune Theatre $385,800
Kahurangi Mäori Dance Trust $133,700
Moving Image Centre $155,000
Museums Aotearoa $50,000
NBR New Zealand Opera $1,150,000
New Zealand Book Council $145,000
New Zealand Choral Federation $135,000
New Zealand String Quartet $165,000
NGC Wellington Sinfonia $230,000
Playmarket $266,500
Southern Sinfonia $250,000
Taki Rua Productions* $315,000
Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust $90,000
Te Whanau Paneke* $104,000
Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa** $100,000
The Court Theatre $700,000
The Physics Room Trust $149,000
Toi Mäori Aotearoa** $651,000
Tower New Zealand Youth Choir $160,000
* Co-funded by the Arts Board and Te Waka Toi
** Wholly funded by Te Waka Toi
The remaining organisations are funded wholly by the Arts Board