New national touring agency to be supported by Creative NZ

New national touring agency to be supported by Creative New Zealand

An agency to help organise and support the national touring of contemporary New Zealand theatre, dance and music will be in place by March next year.

Creative New Zealand has selected PromPt Incorporated (trading as PANNZ) to provide national touring services over the next three years. It will be able to apply to an associated touring fund of up to $1.16 million for some of the costs of the tours it manages. It is also intended that the agency will generate fees for its services in some cases.

In September, Creative New Zealand called for proposals to establish a national touring agency with the aim of having it and the touring fund in place by March 2015.

“PromPt’s proposal showed a clear understanding of the complexity of issues associated with touring in New Zealand for the medium to large performing arts sector and the types of services a touring agency could provide. They proposed a business model with a team of professionals covering a broad range of expertise and took a strongly developmental approach to the work,” said Creative New Zealand Senior Manager Capability Building Cath Cardiff.

PromPt will receive a total of $760,000 to provide touring services between December 2014 and June 2017.

“The PromPT executive is thrilled to be able to provide national touring services over the next three years. For more than a decade PANNZ has provided a platform and an organisational infrastructure for key players in New Zealand’s performing arts sector to meet, discuss and plan. The New Zealand Touring Agency is a new opportunity for PromPT to encourage and support sustainable performing arts networks throughout New Zealand,” said PromPT Chair Megan Peacock Coyle.

The new initiative follows Creative New Zealand’s reviews of the music and dance sectors, which both identified risks and logistical barriers associated with touring as ongoing issues.

“An effective mechanism to develop and manage touring of medium to large scale work is a missing link in our arts infrastructure. The agency and fund will play a vital role in ensuring more audiences enjoy great New Zealand performing art experiences,” said Ms Cardiff.
“With New Zealand’s small and unevenly distributed population touring is essential for maintaining and increasing audiences for our arts companies and for sustaining the life of a new work beyond its first season,” she said.

The agency will support and manage tours throughout the country in collaboration with the sector including companies, independent producers and artists, arts festivals and venues. In addition, Creative New Zealand will continue to support other touring projects through its grants and investment programmes and through the Māori Arts Presentation Fund. The new agency will complement the work of existing touring organisations such as Arts on Tour and Chamber Music New Zealand.

“We’re excited to be able to provide a dedicated resource for touring expertise and associated services. It will leverage our existing investment in the production of new work designed to tour by giving it further life and opportunities for development.”

Established in 1998, PromPT is a fee-based membership organisation which delivers the annual PANNZ (Performing Arts Network of New Zealand) market. The annual market is a showcase for theatre/music/dance attended by festival and venue presenters.

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