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February 07, 2022
Relief fund boost as gigs cancelled
Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira
Posted On February 7, 2022
Download AudioThere’s a word of hope for Māori working in arts and culture,
The government has announced an additional $121 million to help the sector, including another $35.5 million to the Cultural Sector Emergency Fund and $70 million to the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme.
The scheme will be extended for another 12 months.
Arts and Culture Minister Carmel Sepuloni says there’s no quick fix as events continue to be hit by pandemic restrictions.
“The funding we have put in, the full suite of funding, has supported artists during this time but it’s not over. We need to continually look at what the situation is in front of us and where we can pivot and where we can inject funding as required,” she says.
The Screen Production Recovery Fund also gets another $15 million, split between the Film Commission and NZ On Air.
But Māori music legend Ria Hall says there’s not much in the package for struggling artists.
She says performers can only apply for the fund if they’re on the brink of financial ruin, with most of the pūtea going to event organisers, not staff and crew.
She wants an easier process for artists, such as reactivating the wage subsidy and resurgence payments for musicians.
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