2                                          27 February 2019

HUTT CITY COUNCIL

 

Arts and Culture Subcommittee

 

Report of a meeting held in the Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 30 Laings Road,
Lower Hutt on

 Wednesday 27 February 2019 commencing at 6.12pm

 

 

 PRESENT:                       Cr M Lulich (Chair)

Deputy Mayor D Bassett

Cr T Lewis (Deputy Chair)

Community Representatives:

 

Christine Fagan

Iwi Representative

Anita Mansell

Hutt Multicultural Council

Johannes Mueller-Welschof

Hutt Art Society

Desiree Mulligan

Heritage and local history expert

 

APOLOGIES:                  Mayor WR Wallace, Ms P Hindmarsh and Mr N Woods.  

 

IN ATTENDANCE:       Ms P Sanderson, Community Arts Advisor

                                          Mr K Chitham, Museums Director

                                          Ms J Randall, Committee Advisor

 

 

PUBLIC BUSINESS

 

 

1.       APOLOGIES 

Resolved: (Cr Lulich/Mr Mueller-Welschof)                      Minute No. ART 19101

“That the apologies received from Mayor Wallace, Ms Hindmarsh and Mr Woods be accepted and leave of absence be granted.”

2.       PUBLIC COMMENT

Speaking under public comment, Mr M Gibson President of the Hutt City Musical Theatre (the Society) provided an update on the Society’s activities. 

He advised the Society would be presenting the musical production ‘A Little Shop of Horrors’ in July.  He said the Society currently had 85 members aged from seven to 50 years of age.  He added that the Hutt City Junior Theatre had been set up the previous year and 48 children took part in a production.  He said everyone involved in productions was a volunteer.  He added each show cost in the region of $20,000 mostly for buying rights, lighting and sound. He noted it was becoming increasingly difficult to cover costs and ‘sell out’ shows were essential.  He said costs were offset to some extent by income from three regular hall users who sub-leased the hall.

In response to questions from members, Mr Gibson advised there was no suitable sound or lighting available for shows at the hall.  He explained the Society had recently renegotiated the lease on the hall for a further three years.  He added the Society had not been successful when applying for grants from Council.

 

Members thanked Mr Gibson for the work the Society undertook for the community and the city.

3.       CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS    

There were no conflict of interest declarations.

4.       Minutes

Ms Mulligan requested a response from officers on resolution ART 18502 in the minutes of 5 December 2018.  The Committee Advisor agreed to seek a response from the relevant officers.

Resolved: (Cr Lulich/Ms Mulligan)                                    Minute No. ART 19102

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Arts and Culture Subcommittee held on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, be confirmed as a true and correct record.”

5.       Information Items

a)

Community Arts Advisor Update (19/172)

Report No. ART2019/1/20 by the Community Arts Advisor

 

The Community Arts Advisor elaborated on the report.

In response to questions from members, the Community Arts Advisor expressed interest in supporting community events in the future and noted Council would be collaborating with the community for Waitangi Day in 2020.  She said Community Hubs provided an opportunity to bring communities together for events.  She added they also provided a site for commissioned public art work from local artists, particularly during the build stage.

The Chair expressed his appreciation for the work of the Community Arts Advisor and thanked her for the report.

 

Resolved: (Cr Lulich/Cr Lewis)                                Minute No. ART 19103

“That the report be noted and received.”

 

b)

Update on Whakatū Wāhine (19/187)

A verbal update on Whakatū Wāhine by the Museums Director Mr K Chitham

 

The Museums Director introduced himself to members and elaborated on his past roles and experience as a director and curator of museums, art galleries and art collections.  He advised that Whakatū Wāhine 2019 was the continuation of a project from the previous year that had celebrated 125 year suffrage celebrations. He explained the current project would not be completed until the end of August 2019.  He said the project involved a series of public programmes designed and developed by each woman represented in the project according to their particular interests.  He noted the programmes would follow each other, with some running alongside other relevant events.  He added the final programme would take place in August.

In response to questions from members, The Museums Director confirmed the women would set their own programmes but would work in conjunction with the Dowse Art Museum.

6.       QUESTIONS   

Ms Mulligan advised the Irish Society was holding a parade and festival in celebration of St Patrick’s Day on 17 March 2019.

Ms Mansell advised Multifest 2019 was being held on Saturday 2 March 2019 at the Epuni Community Hall.

 

 

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 6.40pm.

 

 

 

 

Cr M Lulich

CHAIR

 

 

CONFIRMED as a true and correct record

Dated this 17th day of April 2019