$37.5 million of Creative Sector Delta Support Announced

by The Big Idea

 

The creative community is exhausted – but there is finally something to ease the pressure being applied by the Delta outbreak of the pandemic.

Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni has this morning announced “​​a targeted support package of repriortised funding to protect jobs and incomes in the arts and culture sector.”

It comes to the tune of $37.5 million, sourced from uncommitted funding for 2022/23 from the existing $374 million COVID Arts and Culture recovery programme.

While the full details are still to emerge, this new allocation is broken down into four key areas:

• $10 million for cultural agencies to enable them to support at risk organisations, key infrastructure, artists and projects (Creative New Zealand, New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand Music Commission and Te Papa)
• $5 million Cultural Sector Emergency Relief Fund to be administered by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage
• Up to $22.5 million for to provide confidence for cultural performances and events
• Extending the Screen Production Recovery Fund to at least June 2022

Many of these announcements are future-focused, but the growing and vocal calls from within the industry for urgent support have been heard, it seems.

Read the original article here