Project update report
The work Arts Murihiku has been undertaking since February 2023 to fulfill its Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage grant was successfully completed on 30 June 2024. The funding was granted as part of the Ministry’s Regeneration Fund and was a regional and sector wide approach to creating pathways for the Southland/Murihiku arts sector to become visible, valued and vibrant with a focus on building capability. The intention was for it to be done through the activation of a community arts space and an arts incubator programme, and the process documented to measure success and progress.
The Board of Arts Murihiku are excited by the momentum gained through this project and are grateful to the staff engaged to do this work and for the energy and drive they have given it.
Board chair Becs Amundsen said Arts Murihiku has been able to host more than 160 events and have welcomed more than 5,000 people through the doors at Whare Taupua during the past 18 months.
“We are lucky to have been able to employ staff who have gone above and beyond for the arts community and the arts community has also stepped into the opportunities we have been able to offer, which has been a great outcome,” she said.
The funded project included three key elements; procuring a baseline report, establishing a community arts space and generating an arts incubator programme.
The Baseline Report was commissioned in early 2023 to create a snapshot of the aspirations and challenges for the arts sector. One of the key purposes was to validate assumptions about the arts sector and help identify what role Arts Murihiku could play to support it. Now that the funded project is completed the Arts Murihiku Board will be using this report and reflecting on the process and outcomes to inform their future decision making.
Having a community arts space based in Invercargill was established in the form of Whare Taupua, located at 34 Forth St. This has developed into a key asset for the arts community as well as being a base of operations for the Arts Murihiku staff. A wide range of activities have been driven by the Arts Murihiku team at the space over the last 18 months, including community exhibitions, workshops and events. Whare Tapua has developed into a place where a range of organisations hold their regular meetings, where new activities such as Improv classes have grown from and where arts organisations can exhibit their work. It has been exciting to see more and more people coming to the space wanting to use it for their own activities, which is something the board hope to see develop in the future.
The arts incubator programme was renamed creative pathways early on. The goal with this work was to provide opportunities of an ongoing nature that creatives could use to grow and develop their skills. This was done in a range of ways, including through collaborating with other organisations such as StageAntics and the Upstage Cabaret Festival. These ongoing workshop opportunities gave attendees the chance to learn and practice their new skills while being supported by industry professionals. We also worked with ELM Marketing to develop a series of marketing workshops that supported practitioners seeking to understand and develop their marketing and social media skills. These sessions were held both in person and online, providing the opportunity for people across the region to be involved.
Project Activator was another pilot programme that was tested in 2023 to support creatives in developing their creative projects and then applying for funding with a focus on Creative Communities. Feedback from this has shown a significant increase in applications to the fund as a result.
Most recently the pathways work has focused on the Rocket Fuel series. These recorded sessions have been a chance for people to be inspired and to learn from creatives around the country. The insights included in these sessions will be developed into a useful tool for creatives that has ongoing value for our arts sector. In addition to this, Arts Activator Lisa has provided numerous mentoring sessions for artists across the region.
Arts Murihiku also focused on the visibility of the arts through increased promotion. Every month a calendar of arts events is included in the publication Southern Outlook. We have also partnered with Great South to use their online events calendar to promote arts events across the region. In 2024, staff initiated the Mailbox programme with support of The Southland Times where a locally produced artwork is printed in the paper. Arts Murihiku has continued to build its social media and online presence and has recently launched a redeveloped website.
Two signature events have also been developed with a purpose of providing opportunities for local creatives to showcase their craft. Night of the Arts (NoTA), most recently held on 17 May 2024, is a night of creative activities held in the Invercargill CBD. One of our regular supporters gave this feedback about this year’s event which resonated:
Congratulations to everybody involved in this year’s NoTA. It was a wonderful afternoon and evening, with so much to see and do, it was impossible to get to everything that I wanted to … The vibe was great, everybody seemed happy to be out and enjoying themselves, the musical and drama performances were top notch and the various artists were all very happy to talk to everyone – and also seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Our second major event is the Southland Arts Trail, which we host in October. This open studio event is accessible to creatives across the region and is continuing to evolve as a valuable tool for artists to showcase and sell their work. In 2023 there were 50 studios open across the event and we are now planning for the 2024 event, which will be held over two weekends in October. A call for studios will be released soon.
All of this really only scratches the surface of what has been achieved over the last 18 months. None of it could have been achieved without the staff we have had. In addition to the practical support they have been able to provide and deliver, they have shown great care for the arts community. A key message from previous work in this space was wanting to see action rather than talk, and Arts Murihiku feels strongly that we have delivered and that actions taken have made a significant contribution to making the arts more visible, vibrant and valued across the region.
In the coming weeks and months there will inevitably be changes for Arts Murihiku as this project comes to an end. The work of Arts Murihiku will continue although some of it will look different, starting with our staffing. We have been in a privileged position to have four passionate creatives making a huge impact on our arts sector in Murihiku. As that funding comes to an end sadly so too will these roles. From October our level of staffing will reduce and at this stage we do not know exactly what operations will look like.
However, Whare Taupua will continue to be open as a place where the arts can grow from and the arts community will continue to be able to use it. Exhibitions of local works are planned for July, August and September. The spaces will continue to be available for hire by the arts community.
As already mentioned, the 2024 Arts Trail will be happening in October. The monthly calendar will continue to be produced and creatives are encouraged to get in touch with their event details to be included. In August we will be celebrating the inaugural Southland Creative Arts Awards for which nominations have poured in. This celebration is long past due and will be a grand occasion to celebrate and at the same time support the ongoing work of Arts Murihiku.
We would like to extend our thanks to the people who have connected with us over the last 18 months and look forward to building on those relationships and continuing to work hard to make the arts more visible, vibrant and valued in Murihiku Southland.
For any questions contact Becs Amundsen, Chair, Arts Murihiku
027 2252 664 or becs@artsmurihiku.co.nz
Here is a video that Arts Murihiku has made about the work we have done and will continue to do throughout Murihiku/Southland.
