Arts policy strikes a welcome chord

By MARTIN JOHNSTON

The audience lapped up Labour leader Helen Clark's promise of $25 million more in Government funding for arts and culture.

But that was not surprising - she announced the policy to a 100-strong group from the culture industry.

Far from tub-thumping, street-corner politics, her welcome to the function at the Auckland Philharmonia's hall in her Mt Albert electorate was a string quartet's rendition of Gershwin's Summertime ("and the living is easy").

Helen Clark, a classical music fan, admitted to feeling "quite dizzy" over a violinist's "virtuoso" performance.

She said the promised funding, over three years, would come as $5 million in the first year, rising to a "sustainable" $10 million annually in the second and third.

The policy includes:

* Fellowships for up to six leading artists annually in all fields to undertake artistic projects.

* A "significant increase" in funding for Creative New Zealand to spend on the performing arts, including regional orchestras.

* A music commission to boost the size of our music industry.

* Investigating setting up a film development fund to attract more capital into domestic movie-making.

* An arts allowance at least equivalent to the unemployment benefit to help serious budding artists get started on an arts-based career.

* Incentives through industry development policies for new cultural enterprises.

Labour says the policy aims to "nurture much stronger music, publishing, film, television and other creative industries."

Helen Clark, who intends to be both Prime Minister and Minister of Arts and Culture, said the policy and extra spending would boost national pride and our sense of cultural identity, and would produce significant economic benefits.

The former chairman of Creative New Zealand, Brian Stevenson, told the policy launch: "Nothing pays a bigger social dividend than money invested in the arts."

National says Labour's policy would stifle creativity.