Arts Hub Debate

Community Wellbeing - Equality & Inclusion

Option 1

The comments supporting Option 1 highlight concerns about the effectiveness and inclusivity of the current Arts Council operations, suggesting that expanding or enhancing the facility would not address these fundamental issues. One respondent argues that the proposed arts hub has lost its community focus, emphasizing the need for a space that supports social equity and benefits marginalized groups. Additionally, there is a suggestion to better utilize existing heritage buildings like the old Refinery Building to foster collaboration among diverse groups and enhance community engagement, rather than investing in new structures.

Table of comments:

Point No	Comment
441.8	The Arts Hub is an obvious project to cull as it is not a core NC activity. On the numerous times I have passed the Refinery I have seldom seen it populated - probably because it's exhibitions are so woefully unpopular (does the Arts Council even keep a record of footfall?). Why then expand/increase spending on something already seemingly moribund? From personal experience (my wife is a successful local jeweler) we have found the Arts Council and it's various off-shoots to be ineffective, non-inclusive and nepotistic - I can't see how spending extra rate payers money on giving them an enhanced location would change this one iota.
1040.6	The proposed cost of the purchase of a new building and establishing an arts hub coupled with the cost to demolish the old Refinery Building on Hardy street should be used in combination to bring that Heritage building back into service and use it to provide an actual community space - the Arts Hub has lost the word community and it is a huge omission. While I have full support for Arts Council and the work they do both in advocacy but also as a Gallery and Office spaces for other arts entities there is the dire need for a more permanent solution to enabling a more socially equitable solution to space requirements for our marginalised communities>Community Art Works provides both a supportive and consistent service to peoples with diverse needs and who are in supported housing or require significant care, they also provide outreach and in house programmes for Rangitahi / Youth, Multi-cultural communities as well individual arts practitioners and groups who access the space and resources for projects that generally are of benefit to the Whakatū / Nelson Community.In describing itself as a vibrant creative city there are often image used which include masks, materials or circo-arts additions to events that originate from the CAW space. Council is right to look to the benefits that arts provides to the community / city as a whole but this is not wholly economic in the sense of generating money - but in the social benefit of creativity being something that is supported and enabled for all to achieve, and have access to.Council risks spending vast amounts of money on more strategy documents and provisioning a 'hub' while ignoring the potential for existing spaces to be utllised - there is huge potential for multiple groups to successfully collaborate through the old Refinery Building which is still central (the CBD being only a few blocks anyway), its proximity to the beautiful natural amenity of the River and estuary will draw interest along the River reserve and bring more diverse groups to use this under appreciated area