Arts Hub Debate

Community Wellbeing - Togetherness

Option 2

Residents supporting Option 2 emphasize the arts hub's potential to enhance community engagement and accessibility, particularly through 24/7 operations that integrate various support services. They highlight the hub's role in fostering a vibrant arts community that could reclaim Nelson's status as an arts capital, enhancing collaboration and resource utilization. Additionally, the inclusion of diverse, multi-use spaces for cultural and recreational activities is seen as crucial for supporting young adults and showcasing local culture, thereby strengthening community identity and inclusion.

Table of comments:

Point No	Comment
25.6	Our preference is for Nelson CBD to a single building house art, library, and conference facilities in one place.  The Blenheim conference center is a good example.What Nelson really needs is a community building with the necessary support services wrapped around it that will allow 24/7 patronage
447.8	The arts are critical in generating a positive vibe in the city! There is so much thinking and action in the arts community on how we can make our city the Arts Capital of Aotearoa New Zealand - as it used to be when I first arrived in 1982. We have lost that impetus and need to re-gain it. An arts hub will be pivotal for increased collaboration and better use of all resources and personnel committed to this area. The arts sector is on a roll - it needs a central hub to really capitalise on the momentum created by MakeShift Spaces and many others working in this space.
778.8	More space for community workshops. It would be great to have a multi use facility with art groups, cooking groups, yoga classes, craft groups etc being able to hire out for free if not for profit or at a low charge if for profit. We have such a huge community of florists, cake decorators, potters etc etc. There's potential for some really cool classes to be run, both as passion projects and a career via hire rooms. This would be excellent for people in their 20s to 30s as well as there is a severe lack of facilities for people my age here.
781.8	The strong creative community in Nelson draws visitors from all over. Let's get our creative industries recognised and supported better! An Arts hub or precinct would be such an asset for the community.
1081.8	Please consider having a mixture of spaces for community groups; bookable spaces for short term projects; and long term leases for artists. The space needs to be supported by both an exhibition space and a separate dealer gallery/ retail shops to allow emerging artists to trial how the community responds to their work both artistically and as a saleable product. Shops in this complex have the potential to be vibrant drawcards that will attract both locals and tourists.
1168.8	Our learners would like to see their culture art and crafts publicly displayed, whether at a dedicated arts hub or at a public facility like a library or museum. They would like to show off their culture to others in Nelson, and seeing their culture displayed would also enhance their sense of inclusion in the community. Our learners who live in Stoke would like to see more cultural offerings near them, as well as in the city centre. One very common theme that was raised when we talked with the learners about what they would like in their city was a place they could use to host cultural shows and community festivals. We would like to suggest that the proposed arts hub incorporate a space for hire, for community groups.