Matt Cowley Tauranga City Councillor

Councillors are currently gathering information to inform our decisions on the draft Long Term Plan in November.

These decisions will be made in a series of public meetings. This week I've asked councillor Bev Edlin to share her thoughts with you:

Like the many sporting codes people enjoy, art and culture are a fundamental part of a city.

Whether it's the performing, visual, literary or screen and digital arts they all, in their own unique way, add to our sense of identity.

Right now Tauranga City Council is formulating a Public Art Policy.

Creative Tauranga assists those finding their place in one or more of the art genres, the Tauranga Arts Gallery is displaying a variety of interesting pieces, The Incubator at The Historical Village supports many who creativity is undeniable, while The Cargo Shed has worked diligently to create a vibrant centre full of creativity.

Aseach strives independently, working within a somewhat fragmented structure, is it time to provide a much more enabling and unified framework?

Why do I raise this issue? Let's look over the fence to their sporting cousins. BVL, a Council Controlled Organisation, ensures many of the sporting venues that fall under the auspices of Tauranga City Council, are developed. It's a sound and proven concept and with prudent governance it's already making a difference.

There are similarities between sport and arts/culture. They both need venues, funding and they foster talent. But one brings out the competiveness associated with a physical activity, while the other is about creating and expressing a theme or story in the form of an art.

So could a similar CCO model assist Tauranga's art and culture? Could a board of professional directors, such as the one BVL has, assist the arts and culture sector by overseeing the artistic talent this city possesses, finding the much sought-after funding, providing shared backroom services, raising awareness of the great artistic works and talent as well as enhancing the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of our city's art and culture sector.

Imagine the benefits: a collaborative force behind our creative talent adding to the city infrastructure, attracting more events for those in the city and its many visitors to enjoy, even more commercial activity, increasing job opportunities that positively adding to our economy, building our city's identity and allowing people to develop their talents.

You can contact me at bev.edlin@tauranga.govt.nz