59709

The New Zealand Government has announced that an extra $120 million from its Covid Response and Recovery Fund will be used to support the arts and culture sectors.

With Covid-variant Omicron having crippled the nation’s events and entertainment calendar, New Zealand Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni last week announced an additional $70.7 million in funding for the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme, originally set at $22.5 million.

The scheme will be extended by 10 months until 31st January 2023, to include events planned before the whole country moved to the red traffic light setting.

In addition, the Screen Production Recovery Fund has been boosted by $15 million - $7.9 million to the New Zealand Film Commission and $7.1 million to New Zealand on Air - to enable an extension of the fund through to 31st December 2022 while the Cultural Sector Emergency Relief Fund has been given an extra $35.5 million.

Entertainment Technology NZ President Vicki Cooksley said this funding plugged some of the gaps that had become apparent after the scheme was first announced, such as the need to support contractors and self-employed traders.

Minister Sepuloni announced a one-off grant of $5000 would be available to eligible self-employed individuals and traders who had lost income or work opportunities.

Within the sector, just over 32,500 people are self-employed - a third of the total sector and double the national self-employment rate.

Cooksley told the Stuff news website “we don’t want to come out the other side and have lost our skilled workers.”

Cooksley also welcomed the extension to the support scheme, highlighting how organisers need to be confident in order to plan events, noting “events don’t just start the day we move to a lower alert level.”

However, concerns exist that the funding does not reach entertainment and event venues.

Related Articles

3rd February 2022 - Barcats launches free training program to help recovery of New Zealand’s Hospitality Industry

1st February 2022 - Tourism Industry Aotearoa says its time to plan for reconnecting New Zealand

31st January 2022 - New Zealand tourism businesses facing cybersecurity challenges

24th January 2022 - Sky Stadium’s Shane Harmon says next six months will be ‘some of the hardest for the industry since the pandemic broke’

24th January 2022 - Omicron fears sees New Zealand Government introduce Red traffic light settings

23rd December 2021 - New Zealand’s TRENZ Hui tourism event moves to Eden Park for 2022

10th December 2021 - New statistics show COVID’s devastating impact on New Zealand tourism

7th December 2021 - Wellington City Council pays $3.6 million to cover COVID-19 cancellation of art event

29th November 2021 - Excellence recognised at New Zealand’s 2021 Entertainment Venue Awards

17th November 2021 - New Zealand Government to open Auckland border from 15th December

17th November 2021 - Event ticketing and tourism agencies move to integrate New Zealand’s My Vaccine Pass

16th November 2021 - EVANZ announce new insurance partnership to benefit members

9th November 2021 - New Zealand government launches insurance scheme for major summer festivals

8th October 2021 - New Zealand Agricultural Show cancelled for second successive year

7th October 2021 - Business Events Industry Aotearoa conference postponed despite unveiling of New Zealand’s COVID roadmap

27th September 2021 - Financial losses and staff shortages significantly jeopardise the New Zealand Events industry

11th December 2020 - EVANZ looks back on challenges of 2020

25th August 2020 - Fearing that ‘venues will close’ EVANZ calls for greater consideration of mass gathering restrictions

28th September 2020 - Entertainment Technology New Zealand backs global #WeMakeEvents campaign

16th April 2020 - Entertainment Technology NZ announces 100 education scholarships

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

Click here to view our subscription options.