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Community and Culture Committee
16 April 2019
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Community and Culture Non-Financial Activity
Report for the Quarter Ended 31 March 2019
Department: Community and Planning
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 This
report updates the Committee on key city, community, arts and culture outcomes
for the quarter ended 31 March 2019. There have been slight decreases in
satisfaction across a range of areas measured, with the exception of Toitū which has achieved a 5% increase in
satisfaction levels.
2 It should
be noted that satisfaction statistics reported in this report are for January
and February 2019 only. Residents’ Opinion Survey data for March will be
reported in the report for next quarter.
3 Some
highlights for the quarter from the various community and cultural initiatives
detailed in the report include:
· Convening of a
Housing Summit in March involving 150 stakeholders
1
· Supporting
migrant communities, through establishing an interpreter service as well as
providing support for Muslim community following the events on 19 March
2
· Launch of the
Youth Vision
3
· Commissioning
of the Performing Arts Feasibility Study
· Working to embed creative elements into the design of Te Rauone
Reserve and Beach Replenishment and NZTA’s St Leonard’s to
Port Chalmers cycleway infrastructure projects.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Committee:
a) Notes the
Community and Culture Non-Financial Activity Report for the Quarter ended 31
March 2019.
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BACKGROUND
4 The
Community and Planning group of activities works with other agencies to set the
direction for managing Dunedin’s built and natural environment. It also
works to enable a strong sense of community and social inclusion through the
provision of advice and support to community groups and social agencies, and
provides events for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
5 The Arts
and Culture group of activities operates Dunedin Public Libraries, the Dunedin
Public Art Gallery, the Toitū Otago Settlers
Museum, the Dunedin Chinese Garden and the Olveston historic home.
DISCUSSION
6 The
Residents’ Opinion Survey (ROS) is the principal mechanism by which the
Council measures resident satisfaction with a wide range of its activities.
7 From July
2016 the ROS has been conducted on a continuous monthly basis, aiming to obtain
around 100 responses each month, to replicate the average annual sample size
of around 1,200 obtained in previous years. The quarterly results in the graphs
below generally reflect the responses of around 300 residents. A sample of 300
has an expected 95% confidence interval (margin of error) of +/- 5.7%, whereas
the annual result for 2015/16 had a margin of error of +/- 2.5%. Results for
the year will continue to be published in the annual ROS report at year end.
Notable measures are listed in the balance of this report.
8 At the
time of writing, March 2019 ROS results were unavailable. These will be
included in the next report.
Satisfaction
with Community
9 A 2% decrease
in satisfaction with ‘Sense of community’ was reported as at 28
February 2019.
Satisfaction with Festivals and Events
10 A 4% decrease in
satisfaction with ‘City Festival and Events’ was reported as at 28
February 2019.
Satisfaction with Cultural Facilities
11 A 3% decrease in
satisfaction with Dunedin Public Libraries was reported as at 28 February 2019.
The decrease is consistent with most other cultural institutions for the
reporting period with no particular reasons for the reduced satisfaction.
12 A 2% decrease in
satisfaction with Dunedin Public Art Gallery was reported as at 28 February
2019.
13 A 4% increase in
satisfaction with Toitū Otago Settlers Museum was reported as at 28
February 2019.
14 A 5% decrease
in satisfaction with the Dunedin Chinese Garden was reported as at 28 February
2019.
15 A 3% decrease in
satisfaction with Dunedin Olveston Historic Home was reported as at 28 February
2019.
Visitation
Numbers
16 Dunedin Public
Libraries - Visitation to the Dunedin Public Libraries for the period
January to March 2019 was 261,624 visits, compared to 281,220 for the same
period in 2017/18, representing a decrease of 19,596 visits or 6.9%. Visitation
for the year to date however is 848,814 visits with 0% variance from the
visitation for the same period in 2017/18, and on track to exceed the annual
performance target of 1,100,000 visits per annum.
17 Dunedin Public
Art Gallery - Numbers have been up on last year with increases in Cruise ship
visitors to Dunedin and a popular programme of events and exhibitions.
18 Toitū Otago
Settlers Museum - Numbers have not been as strong this year as in previous
years, however Toitū is still set to comfortably reach its 250,000
visitation target.
19 Dunedin Chinese
Garden - The spike in February visitation coincided with the celebration of
Chinese New Year and many thousands of visitors to Lan Yuan.
20 Dunedin Olveston
Historic Home - Olveston is now in the peak tourism season of November to
March. Visitors arrive on coach tours, on-shore group tours from cruise ships
or as independent travellers. Some days, especially on busy cruise
ship days, the house is at capacity.
Major Initiatives
Community
21 Migrant and Refugee Support - In March a
new interpreting service, primarily for former refugees to access community
services, was established in partnership with the Southern District Health
Board (SDHB). The SDHB will coordinate the provision of interpreters to
support people and families to access non-government services where face to
face interpreting is required. The service is funded through an
operational budget set aside to support migrant and refugee community
development. Language has been identified as the primary barrier to
wellbeing and longer-term community connection.
22 Working is being undertaken to update and
translate information for migrants and refugees on the DCC website, which will
become a key information point.
23 In March staff supported the city’s Race
Relations Week activities, led by the Dunedin Multi-Ethnic Council (DMEC). Due
to the events in Christchurch on 15 March two events were cancelled and one had
a lower than expected turn-out. DMEC, the DCC and other groups are
already discussing, however, the importance of diversity within the community
being recognised and celebrated.
24 Since 15 March Community Development and Events
staff have been working to support the Muslim community and assist with a
coordinated approach to assistance. As part of this regular radio notices
for the Muslim community, with information from government and non-government
organisations, has been initiated to support communication in the short to
mid-term. The notices are in both English and Arabic.
25 Place Based Community Support - A
fulltime Community Advisor has been providing advice, support and information
to Place based groups across the city; in Green Island, Caversham, Waikouaiti,
Mosgiel, South Dunedin, Corstorphine, and North East Valley.
26 The Community Advisor had been working
alongside Property staff to engage with the Ocean Grove / Tomahawk community
around plans for community facilities.
27 Mayor’s Taskforce for Housing - The
Dunedin Housing Summit was held on 28 February with around 150 attendees;
developers and landowners, government and non-government organisations with an
interest in housing, academics and DCC staff. Information and feedback from the
Summit has been included within the Mayor’s Taskforce for Housing report,
due to Council for consideration within the next month.
28 Youth Development - An art competition
for 12 to 24 year olds to design imagery for the city’s Youth Vision was
launched in early March and will be judged in April. Staff are also
working on plans for the launch of the Vision, which will occur on 16 May, just
prior to Youth Week.
29 The Council is supporting one rangatahi to
attend the Tuia programme in 2019; which aims to foster Maori leadership within
communities. Staff are working with Otago Community Trust to select candidates to
attend the Aspiring Leaders Forum in 2019. Participants from the city
will present to Council later this year on their experience.
30 The Dunedin Youth Council has begun planning
for its activities this year, including events during Youth Week.
31 Enviroschools - In February students from seven
different high schools attended the
Enviroschools Secondary Hui, with guest speakers sharing their views
on the central role of communication and collaboration in creating social
change. Students then visited North East Valley (NEV) Community Gardens, Kiwi
Harvest, NEV Community Workspace and Cargill Enterprises to contribute to and
experience the day-to-day reality of community organisations in action.
32 During the reporting quarter 694 students and
124 teachers were involved in waste minimisation activities. The
Enviroschools programme is 50% funded through the Waste Levy and waste
minimisation activities comprise around 50 – 60% of Enviroschools activity.
33 Keep Dunedin Beautiful - Dunedin
won its bid to hold the Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 Awards in the city in
October.
34 The
team promoted Keep Dunedin Beautiful and actions to thousands of students
during O-Week. In early they March coordinated SeaWeek in partnership with the
Marine Studies Centre and Our Seas Our Future and the Department of
Conservation. More than 250kg of rubbish was collected from coastal areas
during the Week.
35 Events - In February Events staff
delivered four Civic community events – Chinese New Year, Waitangi Day in
the Octagon, Thieves Alley and the beginning of Sunday Sounds.
36 In
addition, two community awareness events were organised to coincide with the NZ
v Bangladesh One Day Match in the city.
37 On
2 March, The Eagles played to an audience of over 30,000 at Forsyth Barr
Stadium. City activation to support the concert included an Octagon
closure in conjunction with bars and hospitality providers, lighting and
projection on to the Railway Station, lunch time concerts and evening circus
performance and entertainment.
38 Staff
also coordinated the Dunedin Vigil for Lives Taken in Christchurch on 21 March,
co-hosted with the Otago University Amnesty International Group. The
event was attended by approximately 18,00 people. On 29 March the Dunedin link
to the National Remembrance Service on 29 March at the Dunedin Town Hall was
also held.
Cultural
Initiatives
Ara Toi Ōtepoti
39 Arts
Grants - Funding rounds for the Creative Communities Scheme, Arts Grants
and the Professional Theatre Fund were open for applications from 4-29 March
2019. The Ara Toi team have promoted the funds and provided assistance and
advice to applicants.
40 Dunedin
Dream Brokerage - A new partnership has been developed with Otago
Polytechnic to deliver Dunedin Dream Brokerage. This initiative facilitates
creative and innovative projects that activate empty commercial and retail
space in the city. Otago Chamber of Commerce will continue to provide
administrative and strategic support.
41 Boosted
- A review of the Arts Foundation has occurred, and this may elicit some
change in the next financial year. The current contract is in place until
30 June 2019 and the Dunedin Ambassador will continue to deliver coaching to
the local arts community on crowd funding.
42 Bring
it Home - Funding has been provided to Dudley Benson for his music video
entitled Matariki.
43 Toi
Oho - A fourth issue of the Toi Oho newsletter has been produced to inform,
showcase and share information about our creative community ‑ born out of
the aims of Ara Toi Ōtepoti: Our Creative Future - Dunedin's Arts and
Culture Strategy.
44 Performing
Arts Feasibility Study - Ara Toi staff are working closely with consultants
Charcoalblue and the performing arts community to deliver the first phase of
this project which is community engagement. The goal of this phase is to gather
a consensus-based vision for organisational and venue development.
45 Public
Art Framework - Planning has begun for the
2019/2020 public art work and the feedback gathered from the 2017 Public Art
Lab engagement process will be key in planning for this work. Five recurring
narrative strands were identified in the public responses and these will inform
the selection of sites and the type of artworks that will tell Ōtepoti-Dunedin’s stories over the next 10-15 years: Light & Sound, Encounters,
Whakapapa, Embedded in Nature, Pushing Boundaries.
46 Art
and Creativity in Infrastructure (ACII) - Ara Toi
staff are working with colleagues from Planning, Three Waters, and Urban Design
to integrate creative elements into the design of the Te Rauone Reserve and
Beach Replenishment Project. This involves looking at social histories, local
ecology, environmental concerns, and the narratives of the local runaka, and
how these can be expressed in hard and soft design features such as planting,
paving, fencing and entrance-ways, sculpture.
47 Artist
contracts have now been signed for the Ross Creek Reservoir Refurbishment and a
resource consent application is underway. The final design will be signed off
subject to the consenting process and final approval from mana whenua.
48 Staff
have facilitated discussions between NZTA and local artist/designer Simon Kaan
regarding opportunities for creative input into NZTA’s St Leonard’s
to Port Chalmers cycleway project and the designs are in development.
49 Documentary
Heritage - Ara Toi staff have worked with local archivists across
the city to launch a user survey of Dunedin archives and heritage collections.
The information gathered from this survey will shape future planning for this
area.
50 Vocational
Pathways – Creative Industries - Ara Toi staff are meeting
with local education stakeholders to discuss design and delivery models for a
city-wide approach to providing pathway advice and resources for the creative
sector.
51 City of Literature - The Dunedin Writers
& Readers Festival programme was launched in early March 2019 and the
Festival runs from 9 to 12 May. It offers 36 events with over 60 participants,
featuring many wonderful local writers and eight overseas guests including
bestselling Irish novelist John Boyne; BAFTA and MOBO award-winning UK hip-hop
artist and author Akala; and Australian novelist Markus Zusak and
Children’s Laureate Morris Gleitzman. There is a selection of free events
and also in-depth workshops for both adults and schools.
52 Local writer Liz Breslin has been selected for
the prestigious Kraków UNESCO City of Literature Residency Programme in
Poland in 2019, which includes airfares, accommodation and a stipend. The
Residency Programme is only available to emerging writers from UNESCO Cities of
Literature and aims to ‘promote the UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature,
provide writers with a platform to showcase their work and talent to a Central
European audience, and support greater diversity of voices and literatures on
the Polish and Central European book market’.
53 Local illustrator Robyn Belton and writer Diana
Noonan’s children’s book The Teddy Bear’s Promise has just
been released in translation by a German publisher, who is showcasing it at the
iconic Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2019. This translation opportunity
grew directly out of the free stand at Bologna Children’s Book Fair won
by Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature in 2017.
54 The Director City of Literature is chairing the
Cities of Literature Communications and Promotions Working Group by Skype with
representation from the Cities of Literature Offices in Kraków,
Óbidos, Seattle, and Ulyanovsk. The working group is looking to increase
visibility for the Network, and is in the process of developing a shared
website to showcase the Network’s regular collaborative projects and
leverage literary tourism opportunities
55 Public Libraries
– Key activities for the Dunedin Public Libraries during the period
January to March 2019 included:
56 City
of Readers Programme - The 2018/19 Dunedin City of Literature Summer
Reading Programme on the theme of City of Readers concluded in February 2019
with a total of 733 registrations for the programme, up from 498 registrations
for the 2017/18 Summer Reading Programme.
57 Robert
Burns Poetry Competition - The prize winners of the 2019 Robert
Burns Poetry Competition were announced on 25 January 2019, with a total of 66
entries across all three sections (Published Poet, Unpublished Poet and Youth
Poet). There was a dramatic increase in the number of entries in the
Youth Poet Section to a total of 36, resulting from a series of workshops
conducted by two Dunedin poets with secondary schools on Burns work and writing
in Scots.
58 Hunt
for the Wilderbus - In January 2019, a special one-week programme
titled ‘Hunt for the Wilderbus’ was conducted where the Bookbus was
parked in a different holiday destination for the whole day. Destinations
included outside the Otago Museum, outside Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, at
Brighton, Macandrew Bay, Marlow Park and at the Gardens in North Dunedin. Over
the six days, more than 1,700 people visited the Bookbus at its various
locations. The objective of the week-long programme was to promote the Bookbus
service and explore the community response to the Bookbus attending special
events and programmes.
59 Annual Booksale - The Libraries’ Annual
Booksale was held from 22-24 March 2019 in
the City Library and raised a
total of $18,500 ex GST from the sale of withdrawn library
collection materials,
significantly from the deselection of older, rarely used stack collection
materials.
60 Around
the World in Eighty Tales - The Around the World in Eighty Tales
storytelling festival has grown in popularity and has now become an annual
event with storytelling in Burundi, Hindi, French, German, Italian, Turkish,
Nepalese, NZSL, te reo Maori and Portuguese were told in the City Library on 30
March 2019. The festival has become a family day with stories suitable for all
ages. All stories were retold in English. The festival this year also included
performances by Kadodo West African drummers, dancers from India and Kiribati,
Rudolph Steiner's puppetry, and Braille stories by That Blind Woman Julie
Woods.
61 Public
Programmes - The Library has a busy series of public programmes,
with a total of 38,293 participants to Library events for the period from July
2018 to March 2019, already exceeding the annual performance target of 35,000
attendees at public programmes. These programmes included events mentioned
above as well as regular Storytime sessions at all libraries, Wriggle &
Rhyme sessions for mothers and young children, author talks, lecture
series, poetry readings and film screenings organised by the Library or in
partnership with community groups and organisations.
62 Dunedin Public
Art Gallery Visitation has been strong over
this summer reporting period, up on the same time last year. This has
been due to an engaging exhibition programme which has included Artificial
Wonderland by Yang Yongliang and New Networks Contemporary Chinese Art an
international group show, as well as projects by Dunedin artist Saskia Leek, Early
Telepaths and The Falls by John Reynolds which is based on Waterfall
and Variations 1966, a mural work by Colin McCahon in the University of Otago
art collection.
63 Toitū Otago
Settlers Museum Work continues behind the scenes on addressing major
collection legacy issues. Since October staff at the Museum have processed 3
years of a 6 year backlog of donated items into the collection, processed
hundreds of uncatalogued costume and textile collection items and rehoused many
hundreds of items in the large collection storage area.
64 Dunedin Chinese
Garden / Lan Yuan This reporting period the team at Lan Yuan worked closely
with the DCC Community Events team to deliver a successful Chinese New Year
event in early February. As in previous years, many thousands of visitors
attended the evening to visit the garden, watch cultural performances and usher
in the Chinese New Year – the year of the Pig.
65 Dunedin
Olveston Historic Home - The summer season was very busy with a steady
stream of visitors and very few cancellations of ships into Port of
Dunedin. Visitor numbers are on target. Autumn signals the end of the
peak season as the last cruise ships come into Port, coach tours become
slightly less frequent and Free Independent Travellers become fewer over the
coming months.
66 Visits to Olveston are
focused on bringing the post gold rush period of settlement and growth in
Dunedin to life for visitors. The tour focuses on the story of the Theomin
family and their philanthropy and enjoyment of cultural pursuits. It also
enables us to weave in other aspects of community life such as cultural and
religious diversity in the city at that period of time.
OPTIONS
67 As this is
an update report, there are no options.
NEXT
STEPS
68 A further update
report will be provided after the conclusion of the next quarter. Key areas of
focus for the three months ahead will include:
· Continuing
to support the community dimension of South Dunedin Future
· Continued
support for migrant communities
· Organising
the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival which will run from
9 to 12 May
· Planning
for the 2019 / 20 public art work.
Signatories
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Author:
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Nicola Pinfold - Group Manager Community and Planning
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Authoriser:
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Nick Dixon - Group Manager Ara Toi
Sandy Graham - General Manager City Services
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Attachments
There are no attachments for
this report.
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose
of Local Government
This report relates to a public service and it is
considered good-quality and cost-effective.
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Fit with strategic
framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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Economic Development Strategy
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Environment Strategy
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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3 Waters Strategy
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Spatial Plan
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☐
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Integrated Transport Strategy
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☐
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Parks and Recreation Strategy
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☐
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Other strategic projects/policies/plans
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The Community and Culture portfolio of activities support
the outcomes of a number of strategies.
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Māori Impact
Statement
There are no known impacts for tangata whenua.
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Sustainability
As an update report, there are no specific implications
for sustainability.
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LTP/Annual Plan /
Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy
As an update report, there are no specific implications
for Annual Plan or Financial Strategies.
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Financial
considerations
As this is an administrative report, there are no
financial considerations.
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Significance
This update report is assessed as low significance under
the Significance and Engagement Policy.
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Engagement –
external
As this is an update report, no external engagement has
been undertaken.
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Engagement -
internal
As this is an update report, no internal engagement has
been undertaken.
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Risks: Legal /
Health and Safety etc.
There are no identified risks.
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Conflict of
Interest
There is no conflict of interest identified in respect to
this report.
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Community Boards
The updates in this report do not relate specifically to
Community Boards but are likely to be of general interest to them.
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