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Community and Culture Committee
4 August 2020
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Community and Culture Activity Report for the Two
Quarters Ending 30 June 2020
Department: Community and Planning and Ara Toi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 This
report updates the Committee on key city, community, arts and culture outcomes
for the two quarters ended 30 June 2020. As requested following the last
Quarterly report, negative and neutral responses from the Residents’
Opinion Survey are reported along with positive responses. This breakdown is
only available for the past five quarters.
2 Some
highlights for the two quarters detailed in the report include:
· In
January the team at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum delivered two high profile
public events on one day: Chinese New Year celebrations and the Burns night
supper. Both of these events, which coincide once in a century, were highly
successful.
· The
city hosted the 2020 Otago Community Trust New Zealand Masters Games in
February, with a 6% increase in competitor numbers on the previous Games held
in 2018, and a record number of football competitors.
· During
the Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown, Community Development staff played a key role in
the Civil Defence welfare response. Staff in all of the cultural institutions
worked hard to develop a variety of digital and online resources, enabling them
to continue to provide services whilst venues were not open to the public.
· The
Ōtepoti Community Support initiative was established in March; just prior
to announcement of Level 4. Originally started as a meeting to discuss
coordination of community support in preparation for COVID-19 impacts on the
city, it has expanded to provide a network connecting around 250
organisations.
BACKGROUND
3 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
also provides events for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
4 The
Arts and Culture group of activities operates Dunedin Public Libraries, the
Dunedin Public Art Gallery, the Toitū Otago Settlers
Museum, the Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden and Olveston Historic Home.
DISCUSSION
5 The
Residents’ Opinion Survey (ROS) is the principal mechanism by which the
Council measures residents’ satisfaction with a wide range of its
activities.
6 The
ROS is conducted on a continuous monthly basis, aiming to obtain around 100
responses each month, resulting in a sample size of around 1,200 for the year.
This gives a quarterly sample size of around 300 residents. A sample size of
300 has an expected margin of error (at the 95% confidence interval) of +/-
5.7%, whereas the annual result for 2018/19 had a margin of error of +/- 2.2%
(at the 90% confidence level). Annual results for 2019/20 will be published
later in the year.
7 The
Residents’ Opinion Survey asks respondents to rate their satisfaction
levels on a scale from 1-10 from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. Results
are now provided in the quarterly reports for three categories; satisfied/very
satisfied, neutral and dissatisfied/very dissatisfied.
8 The lower results reported for the last two time periods are due at
least in part to changes in the way these measures are reported.
9 At the meeting in February it was requested that the percentages of
respondents who were “dissatisfied”/ “very
dissatisfied”, were reported along with the neutral results, rather than
just the “satisfied” and “very satisfied”. This report
presents the three data sets for the past six quarters
Satisfaction
with Community
10 A
6% decrease in satisfaction with ‘Sense of Community within Local
Neighbourhood’ was reported for the quarter ended 31 March 2020, followed
by a 12% increase in satisfaction reported for the quarter ended 30 June 2020.
Satisfaction with Festivals and Events
11 A
2% decrease in satisfaction with ‘Support for City Festivals and
Events’ was reported for the quarter ended 31 March 2020, followed by a
4% increase in satisfaction reported for the quarter ended 30 June 2020. The reasons for the decrease in satisfaction in the sense of local
neighbourhoods are not known. The torrential rain on the night of the Elton
John concert, which caused some disruption to concert goers, and cancellation
of other community-run events in March due to COVID-19 may be reasons for a
decline in the festivals and events area. It should also be noted that
the survey data relates to satisfaction with support for all events held within
the city, not only those run by the Council.
Satisfaction with Cultural Facilities
Dunedin Public Libraries
12 The
satisfaction level for the Dunedin Public Libraries dipped to 89% for Quarter 3
compared to the same period in 2018/19 (92%) with an increase in the neutral
response to 10%, compared to 6% in Quarter 3 in 2018/19. The reasons for
the change are unclear but potentially related to the cancellation of public
programmes leading up to the lockdown period, the cancellation of some Bookbus
stops due to mechanical issues with the vehicles and the inability to access
libraries during the lockdown itself.
13 In
Quarter 4 of 2019/20, the satisfaction level for the Dunedin Public Libraries increased to 92%, compared to 91% for Quarter
4 in 2018/19 and the neutral
response decreased to 5%, compared
to 7% in Quarter 4 in 2018/19.
The Quarter 4 results
reflect the re-opening of libraries
in the COVID-19 Alert Levels 2 and 1 following the closure during
Alert Levels 3 and 4.
14 The
2020 ROS survey confirmed that 64% of residents visited a Dunedin Public
Libraries service location at least once a year, exceeding the performance
target of 60%. This is a positive result, particularly in the context of
the COVID-19 lockdown during which libraries were closed from 23 March to 19
May 2020.
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
15 There
was no change in satisfaction with Dunedin Public Art Gallery reported for the
quarter ended 31 March 2020, followed by a 2% increase in satisfaction reported
for the quarter ended 30 June 2020.
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
16 A
1% decrease in satisfaction with Toitū Otago Settlers Museum was reported
for the quarter ended 31 March 2020, followed by a 1% increase in satisfaction
reported for the quarter ended 30 June 2020.
Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese
Garden
17 A
9% decrease in satisfaction with Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden was reported
for the quarter ended 31 March 2020, followed by an 11% increase in
satisfaction reported for the quarter ended 30 June 2020.
Dunedin Olveston Historic Home
18 An
8% increase in satisfaction with Dunedin Olveston Historic Home was reported
for the quarter ended 31 March 2020, followed by a 1% decrease in satisfaction
reported for the quarter ended 30 June 2020.
Visitation Numbers
Dunedin
Public Libraries
19 The
number of physical visits to the Dunedin Public Libraries during the period
July 2019 to March 2020 was 818,755, down by 30,059 visits or 3.5% compared to
the same period in 2018/19. The closure of all libraries from 23 March to 20
May 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions will have had a minor impact on
visitation during Quarter 3, with the major impact to be felt in Quarter 4.
20 During
Q4, a total of 101,824 people visited the Dunedin Public Libraries,
representing a reduced level of visitation due to COVID-19 related library
closures from 23 March to 19 May (Alert Levels 3 & 4), re-opening with
restricted hours and services from 20 May to 14 June (Alert Level 2), and full
re-opening from 15 June (Alert Level 1).
21 The
total visitation for 2019/20 was 920,579, down by 179,421 visits (-16.3%) on
the target annual visitation of 1,100,000. This performance target was not
achieved.
22 The
number of participants in lifelong learning programmes provided by the Dunedin
Public Libraries during the period July 2019 to March 2020 was 29,534 although
down by 9,289 participants or 23.9% compared to the same period in 2018/19.
While the Libraries did continue to provide some public programmes online
during the COVID-19 lockdown, such as the Nook & Cranny Music Festival, the
impact of lockdown from 23 March to 20 May 2020 is clearly reflected in the
reduced level of participation with a number of events cancelled in the lead up
to the lockdown period.
23 The
number of participants in Libraries lifelong learning programmes during Q4 was
4,867, down on the usual level of public participation due to the cancellation
of programmes from mid-March due to COVID-19 mass gathering
restrictions. From the re-opening of Libraries from 15 June 2020, public
programmes have been progressively recommenced.
24 Total
participation in Libraries lifelong learning programmes during 2019/20 was
35,086, slightly exceeding the annual target of 35,000. This performance
target was achieved.
Dunedin
Public Art Gallery
25 The
number of visits were above the seasonal target due to busy summer with popular
exhibitions. No effect was noticed from changes to vehicular access to the
Octagon over the summer. March visitation numbers were down due to the slow
down caused by COVID-19 earlier in month and closure on 23 March.
26 As a total of 198,046, visitation to the
Art Gallery slightly exceeded the annual target of 195,000 in 2019/20 despite
the weeks of closure and slowed visitation either side of lockdown. This was
due to strong summer numbers and also a strong month in June which featured an
engaging programme of exhibitions, lifelong learning opportunities and events.
Toitū
Otago Settlers Museum
27 Visitation
numbers were on target. The figures reflect the visitation spike in January due
to the Chinese New Year celebrations. The impact of COVID-19 began to show
in March when we experienced a sharp slowdown prior to lockdown. The annual total of 217,132 reflects a
difficult trading period over the end of the summer season, the lockdown and a
slow reopening period.
Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese
Garden
28 Visitation
numbers were on target. There was a spike in January due to Chinese New Year
celebrations. The impact of COVID-19 began to show in March prior to lockdown.
As with Toitū, Lan Yuan experienced a difficult cruise ship season, the
lockdown period and a slow start up with regards to visitation. The total
figure of 34,701 is down on expectation for these reasons.
Dunedin Olveston Historic Home
29 January
saw an increase in visitation numbers by 12% on the previous year and February
a decrease of 2%. COVID-19 affected March visitation numbers which saw a
decrease of 41% (cruise ship visits ceased after 15 March). Olveston closed on
23 March and reopened 25 May. June saw visitor
numbers at 64% compared to the previous June. Olveston has focussed on the
development of new initiatives to attract local and domestic visitors to offset
the impact of border controls.
Major Initiatives
Community
30 South
Dunedin Library and Community Complex Project Update - Work on the South
Dunedin Library and Community Project continued through the COVID 19 lockdown
with the project team working from home and the community co-design process
continuing via ZOOM workshops. Concept design based on reuse of the existing
buildings is underway with the design team (WSP/Baker Garden Architects)
working on a site vision plan and initial concept designs based on the outcomes
of the community co-design process and previous community consultations. Site
survey work relating to ground conditions and the seismic strength of buildings
was undertaken in March to inform design work. Funding is allocated for design
phases of the project only and funding for construction works will be sought
through the 10-year plan process. An application for funding has also been made
under the Crown Infrastructure Partners ‘Shovel Ready’
infrastructure project fund.
31 South
Dunedin Future (SDF) Project – A new phase of SDF community engagement began in February
and gained positive momentum before Level 4 lockdown. Seven community meetings
were held before the lockdown restrictions, and initial feedback was positive.
Another 31 groups were also lined up or keen to meet prior to lockdown.
32 Since
the lockdown, groups have been contacted to reinstate meetings as soon as they
are ready. Engagement for the St Clair-St Kilda Coastal Plan has also
re-started with the introduction of an online interactive ideas wall where
suggestions can be shared with other people in the community in a safe
environment. The online survey is still available to give feedback with paper
versions being sent to residential homes located near the coast.
33 The
first in a series of monthly SDF ‘drop in’ sessions also began at
the South Dunedin Community Hub on 20 February. The drop-in session focused on
the geology of South Dunedin and was led by ORC Natural Hazards Analyst Dr
Sharon Hornblow, with support from DCC staff. The session attracted about 20
people and provided a good opportunity for those people to engage directly with
staff. Monthly sessions at the hub will restart in August.
34 Long-term
Coastal Plan Engagement - During lockdown community engagement
workshops originally planned in March and April were cancelled. Electronic
methods of engagement (an online survey and ideas wall) were used in the
interim to gather feedback on the coastal plan. Pop-ups were held at the South
Board Riders Club from the end of July through to mid-August. These will focus
on educating the community about the coastal plan and encourage feedback to be
submitted by the community.
35 An artist is being
contracted to create a public engagement space to attract and engage a wider
group of people within the local community on the long-term coastal plan.
36 The DCC partnered with the New Zealand International
Science Festival to host presentations from New Zealand’s leading surf
break scientists and coastal researchers from the University of Otago.
Events
37 Chinese New Year celebrations were held
on 25 January, with a combined pyrotechnics and laser light display finale.
Attendance numbers remain steady for this event. As part of a move to create
more sustainable events, all food vendors served their wares on
compostable materials. The Events team is planning further sustainability
measures for Civic events and will implement these in summer 2021.
38 Otago
Community Trust New Zealand Masters Games - From 1 – 9
February Dunedin hosted the 2020 Otago Community Trust New Zealand Masters
Games. The Games are in their 31st year. Competitor
numbers increased by 6% on the previous Games held in 2018, with a highlight
being the record number of football competitors. A separate report on the
Games, including a summary of participant feedback, was provided to Council on
30 June.
39 2020
Ngāi Tahu Te Tiriti o Waitangi festival - Te Rūnanga o
Ōtākou (TRO) hosted the 2020 Ngāi Tahu Te Tiriti o Waitangi
festival at Ōtākou Marae (triennially shared with Ōnuku and
Awarua Marae). This event was the focus of the city’s Waitangi
commemorations. Staff supported TRO with event planning advice in the
lead-up to the event. Staff from Community Development and Events, Corporate
Policy and Enterprise Dunedin attended a DCC information stall on site.
40 City
Activations - In February the Events Team coordinated city activations for
the Elton John and Queen concerts respectively. Torrential rain led to the
cancellation of planned activations for Elton John. The adverse weather also
caused significant challenges in delivering a smooth-running shuttle service to
and from Forsyth Barr Stadium, and in enabling people to get home in private
vehicles. Staff have reviewed Health and Safety and traffic management planning
as a result of this. In contrast fine weather for the Queen concert resulted in
minimal need for shuttle transport and no issues with travel to and from the
Stadium.
41 There are
additional plans to create events for: LBGQT+ Pride Month, Black Lives Matter
(BLM), Plastic Free July, and an election event in August that will focus on
youth voting and political engagement. This event will be pitched at Year 12
and 13 students who are nearly at/newly of voting age.
42 In March
and April key events that DCC Events staff were co-ordinating or supporting
were cancelled as a result of COVID-19. These included Race Relations
Week, the city activation for the Black Caps vs Australia International, the
Fringe Festival and ANZAC Day commemorations.
43 During
Level 2 the DCC events team hosted two online forums designed to support and
connect the events industry locally. On Thursday 28 May an Online and
Digital Events seminar was held. Representatives from Wild Dunedin and the NZ
International Science Festival presented on their experiences of hosting
digital festivals. Approximately 20 event organisers attended the seminar. On 4
June a seminar on Health and Safety Under Level 2 was run, with approximately
15 people attending.
44 On 25 June 2020 FIFA
announced the joint NZ/Australia bid was successful in
securing the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Dunedin is one of the
cities which partnered in the joint NZ/Australia bid.
45 Planning
for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup continues with Dunedin being
allocated four matches. At this stage Dunedin has been advised it will host a
match featuring two qualifying teams, a NZ match, a United Kingdom match and a
South African match. Matches will be played between 7 – 14 February.
46 Between January and March Events staff continued discussion with
sporting codes around potential major events to be held after 2020. Discussions
have continued with New Zealand Major Events and other cities around future
events; noting the limitations in the current environment.
Youth
47 Youth
Development - In February the Dunedin Youth Council (DYC)
held its first hui of the year, with 13 new members joining the six existing
Youth Councillors. All DYC members have a two-year term, representing their
high schools on the group. The DYC have expressed particular interest in
engaging with Council on climate change, and have had one meeting with DCC and
ORC staff to discuss this topic.
48 The DYC
continued to meet virtually during and since lockdown. Members ran a successful
“iso-art” competition with two categories: junior (primary school)
and senior (secondary school). The competition helped increase the DYC profile,
as well as giving something positive back to the youth community during
lockdown.
49 The DYC
used lockdown to increase the group’s social media presence – with
Instagram and Facebook advertising to support youth mental health, frequent
social media posts, and positive interactions with the public. Another
isolation subcommittee is continuing to work on virtual content to connect with
the youth demographic such as short videos, Facebook and Instagram stories, and
other engagement.
50 The DYC
contributed to the Cancer Society and Southern District Health Board on smoking
and vaping. Youth Councillors spoke to these groups during a regular
meeting slot and provided a discussion space for youth views on vapes
particularly. A small group within the DYC are continuing to support the Cancer
Society and SDHB by promoting World Smokefree Day and are considering other
avenues to encourage a smoke and vape free Dunedin. A detailed report from the DYC is attached with this
report (Attachment B) and will be presented to the Committee.
51 Dunedin’s
2020 Tuia representative was appointed folllowing an expression of interest
process, and attended the first of five wānanga for this personal and
professional development programme for young Maori. At this stage
wānaga have been postponed until further notice.
52 Staff
supported the Aspiring Leaders’ application process undertaken jointly by
the DCC and Otago Community Trust to select young people to attend the national
forum in Wellington. Although eleven applications were received, as a result of
COVID-19, Aspiring Leaders was cancelled for 2020. Applications will be
held until next year.
53 The DYC
provided advice to both the Parks and Rec Sports Needs Project, and the Play
Space Project. The advice centred on current spaces for sports and recreational
actives and if they are adequately meeting youth needs.
54 The State
Services Commission presented to the DYC on open government and government
engagement. The SSC again sought the youth perspective on how best to connect
and reach a youth audience and engage them in central government.
Grants and Community Development
55 In
February and March expressions of interest for the community representatives on
the DCC Grants Subcommittee were invited. Members have been approved by the
Council with their first Subcommittee meeting on 3 June 2020. An induction
meeting was held for all approved Subcommittee members in June. The Grants
Subcommittee allocated funds at three meetings in June, allocating around $1.5
million in grants to community, environmental, and arts initiatives, and to
community, major community and premier events.
56 Staff
administering grants provided additional advice and support to applicants and
previous recipients during March, and following the national move to Level 4.
Two key actions were undertaken to support applicants; an extension to the
grant round deadline, and the option to re-submit an application provided in
2019 for consideration this year. Feedback from grants applicants was that they
appreciated the DCC’s quick response to the impacts of COVID-19 on
groups.
57 Ōtepoti
Community Support Nework - In late March groups were invited to join the
Ōtepoti Community Support Nework with the aim of creating a network of
connected social and government groups to respond to COVID-19. With lockdown
announed just after this, the group moved online with staff also coordinating
Ōteopoti Community Support Zui for community, place based and government
groups from across the city. The initiative has connected more than 200 community,
government and ethnic communities groups via a Facebook page, six Zui meetings
and eight weekly email updates.
58 Ōtepoti
Community Support meetings were also held to meet the needs of Māori and
Pasifika communities. During the reporting period, four meetings to support
Pasifika communities were held, with another two held to support and share
information with Maori.
59 Civil Defence
Support - Community Development and Events staff
contributed to the city’s Civil Defence Welfare respone during
lockdown. Emergency Management Otago (Civil Defence) initiated a welfare
helpline for people needing assistance throughout Otago. Calls were managed by
DCC Customer Service Agency operated 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, who
referred these to Council Welfare teams. In Dunedin the Community Development
team developed Welfare guides, mentored other DCC staff answering calls, and
coordinated external agency support to address welfare needs.
60 As
at 14 June, when requests were transferred to the Ministry for Social
Development, Dunedin had received 422 requests for assistance, 186 for
emergency food, and the remainder for other assistance such as household goods
and firewood.
61 DCC
staff also suported the translation of information into Arabic, Farsi and
Cantonese early in Level 4 as national resources had not yet been translated.
The Southern District Health Board Interpreting Service and OAR FM partnered
with the DCC to create and on-air messages about Level 4.
62 Enviroschools
- During COVID-19 lockdown the Enviroschools Facilitator continued to
engage with schools. A three-week series of Weekly ‘What
If…?’ Challenges based around Sustainable Communities ran from 15
June – 3 July. Since Level 1 requests from schools for Enviroschools
support has steadily grown – focused on waste minimisation, staff
planning, native bird resources, Energy audits, recycling systems, composting,
worm farms. Four Dunedin Enviroschools are participating in the Sustainable
Energy Pathways for Otago Schools project.
Cultural Initiatives
Ara Toi Ōtepoti
63 Arts
Grants - The promotion, assessment and administration of arts grants, along
with the assistance and advice provided to applicants remains a significant
focus for the Ara Toi team and was delivered throughout lockdown. A total of 37
applications were assessed in the three Arts grants in March 2020 and 14 arts
applications were assessed in the City Service City Project funding round.
64 Performing
Arts Feasibility Study - A key area of focus for Ara Toi during the
reporting period remained the Performing Arts Feasibility Study which has three
phases. The Phase One Report was presented to Council in May 2019 and the Phase
Two report was reported to Council February 2020. Phase One of the feasibility
study involved stakeholder engagement to develop a consensus-based vision. This
vision has been further developed through Phase Two to establish both an
aspirational and functional brief that will shape any potential organisational
and venue / facility development.
65 During
the Level 4 Alert period, the Government put out a call for ‘Shovel
Ready’ capital projects as part of national recovery strategy. Elements
of the brief have been included in two of these bids. In the event that one or
both of them are successful, this will reduce the need to deliver the full
brief on one site, which in turn, will inform the planning process for the
10-year plan.
66 Public
Art Framework - In February, four shortlisted finalists were chosen from a
pool of 22 applicants by the Selection Panel for the Octagon Public Artwork.
The finalists were required to send in full submissions, including detailed
designs, budgets, and installation requirements. The deadline for receipt of
these was extended due to COVID-19 lockdown developments. The public have been
kept informed about the finalists and their proposals over the course of the
process through traditional, digital, and social media.
67 On
28 May, while still under lockdown, the Public Art Selection Panel met and
chose Ayesha Green’s (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu) Ko te Tūhono as Dunedin’s new public artwork. Between
14-20 May there were 43 public responses to the shortlisted submissions submitted
through the website and comments received were thoughtful and considered. The
Selection Panel were provided with anonymised versions of all responses.
68 Staff
were interviewed by Channel 39 about the work and the ODT ran a significant
feature on Green. The artist and DCC staff are working together to finalise the
site and are in discussions about the requirements and timeframes for the
installation of Ko te Tūhono.
69 Art
and Creativity in Infrastructure (ACII) - Staff are involved in the
following new and ongoing ACII projects: Ross Creek Reservoir, Te Rauone
Reserve Refurbishment, Tomahawk Carpark Project, Coastal Plan Management,
Dunedin Public Library refurbishment. Discussions are scheduled with Three
Waters in August to identify suitable ACII projects in their 10-year plan. Work
by Ara Toi staff includes background research and writing for conceptual and
creative briefs; formulating Expressions of Interest; supporting and advising
artists, the community, mana whenua, and project leads over the course of the
projects.
70 Boosted
- Boosted is Aotearoa’s only crowdfunding platform dedicated to the arts.
The Ara Toi partnership with Boosted supports the Dunedin Boosted mentor.
Support and advice to our local creative community has remained strong through
this reporting period including through COVID-19. Alongside business as usual,
Boosted launched ‘Boosted Live’, a new digital platform to
livestream creative mahi across all artforms that enable artists to be
remunerated. https://www.boosted.org.nz/
·
·
71 Recruitment for a
new Dunedin Boosted Mentor was undertaken just before lockdown and then through
lockdown with the successful announcement of Dallas Synnott in the role in late
May. Staff are working on next year’s contract and delivery outputs.
72 Dunedin Dream Brokerage - The focus of Dunedin Dream Brokerage is
to promote increased mixed use of the city’s building stock by activating
vacant spaces for creative purpose. The Dunedin Dream
Brokerage team have within COVID-19 restrictions shifted focus from the CBD to
the suburbs. A new project DDBBubbles aiming to
highlight the importance of creative people in our neighbourhoods was launched in mid-May to celebrate and acknowledge ‘the upsides of lockdown’. An art poster campaign was installed
in local business windows over two in our suburbs.
·
73 Creatives from North
East Valley and the surrounding suburbs responded to the first call out.
Artworks from a range of creative practitioners were installed in a number of
shop windows in the Gardens. Followed by South Dunedin creatives and Port
Chalmers creatives in local shop windows respectively. There has been great
feedback from the businesses involved, a social media campaign encouraged
people to share and tag the businesses involved.
·
·
74 Staff are working on
next year’s contract and delivery outputs including continuing to work in
both the suburbs and the city CBD.
75 Communities
of Readers - Staff are involved in the Communities
of Readers project which is led by The National Library in partnership with The
Ministry of Education, The Methodist Mission and the Dunedin City Council
(including the Ara Toi Strategy team and the Dunedin Public Libraries). This
project aims to build reading for pleasure in children aged 3-7 in the South
Dunedin community and has been generated in response to falling levels of
literacy in Aotearoa that affects wellbeing and employment opportunities.
Firebrand have been selected to create a marketing campaign for this project
and an introductory hui was held in June for educators at Bathgate Park School.
Creative industries
76 Artist
Space Research - Dunedin Dream Brokerage completed a research report to
identify the need for artist and maker space. Property owners with appropriate
rental spaces were also included in this research and staff are working through
the recommendations in this report which are valuable in the COVID-19 context.
77 Vocational
Pathways - A Dunedin focused Creative Workforce Development Committee has
formed with members from the Ministry of Education, the Dunedin School of Art
and the local secondary school’s Careers Advisors group (CATE) along with
Ara Toi and Enterprise Dunedin staff. The goal of this group is to work
collaboratively, and across the region to identify and develop opportunities
that build clearer pathways and help students into a meaningful creative
career. Staff are also working in partnership with the Dunedin School of Art on
a series of short videos that convey the journey to employment of emerging, mid
and established artists and creatives, and this project has been delayed until
later in the year because of COVID-19.
City of Literature
78 The popular Possibilities
Project, the City of Literature’s key
lockdown initiative designed to offer encouragement and diversion to the
community, received high levels of positive engagement. The project was run in
partnership with local poet Liz Breslin, who offered free online workshopping
to the participants. Established and brand-new poets of all ages were invited
to send in a video of themselves reading their poem and the response was very
positive from around Aotearoa and internationally. Each video was shared, one
each day, across social media channels and gathered as a permanent collection
on the City of Literature website.
79 The City of
Literature participated in international social media campaigns during
lockdown, such as ‘Caring for Each Other is a Human Right’,
launched by Slemani, Iraq, and WeRCulture, led by Mannheim, Germany. Dunedin
poets were filmed and their work shared widely across the world as part of
these initiatives.
80 The City of
Literature teamed up with Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Dunedin Public
Libraries on the Land of Granite Teen Writing Competition inspired by the
Gallery’s Colin McCahon exhibition. The competition continued to run
during lockdown with digital resources to support students and online
submission of entries. The prizegiving was able to be held on site at DPAG at
the end of lockdown and judge Robyn Maree Pickens provided fulsome positive
feedback to the students, who each read their winning piece of fiction.
81 The
Director City of Literature chairs the Cities of Literature Communications and
Promotions Working Group by Skype/Zoom with representation from the Cities of Literature Offices in Kraków,
Poland; Óbidos, Portugal; Seattle,
USA; and Ulyanovsk, Russia. The working group is looking to increase
visibility for the Network, and is launching a shared website to showcase the
cities and their regular collaborative projects. The Communications and
Promotions Working Group supported the network’s
annual World Poetry Day social media campaign on 21 March.
82 The City of
Literature’s Humanities intern from the University of Otago worked with
the City of Literature office on resources for primary school children that
celebrate our local children’s writers and illustrators.
83 The Caselberg
Trust announced a new annual Residency for emerging writers in the name of
highly regarded Dunedin writer and poet, the late Elizabeth Brooke-Carr.
84 The City of
Literature app, dtour, produced in partnership with the University of
Otago’s Department of English and Linguistics, launched a further fifty
remarkable local writers and locations, taking the total to over a hundred.
Translation of entries into te reo is underway. A focus of the app is local tourism
and it is free to download from the App Store or Google Play.
Dunedin Public Libraries
85 COVID-19
Response - During the COVID-19 lockdown period, the Dunedin Public
Libraries was closed to the public from 23 March to 19 May (Alert Levels 3 and
4), re-opening with restricted hours and services from 20 May to 14 June (Alert
Level 2), and full re-opening from 15 June (Alert Level 1). During the period
of closure in Alert Levels 3 and 4, the Libraries focused on increasing its
range of digital services and support, including:
· Establishment
of a digital only membership category where new members could join online and
start using the digital products available through the Libraries website.
During the period 2 April to 20 May 2020, there were 208 new digital-only
membership registrations
1
· Establishment
of a digital support line through the Customer Services Agency (03 474 3690) to
support customers with access to and use of the Libraries digital products
· Establishment
of ‘Links for Lockdown’ and ‘Lockdown Fun’ targeting
adults and young people respectively, with an extensive range of links to
information and activities, as well as free eBooks
· Commencement
of online access to Haynes Workshop Manuals through the Libraries website
· Increasing
the range of new eBooks and eAudio titles with the targeted redirection of the
Libraries collection budget for 2019/20
· Commencement
of Beamafilm, a new video streaming service which is free to Library members
· Commencement
of virtual Storytime sessions each weekday
· Commencement
of virtual Book Recommendations by Libraries staff three times a week
· Commencement
of virtual Book Discussion Groups using videoconferencing apps
· Presenting
the 2020 Nook & Cranny Music Festival as a series of online performances by
Dunedin musicians
· Initiation
of an email update to all Library members who had given their permission to
receive electronic communication. The distribution list included approximately
12,000 email addresses.
86 Increased
use of Digital Content - With no access to physical
resources during the COVID-19 lockdown, Library members turned to online
resources in increasing numbers, with many using the digital format for the
first time. As an indication of the increased uptake of digital content, the total
number of eBooks and eAudio items borrowed in April and to 18 May 2020 was
13,727 compared to 9,024 items on April and May 2019 (full month), representing
an increase of 4,703 items or 52%.
87 Summer Reading Programme - The 2019/20
Summer Reading Programme concluded in February 2020 with a total of 417 young
people under 14 years of age participating across the city.
88 2019/20 Robert Burns Poetry Competition - The winners of the 2019/20 Robert Burns Poetry Competition
were announced on 25 January 2020 with 49 entries this year, including 21 in
the Youth category (Rap Like Robbie). All poems were of a high standard,
including some in Gaelic as well as English. The Youth competition brought
entries from 8 different schools, and one home school student. The theme of the
adult competition – migration – produced some poignant writing. The
2019/20 adult competition was judged by Emily Duncan (2019 Burns Fellow) and
Carolyn McCurdie (Dunedin-based poet), while the youth section as judged by
Jill O’Brien (Dunedin-based poet) and Donna Rutherford (Scottish writer,
currently based in Canada.)
Cultural Institutions
– COVID-19 closures
89 Dunedin’s
cultural institutions closed to the public on Monday 23 March at the
announcement that afternoon by the Prime Minister that the country would move
into lockdown later that week. Within a number of days, staff at the Art
Gallery, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan began producing a
sharing digital content to share with audiences unable to physically visit
their facilities.
Dunedin
Public Art Gallery
90 It
was a relatively busy summer period at the Art Gallery. The Opaviviara!
exhibition was particularly popular. We are currently in discussions with the
artists add Paje Curumim, the communal tea station work to the
Gallery’s permanent contemporary art collection.
91 Exhibitions
opening this reporting period include Land of Granite: McCahon in Otago.
New Zealand’s most important and influential painter Colin McCahon was
born, schooled and trained as an artist in Dunedin. This exhibition charts the
effect the Otago landscape had on his work over his long career.
92 Other
exhibitions to open in late February include sculptural exhibitions Succession
by Yona Lee and Additions and Alterations by Emily Hartley-Skudder,
utilising the Gallery’s permanent collection.
93 The
Art Gallery was closed for April and much of May. The focus since reopening has
been around resumption of safe opening and the provision of schools and visitor
programming.
94 Exhibitions programme
- The exhibition programme has changed due to the COVID closure with the
planned 2020 winter season moving to 2021. The Autumn programme will continue
over winter.
95 One new show
to open this reporting period has been Building Structures + + by
Paul Cullen (1949—2017). Due to his modest and self-effacing approach to
art and life Cullen remains greatly underestimated. Building Structures
+ + features a selection of works from different phases of
Cullen’s forty-year career, drawn from the artist’s estate and
shown together in Ōtepoti Dunedin for the first time. The exhibition title
is drawn from one of Cullen’s earliest experimental projects, which is
partially reconstructed at Dunedin Public Art Gallery. For the original
Building Structures project, presented in 1979.
Toitū
Otago Settlers Museum
96 The exhibition
Brought to Light continues in the Museum’s temporary gallery
showcasing a number of new items recently accessioned into the Museum’s
permanent collection.
97 The
annual Burns Supper was hosted on 25 January in the Josephine foyer. Burns Night Dinners have been celebrated in Dunedin on
the Bard’s birthday, 25 January, since the 1850s. They have been held at Toitū Otago
Settlers Museum, in collaboration with the Dunedin Burns Club, since 2013.
98 Luck
of the Irish: how the Irish helped shape New Zealand is a new series of
lectures launched in partnership with the University of Otago and marks the centenary of a momentous year in Irish
history when the island was partitioned into two administration zones –
Northern and Southern Ireland.
99 Toitū was closed for April and much of May. The
focus since then has been around resumption of safe opening of the galleries
and the provision of schools and visitor programming.
100 Online
programming - Our online content programme which grew during the lockdown
has continued with the production of Curators Corner and Talking
Pictures, short moving image presentations by our curators which delve into
the stories of early Dunedin using the Toitū Collections.
Lan
Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden
·
101 On 25 January (a
once-in-a-lifetime clash with Burns night) we celebrated Chinese New Year at
Lan Yuan. As is our tradition, a dragon parade left
the Octagon for the Garden with a large crowd in its wake. The evening
continued a dragon and lion dance, performances and food stalls. The finale of
the evening was a spectacular fireworks and laser light show. Lan Yuan also
staged the annual Lantern Festival with a late-night opening in early February
to celebrate.
·
102 Due
to the changes brought about by COVID the 2020 Dragon Boat Festival / Legend of
Qu Yuan in June was offered as an online experience.
·
103 The
Legend of Qu Yuan - Online
Edition 2020, offered our virtual audiences articles and videos
featuring important traditions of the Festival. We invited audiences to
consider the historical significance of the Festival and participate in the
many ways it is celebrated here and now. By sharing this cultural knowledge, we
celebrate the relationship between Dunedin and our sister city, Shanghai, and
strengthen the bonds between Lan Yuan and its sister garden, Yu Yuan.
·
Dunedin
Olveston Historic Home
104 Olveston
saw
its first summer music series with “Jazz on the Lawn”
aimed at attracting Dunedin residents to Olveston
to enjoy their stunning
property, unfortunately February was rained off but the March date was a
fine Dunedin afternoon
with all tickets sold. There was a very positive public response. The Olveston team set to work
over the end of March to start planning new tours from “Behind the Ropes
“a tour aimed at showing
visitors items not normally
seen on display,
through to the “Architecture Tour” highlighting
the work of Sir Ernest George and Dunedin firm of Mason & Wales.
105 Olveston
saw its first Edwardian High Tea in the Great Hall on Queens
Birthday. The event was sold out and
was received well by those who attended.
Training was completed for the new tours “Behind the Ropes” and “Architecture” ready to commence
in July.
OPTIONS
106 As this
is an update report, there are no options.
NEXT STEPS
107 Key areas of focus for
the three months ahead will include:
· The Ōtepoti Community Support Network will continue, with six
weekly meetings planned until the end of December, and a specific workshop on
emergency management proposed for August, led by Emergency Management Otago.
· Refining
plans for the Performing Arts Centre for inclusion in the Long-Term Planning
process.
· Engagement
on the St Clair – St Kilda Coastal Plan.
Signatories
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Author:
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Nicola Pinfold - Group Manager Community and Planning
Nick Dixon - Group Manager Ara Toi
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Authoriser:
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Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services
Robert West - Acting General Manager City Services
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Attachments
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Title
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Page
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⇩a
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Residents’
Opinion Survey Historical Trend Data - Community and Culture
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95
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⇩b
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Dunedin Youth Council
Report January - June 2020
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99
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose of Local Government
This decision promotes the
social well-being of communities in the present and for the future.
This decision promotes the
economic well-being of communities in the present and for the future.
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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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☒
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☐
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☐
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Economic Development
Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Environment Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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3 Waters Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Spatial Plan
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Integrated Transport
Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Parks and Recreation
Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Other strategic
projects/policies/plans
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☒
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☐
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☐
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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
of this update report 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 update
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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