9 November 2001 Media Statement

Supporting employment in the creative industries

A new programme to assist job seekers to develop a career in the arts and creative industries was launched in Auckland today by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey and Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Judith Tizard.

Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment (PACE) is a new Work and Income programme for job seekers who list their preferred career choice within the arts and creative industries.

“PACE does two very important things,” Steve Maharey said today. “Firstly, it identifies the vital role that Work and Income plays in supporting artists and creative clients to develop their careers, and fully equips case managers with a customised service for these clients. Secondly, it allows artists and cultural workers to register ‘art’ as their first career choice.”

“PACE recognises that art is real work,” said Judith Tizard. “It builds on the commitment made in Labour’s Uniquely New Zealand policy to make a career in the arts and creative industries a viable option.”

Under the PACE programme, job seekers and case managers will have access to information about assistance and funding available for arts and cultural workers available nationwide and in their region. The information will be used to compile personalised Job Seeker Agreements which defines the support beneficiaries can expect from Work and Income to help them get a job, and the obligations they must fulfil to receive a benefit.

“PACE continues the shift that Work and Income has been making from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to a regionally-focused, flexible service where case managers work one-on-one with clients giving them the skills they need to move into a job and to stay there.

“The PACE programme starts on Monday and will build across the country. Regional Commissioners will be working closely with the cultural sector in their communities to refine the support that can made available locally,” said Steve Maharey.

. . / 2
In some regions, notably Dunedin, Nelson and central Auckland, Work and Income and arts organisations have already formed relationships to offer specialised assistance to budding artists, such as the Dunedin Arts Employment Service (a partnership between Dunedin Work & Income and The Higher Trust), and the Arts Work Project in Auckland (a partnership between Work & Income, Creative New Zealand, Auckland City Council, Auckland New Ventures, Artists’ Alliance and the Community Employment Group).

Steve Maharey and Judith Tizard launched PACE at Kingsland Central, a studio and showroom in Auckland, where the exhibition “Show Up” showcases the eclectic works of artists, architects, designers, sculptors, fashion designers and other cultural workers who have participated in the Arts Work professional development programme, New Space. They met with two emerging artists, Sparrow Phillips and Paulus McKinnon, who have been helped by Work and Income NZ to develop a sustainable career in the arts. Paulus was last week named by the National Business Review as an artist for collectors to invest in.

Judith Tizard said PACE builds on the investment the Government made in New Zealand’s arts and culture sector last year with the Cultural Recovery Package.

“The Government is committed to ensuring that our individual artists are supported as well as our major arts institutions. For many artists, income can often be the breaking-point issue over whether or not to continue with art. That’s not a decision any emerging artist should have to make. PACE will help them to develop the skills they need to become full-time artists.”

Steve Maharey said he is pleased that Work and Income is part of a cross-Government approach to developing the creative sector, which includes increased support for Creative New Zealand and the Film and Music Commissions, arts participation in Modern Apprenticeships and the Incubator Development Unit.

From Monday, PACE postcards will be available in all Work and Income offices promoting the assistance that can now be provided to people wanting to develop a career in the creative industries. A PACE resource pack, comprising nationwide and region-specific information about the support available, will also be available to clients and case managers from Monday.

ENDS

Attached is a copy of the PACE resource pack, the PACE postcard and frequently asked questions.

Biographical notes: Sparrow Phillips and Paulus McKinnon

Sparrow Phillips

Sparrow Phillips is an Auckland multi-media artist, who has recently completed an Arts Work professional development programme, which assists arts and creative skilled job seekers identify sustainable employment opportunities in the arts and creative industries.

Sparrow is a painter and is doing some T-shirt print design work, and has previously worked with bronze sculpture.

Paulus McKinnon

Paulus McKinnon is an Auckland painter with a Bachelor of Design from Unitech. Paulus is has an individual Job Seeker Agreement tailored to his goal to become a full-time artist. Paulus has just been named as an artist with “great potential” for collectors to invest in by the National Business Review.

Paulus’ work is currently on display at the Bowen Gallery in Ghuznee Street, Wellington.

Biographical notes: Antony Deaker & The Higher Trust

The Higher Trust is an arts advocacy organisation in Dunedin, which has formally established the Dunedin Arts Employment Service in partnership with the Department of Work and Income, Southern Region. The partnership recognises three years of cooperative work by DWI staff and representatives of the arts community in Dunedin. The Dunedin Arts Employment Service significantly complements the goals of PACE.

Work and Income has contracted the Higher Trust to research and implement a number of strategies that will coordinate activity within Work and Income with activity in the community. The strategies include processes for: recognising and registering artists; establishing arts-focused Job Seeker Agreements; information and publicity about the services; appropriate career and development training for artists; developing an inter-agency team to work cooperatively on arts employment issues.

Antony Deaker has been working on the Dunedin pilot on behalf of the Higher Trust, and is now employed as the Arts Employment Coordinator, developing and maintaining connections within and between agencies and the arts community.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>