DURING its April meeting, Inverell Shire Council again decided not to take up membership with Arts North West. The vote follows a similar decision made in July of 2013.
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Based in Glen Innes, Arts North West is the regional arts peak body for Local Government Areas (LGAs) and arts organisations in the North West region, and one of 14 across the state.
Their services and programs are funded by Arts NSW and annual financial memberships from 12 LGAs within their catchment.
It means that independent arts organisations within these councils as well as the councils themselves may access what Arts North West has to offer.
Without their LGA financial contribution, all cultural and arts-based groups within Inverell Shire, as well as the council itself, are ineligible for such things as sourcing grant assistance, auspicing grants, participation in workshops, navigating insurance issues and supporting projects and groups with marketing and promotion.
Executive officer for Arts North West Dr Jane Kreis explained the reasoning behind LGA membership.
“This is because, as part of the inherent regional arts board model for NSW, regional arts board services can only be provided to areas where the council is a financial member. Financial membership by councils is requested by Arts NSW and is written into the Multiyear Funding agreement all Regional Arts Boards have signed off with Arts NSW.”
Inverell is the only LGA within the region to abstain.
Inverell mayor Paul Harmon was on the committee that made the recommendation not to pay the $8155.40 (GST inclusive) annual membership.
“Council thought that the value of being a member of Arts North West didn’t warrant the money that we’d be spending. That’s what we concluded,” Cr Harmon said.
Stephanie Marshall is an Inverell theatre and film instructor who works with young children to adults, and the key organiser for the North West Film Festival. She felt dismayed by the lack of arts support within council.
“As a theatre practitioner, and as someone who is a local and is passionate about getting local people access to the arts, I am concerned about what it says about Inverell’s attitude to the arts if it does not contribute to an organisation such as the Regional Arts Boards.
“I guess if you are not going to contribute then you are saying one of two things- either that you can do it better, or that you don’t value the arts as a council.
Moree Plains LGA has voted to retain membership with Arts North West. Moree’s General Manager Dave Aber explained the council investment was really to support the shire residents.
“I don’t think councils really get a big benefit out of Arts North West funding, but it’s the community that gets it and a lot of the stuff that’s happening is directly with the community groups.
“Consequently, we’ve always supported it because basically, we’ve probably had a fairly strong arts community in Moree for some time, so that’s been part of it,” Mr Aber said.
“There’s stuff going on all the time in the background. It doesn’t necessarily happen through the council, that’s all. It’s one of those things where, the community benefits, but the council (doesn’t necessarily have) a great deal to do except hand the cheque over every year.”
The Inverell council decision follows on the heels of a NSW government $200,000 pledge on April 16 to Regional Arts NSW.
Amid the funding package is $70,000 of support to be dispersed in about $5000 parcels between the 14 regional arts organisations including Arts North West.
Dr Kreis said she regrets the decision by Inverell Shire Council and offered clarification of the issue.
“Arts North West has been asked by Inverell stakeholders if this $5,000 or any of our additional funding can be accessed by people living in that shire,” Dr Kreis said.
“Inverell community is certainly able to apply for non-arts board funding and to carry out its own arts and cultural matters independently. But without financial membership from the council or another associate member nominated by that council, Arts North West cannot provide any of its services, projects, or programs to that shire or its community.”
