14 Jul Huia comments on arts funding on The Big Idea
A post on The Big Idea tackles the distribution of arts funding, and why youth groups are missing out on their share. Our executive director, Huia O’Sullivan, was one of those approached for comment. “Youth artists voices are definitely not heard, or financially supported to be heard, and lack sitting in positions of power such as governance to enable being heard or affecting the status quo,” Huia says in the piece, which you can read at this link. .
“They most definitely care but possibly have found alternative methods to ensure they are heard, felt, seen via social media platforms. These platforms are more conducive to their audience and we, as the rest, need to catch up! They live, move, create and make in a digital world. If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that youth connect digitally and influence digitally.”
“Funders need to reframe how they will capture this group, as it falls further from their grasp – it’s a round hole square peg situation. We will continue to miss the richness and depth that young people invite us to if we continue to try and get them to fit in conventional funding models that are outdated.”
Our thanks to the team at The Big Idea for covering this important issue. You can read the post at this link