Government takes action to give Arts and Culture sector certainty

The Government is extending the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme to cover new and recurring events from 15 June 2022 to 31 January 2023.

“The Government recognises the importance of giving the cultural events sector confidence and certainty, which is why we’re taking action to support the sector to begin planning events for the latter half of 2022,” Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni said. 

Previously, the Scheme only covered events in this period if they were already planned before New Zealand moved to Red in January 2022.

“This change aims to further support our artists, musicians, performers and Kiwis who make a living out of arts and culture. It also recognises that a critical part of securing our recovery will be the return of arts and cultural events for all New Zealanders to enjoy.

“The Government remains absolutely committed to ensuring the arts and culture sector survives, adapts and thrives. That’s why the Government’s $374 million COVID-19 Arts and Culture Recovery Programme announced in May 2020 was boosted by an additional $121 million package in February 2022,”

The move to extend coverage of the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme to new events from 15 June comes alongside other changes for the Scheme designed to relieve pressure on the events sector as the country moves past this Omicron peak.

Those changes include support for outdoor events that can now go ahead at Red under the COVID-19 Protection Framework but that may incur financial losses due to reduced audiences and support for financial losses for events that take place during the first six weeks of a change to Orange. The requirement for use of My Vaccine Pass at events has also been removed, to match the updated Covid Protection Framework settings.

“The additional changes to the Arts and Culture Events Scheme extend support to event organisers as we transition to the new provisions of the COVID-19 Protection Framework, and provide Kiwis with opportunities to go out as their confidence increases. We’re working hard to deliver more certainty in an uncertain world.

“The changes to the Framework represent a milestone for Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to the pandemic. As our country lifts its sights toward recovery, our communities can begin to enjoy events and express our diverse cultures,” said Carmel Sepuloni.

Full details of the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme are available at mch.govt.nz/arts-and-culture-event-support-scheme