Arts institutions optimistic

Nelson institutions are weathering the Covid lockdown with cautious optimism.

The Nelson Centre of Musical Arts (NCMA) and The Suter Art Gallery presented to the Nelson City Council’s governance and finance committee on Thursday morning, and both were reasonably confident despite the setbacks lockdown had presented.

NCMA director James Donaldson said there was ‘‘a lot going on behind the scenes’’ at the centre during the level three and four lockdown, even though ostensibly the centre was closed to the public and many future events were cancelled.

He said there were plans already in motion to provide online offerings and the wheels were beginning to turn on what events could be run when crowds were eventually allowed to gather.

‘‘It is tricky to plan ahead at the moment, there’s lots of ideas, lots of very good ideas, but in terms of what we’re actually going to do it’s difficult to put my thumb on something.

‘‘We have applied [for Creative New Zealand funding], it is project based ... What we’re asking for is a series of streamed lunchtime concerts.’’

NCMA trustee Roger Taylor said while it had been difficult to plan during the lockdown, budget forecasts were fairly promising for the remainder of the 2019-2020 financial year

‘‘We are in business. We’re running in minimum levels, but we can get through to the end of the [financial] year, where we go from there is a moot point.

‘‘It depends firstly on what the Government will allow us to do and secondly what sort of response we’ll get from our customers.

‘‘We’re here, we will be here until the end of the year, we will be able to move forward into 2021. It will be difficult, but we’re up for the challenge.’’

Suter director Julie Catchpole echoed the cautious

‘‘I’d say this is one time when being small but perfectly formed is a real advantage.’’

optimism of the NCMA, as the Suter generally had a good proportion of local visitors as well as international or tourist visitors, ‘‘so not all our visitor eggs are in one basket’’, though there would be serious effects on visitor numbers.

‘‘Our peak actually is in August ... this year that peak is going to be more like a trough, because we will have no International Film Festival in our theatre.

‘‘I’d say this is one time when being small but perfectly formed is a real advantage, and as such [the Suter] is a real asset to Tasman and Nelson.

‘‘The Suter with its lovely spacious exhibition galleries feels like a safe space to visit, and with quality exhibitions you can at least take a journey of the mind, and it’s accessible to all, not just for the physically less able but because it’s free.’’

She said the Suter had ‘‘completely rejigged’’ its exhibition plans, moving exhibitions that were meant to tie-in to now cancelled or delayed local events, lengthening exhibition seasons, and moving shows relying on international content.

Suter commercial manager Jeff Morris said the Suter had accessed the wage subsidy, which ‘‘will get us through the balance of this financial year in reasonably healthy shape’’.

‘‘In terms of reforecasting ... we’re looking good for ending this year, we won’t end as healthily as we were predicting we would originally, but because of that progress we made in the first six months, that will help us through the next six months.

‘‘For the next 12 months, it’s very, very difficult to know what exactly is going to play out.’’