Kia ora Nic,

 

Official Information request regarding the Toi Rangatahi programmes

 

I refer to your official information request, dated 17 December 2021, for
information related to the Toi Rangatahi programmes.  

 

Your request has been addressed under the provisions of the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), which is based on the concept that
information held by government agencies should be made available on
request unless there is good reason for withholding it.  

 

Creative New Zealand has not undertaken any formal evaluation of the Toi
Rangatahi programmes.

 

In March 2020, in response to the evolving COVID-19 emergency, the Arts
Council held a Special Meeting at which they:

 

o Determined that an emergency existed with reference to the COVID-19
pandemic
o Established an Emergency Response Fund, as a new initiative
o Agreed that two initial targeted programmes be established to draw
on the Fund:

o Emergency support for Investment clients, and
o Resilience grants for artists, arts practitioners and arts
groups (ie, all non-Investment client customers).

 

The Arts Council also delegated to the Chief Executive the authority to
suspend existing programmes and transfer their allocated funding to the
Emergency Response Fund.

 

Given the emergency situation, and that Creative New Zealand could not
establish and run the emergency programmes as well business as usual
programmes, decisions about whether to retain or suspend programmes was
made on the basis of available resources and whether the programme could
proceed under COVID-19 restrictions.

 

At this time, several funds, initiatives and special opportunities were
suspended, including Toi Rangatahi.

 

Since March 2020, ie over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years,
Creative New Zealand has continued to operate an adapted programme. There
remain several programmes/initiatives that have not been reinstated due to
the continued focus on Creative New Zealand’s COVID-19 response. This
includes Toi Rangatahi. Please note we did retain our funding agreement
with Arts Access Aotearoa to deliver the Arts on Youth Justice Residencies
pilot, which was a separate strand of the Toi Rangatahi initiative.

 

It is expected that further consideration will be given to the future
direction of these programmes as part of planning for 2022/23.  

 

If you wish to discuss this information request, please contact Pip
O’Flaherty (Senior Adviser Organisational Performance) via email
to: [1]pip.o’[email address]  

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this response. Information about how to make a complaint is available
at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602. 

 

Ngā mihi nui, nā 

 

 

Elizabeth Beale 

Pou Whakahaere Kaupapa Here, Whakatakoto Mahere, Pūrongo hoki  

Manager, Policy and Performance 

 

 

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