MEET THE CANDIDATES STANDING AS COUNCILLORS FOR YOUR NORTH SHORE WARD AND AS DEVONPORT-TAKAPUNA LOCAL BOARD MEMBERS.

Your opportunity to hear the candidates address local concerns.

7-9.30pm Wednesday, 29 September
Devonport Community House
32 Clarence St
DEVONPORT

Three events of interest to readers and writers wanting to get their work published:

One: Publishing Today and How to Get Published

7.30 pm, Thursday, 9 Sept 2010
A panel of experts to discuss Publishing Today and How to Get Published with particular reference to e-books.
Harriet Allan, Random House Ltd
David Ling, David Ling Publishers
Liz Allen, formerly Society of Authors
Bev Robitaille, self-publisher
Dorne Lonergan, Learning Network
Tim Durrant, Apple specialist

Two: How a booklet for demonstrators became a vital brick in the wall of our rights

7.30pm, Thursday, 21 October 2010
The Civil Rights Handbook, latest edition.  Tim McBride will describe how a back-pocket guide became a standard reference.

Three: My Life in Books

7.30pm, Thursday, 25 November 2010
How a Hawkes Bay bookseller became an international judge of books.  Hosted by Graham Beattie, formerly publisher  at Penguin and Scholastic, now blogger at
www.beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com

All events at Devonport Library, beginning at 7.30 pm with nibbles and drinks. Admission by koha/donation.

DEVONPORT LIBRARY, WINDSOR RESERVE, VICTORIA ROAD, DEVONPORT

Further details from Ian Free: (09) 445 2509, email:  i.g.free@clear.net.nz  and the Library DLA publicity Aug 2010

Whether as a candidate, supporting a candidate or by voting, you have the opportunity to take an active role in choosing the representatives who will help shape Auckland’s future.

One unitary council, one mayor, 20 councillors representing 13 wards, 149 local board members representing 21 local board areas:  by taking part in these elections, you can make a difference for yourself and your community.

The elections timetable is:

23 July
Nominations for candidates open
Electoral rolls open for inspection

20 August
Nominations close (noon), roll closes

25 August
Candidates’ names publicised
Public notification of the day of election

17 -22 September
Voting documents are delivered

17 September – 9 October
Progressive roll scrutiny
Special voting period
Early processing of returned votes

9 October
Election day. Voting closes at noon and counting starts

14 – 20 October
Results are declared and publicly notified

The Arts Council is responsible for overall policy development for Creative New Zealand, which operates at arm’s length from government in encouraging, promoting and supporting the arts in New Zealand.

“I appreciate that Alastair Carruthers has agreed to remain as chair of the council during a time of proposed legislative change to the governance structure of Creative New Zealand,” Mr Finlayson said. “I am also delighted that Creative New Zealand will have the considerable talents of Professor Davidson, who has been one of our leading academics. Professor Davidson replaces actor and writer Oscar Kightley, whom I thank for his contribution as a council member”.

Alastair Carruthers is the Chief Executive of a major New Zealand law firm, Chapman Tripp Barristers and Solicitors, based in Wellington and Auckland.   He has strategic business skills and experience in musical performance and governance.   He is a former trustee of the New Zealand String Quartet Trust and   was appointed as chair of the Arts Council in 2007.

Emeritus Professor Dr John Davidson, was until recently, Head of School, Art History, Classic and Religious Studies at Victoria University Wellington.  He has had a long career in academic work and research. Professor Davidson is a member of a number of professional organisations including being President of the Australasian Society of Classical Studies.

Artist and advocate Anne Rush and the former chair of the Whitirea Community Law Centre Jocelyn Afford have been appointed as members of the Creative New Zealand Arts Board, and current chair of the board Alan Sorrell has been re-appointed, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The Arts Board is responsible for encouraging, promoting, and supporting the development of the arts in New Zealand, including those of the Pacific Islands’ peoples and the diverse cultures of New Zealand through the allocation of funding to artists, arts organisations and arts projects.

“I welcome Jocelyn Afford to the Arts Board where her extensive arts interests and previous experience as a Radio New Zealand Board member will be particularly welcome at a time of proposed legislative change,” Mr Finlayson said. “I am pleased also that Alan Sorrell has agreed to reappointment as chair and that Anne Rush has accepted a joint appointment to both the Arts Board and the Arts Council of Creative New Zealand.”

Jocelyn Afford of Wellington has a wide range of legal experience and most recently was responsible for the financial management of a barrister’s practice and of a property company. She has extensive arts interests and governance experience, having previously been a Radio New Zealand board member and secretary of the New Zealand Apple and Pear Board’s regulatory authority.

Anne Rush has extensive experience as an advocate, in the preparation and presentation of concept papers to trustees, conferences, seminars, Government (including caucus) select committees, local government forums, and annual and strategic plans in both their oral and written forms. She is co-founder of the Nelson Bays Arts Marketing Network.  She has been a member of the Creative New Zealand Arts Council since 2009.

Alan Sorrell has legal skills as a barrister specialising in commercial litigation, intellectual property, copyright, media and entertainment fields, and contractual disputes. His background is as a very experienced public and private sector governor.  Mr Sorrell was a member of the New Zealand Film Commission Board from 1993 – 2002 during which time he was the chair from 1996 – 2002.  He became the chair of the Creative New Zealand Arts Board in 2007.

The Government introduced the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill into Parliament last month. It is intended to streamline Creative New Zealand’s four governing bodies – including the Arts Board – into a single board to reduce complexity and improve its effectiveness.

(from Media Statement: Hon Christopher Finlayson, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage)

Aucklanders are being urged to take the first step to getting ready for the Auckland Council and district health board elections by ensuring they are correctly enrolled to vote.

Almost 100,000 Aucklanders are not enrolled to vote in the upcoming local Auckland Council elections – making up four out of every ten people in New Zealand not enrolled.

Auckland Council Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske says while it is disappointing that Auckland is one of the worst enrolled cities in the country, there is now a chance to do something about it.

“Aucklanders want to be able to vote. But to do so, we need to check that everyone in our households receive an enrolment update pack in the mail this week – and if anyone doesn’t, to ensure those people get enrolled.

“There is a lot of change going on in Auckland and that’s generating strong interest in the upcoming elections.

“But interest won’t make any difference if people aren’t enrolled. Only those enrolled to vote will get their voting pack sent to them in the mail,” says Mr Ofsoske.

“There are around 100,000 potential voters out there that won’t be sent a vote because they aren’t enrolled.  Your vote could affect the whole of Auckland, so make sure it counts.”

Everyone enrolled to vote will be sent an enrolment update pack in the mail this week. Anyone who doesn’t get one by Thursday (8 July) isn’t enrolled and they need to enrol or update their details.

Enrolment forms are available from the elections website www.elections.org.nz, by free texting your name and address to 3676, from any PostShop or by calling 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56).  You can also check your details and enrol online at the website.

The local elections will be held by postal vote from 19 September until midday Saturday 9 October.

The fund’s objectives are:

• to build audiences for the performing arts and
• to develop and maintain Auckland’s performing arts infrastructure including resources, skills, information, professional support and networks

Auckland City Council receives proposals in March and August each year from individuals, organisations, venues or businesses seeking funding for their projects in the city.

Projects may be a production season, a performance series, a one-night show or concert, or festival work of music, dance or theatre, or a combination of these artforms.
Arts Alive does not support school projects, community or amateur groups.

The applicants must be prepared to enter a funding agreement that provides an arts grant for their project and the opportunity for Auckland City Council to promote its involvement in and support of the professional performing arts in Auckland.

Funding round dates
Next round: August 2010 (Round 33).
Funding term: between 1 November 2010 and 31 December 2011.
Closing date: 4.30pm, Friday 20 August 2010.
Decisions: will be announced in late October 2010.

Please note, due to the transition into the new Auckland Council later this year, this is the only funding round for Arts Alive this year.

Click here for more information.

The sum of $10 million was distributed to all the territorial authorities in the Auckland region to spend on “significant art and culture projects” when the Auckland Regional Services Trust (ARST) was dissolved in 1998.

Council received $628,000 and decided to keep the capital intact and spend only the interest.

By contrast, other Auckland councils have spent all their funds and local artists are concerned that after the change in governance, Rodney’s fund, which is held in trust and administered by Council, could disappear into the supercity’s coffers.

Council’s community development manger Paul Green says that staff are preparing a report for presentation to Council which outlines options for retaining the funds in Rodney.

The report is scheduled to go to Council’s July 8 meeting.

http://www.localmatters.co.nz/

There will be a number of Mayoral Candidate Forums held over the next four months and it is imperative that probing questions on arts funding, policies and development are asked, answered and reported on.

The nominations for Auckland’s local body elections officially open on July 23 with elections just four months away.  Check back here for regular updates on issues relating to the arts and details on attending Mayoral Candidate Forums.  If you would like to post your views, questions or concerns regarding the representation of the arts and culture sector in the 2010 mayoral elections you can do so by sending the contact form, available by clicking here.

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

“Inform like a journalist…entertain like a novelist” Lee Gutkind

The aim of the Morph Non-Fiction Writers Workshop is to help writers bring greater focus to their non-fiction writing and to provide aspiring writers with the literary tools and techniques that will assist them in writing informative, engaging and compelling work for publication in magazines, newspapers, journals or online.   Opportunities to submit work to Morph Magazine www.morphmagazine.co.nz are available.

The morning session (9am – 12.30pm) will be taken by Graeme Lay.  He will focus on two aspects of non-fiction writing; the travel story and how to research and write the history of a New Zealand settlement.

• Travel writing – looking at the different approaches the writer can take when aiming to create a feature which goes beyond the mere description of a destination; the history, the characters and the cultural environment which make a place unique. References for this part of the course will include Graeme’s travel books The Miss Tutti Frutti Contest and Inside the Cannibal Pot.
• Writing about local history – with discussion on the resources, both visual and written, which the writer can use, techniques for sorting and structuring the material obtained into a coherent body of work. References for this part of the course will include Graeme’s books Whangapoua – Harbour of the Shellfish and In Search of Paradise – Artists and Writers in the colonial South Pacific.

The afternoon session (1pm – 4.30pm) will be taken by Graham Reid. Using relevant examples and articles from his own writing career, Graham will be presenting the fundamentals of non-fiction writing with the focus on three major areas:

• Profile writing – how to gather facts through skilful interviewing and research.
• Feature writing based on in situ research – feature stories give print media dynamism and flavour. Graham will discuss feature writing techniques and philosophies, including slice-of-life and narrative.
• Review writing – performance, film, book, band. Learn reviewing techniques and how to craft welcoming leads and satisfying endings.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Date/Time: Saturday, 21st August 2010,
9.00pm – 4.30pm with a half hour for lunch (not provided)

Where: Kerr Street Artspace, Devonport

Cost: $50 full day
To attend the Morph Non-Fiction Writers Workshop please:

1. Email emma.whitlock(at)depotartspace.co.nz and let us know you would like to attend (there are limited spaces).
2. Make payment no later than Thursday 5th August.  See registration form for payment options.
3. Download the registration form from www.morphmagazine.co.nz (click on the advertisement on the right hand side of Morph’s home page) complete and return asap to:

Morph Magazine
c/- Depot Artspace
28 Clarence Street
Devonport
Auckland

For any enquiries or to register, please contact Emma Whitlock on (09) 963 2331 or emma.whitlock(at)depotartspace.co.nz
ABOUT GRAEME LAY

Graeme is a prolific writer of stories and magazine articles, television plays and fiction and non-fiction books.

He began writing in the late 1970s, and his first novel, The Mentor, was published in 1978. Since then has published or edited forty works of fiction and non-fiction, including novels for adults and young adults, collections of short stories and books of travel writing.  Many of his books, both fiction and non-fiction, are set in the islands of the South Pacific. For example his young adult trilogy, Leaving One Foot Island, Return to One Foot Island and The Pearl of One Foot Island, are set mainly on Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands.

His recent works include an historical novel, Alice & Luigi, a travel memoir, Inside the Cannibal Pot and The New Zealand Book of the Beach and The New Zealand Book of the Beach 2. His latest books are two works of non-fiction, In Search of Paradise – Artists & Writers in the colonial South Pacific and Whangapoua – Harbour of the Shellfish – A History, and an anthology which he compiled and edited, Way Back Then, Before We Were Ten – New Zealand writers and childhood.

Married with three adult children, Graeme Lay writes full-time from his home in Devonport, Auckland. He also works as an editor and manuscript assessor, and is secretary of the Frank Sargeson Trust.

He writes for numerous publications including NZ Herald, Dominion, Otago Daily Times, Evening Post, the Metro, Landfall, the Listener and North and South.

ABOUT GRAHAM REID

Because of his wide personal interests and his ability to file stories on everything from international politics to the arts and pop culture (as well as writing restaurant, film, book and music reviews) Graham was described by the Herald’s editor-in-chief as a “true renaissance man”.

Graham founded and edited magazine Passages, was for five years the New Zealand correspondent for America’s Billboard magazine, had feature articles and short stories published in Metro, written on the arts for the Listener and was a senior journalist at the New Zealand Herald for 17 years.  In 2003 he won the prestigious Media Peace Award for his articles on the volatile politics of the Solomon Islands.

His current writing appears in The Listener, the Herald, Art News, Idealog, Life and Leisure, Weekend magazine, the Herald on Sunday, Real Groove, Let’s Travel and elsewhere. His recent work has also appeared in The Australian.

He is author of two travel books Postcards from Elsewhere(2005) and The Idiot Boy Who Flew (2009) which won respectively the Whitcoulls Travel Book of the Year award and the Reader’s Choice prize at the annual Cathay Pacific travel writing awards.

Graham is an experienced public speaker and lecturer, who is frequently interviewed on radio, television and in print about media, travel and the arts. He currently has a weekly radio programme on Kiwi FM as well as regular interview slots on Radio Live and Radio New Zealand’s Concert programme.