The Arts Sector Are Approaching a Funding Crisis, Retaliate With Anti-Bingo Night

Last month the CEO of arts funding organisation Creative New Zealand, Stephen Wainwright, announced that due to a decline in funding from New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, the organisation would have to cut their annual hand out by $2.31 million for the next financial year.

CNZ is just one of the country's leading arts organisations that use the backbone of government money to leverage other support, and the estimated 10% drop in the funding has potential to seriously damage the entire cultural sector.

Inner city performance space Basement Theatre receives 36% of its revenue from CNZ, a 10% chunk of that ringing somewhere around $35,000.

As a way of raising awareness about the precarious situation, the venue is holding a bingo night, naturally. Hosted by comedian Jeremy Corbett, the event suitably-titled The Arts is Not a Lottery Bingo Night will feature games of bingo, speeches and provide the public with some tools to advocate for the arts sector. There will also be a petition launched at the event.

In addition to shining the light on the funding crisis, the objective of the event is to gain the attention of the higher powers ahead of the budget release on May 26. Creative Coalition board member and Co General Manager of the Basement Theatre Sam Snedden explains, "We want emergency funding to be allocated in the short term to cover the loss in lotteries money, and a plan put in place to change the way that the sector is funded so that we aren't in this position ever again".

The Arts is Not a Lottery Bingo Night will take place at Basement Theatre on May 9, 8pm. Tickets are $5 on the door.