On the weekend I was visiting a friend. They mentioned an upcoming proposal from the council about changes to the Experience Wellington Trust that I wasn’t aware about. After chatting, and receiving an important email today, I want to tell you about what’s going on (as far as I know) as an arts focused Wellingtonian.
Today, I received an email about it. I wanted to share it with you. It was sent by Bowen Gallery to raise support in the community and encourage people like me to write a letter and engage with this issue.
“Experience Wellington—the CCO that oversees Wellington museums for Wellington City Council—just unveiled a confidential ‘change proposal’ to staff only. It involves significant centralisation of previously separate institutions. For City Gallery, it disestablishes the key positions of Director and Chief Curator and redistributes other staff into trust-wide teams.
The proposal has been presented as ‘operational’, therefore not requiring public consultation. However, the changes are structural, substantial, and far reaching. They will dramatically and forever change the nature of the Gallery, how it operates, and what it can deliver. Deprofessionalisation will undermine the specialist networks and relationships that have enabled the Gallery to secure key loans and exhibitions, such as the upcoming Hilma af Klint show.
The change proposal is not accompanied by a business case. There is no indication of the programme the new structure would deliver. There are references to embracing Te Ao Maori, but this isn’t what fundamentally underpins the proposed changes. Indeed, there doesn’t seem to have been much, if any, consultation with iwi.
City Gallery is a massive asset for Wellington, which has taken decades to establish. It is a hub for the arts-and-culture sector locally and nationally—it's key to our arts ecology. The community has a right to know the details of the change proposal and to feed into the discussion. To that end, we want Experience Wellington and the Council to make the change proposal public and engage in open stakeholder discussion.”
Although I haven’t got more detail than this email, but as a professional policy analyst I am concerned about the lack of transparency on these proposals. The arts professionals who work at our institutions heavily influence the shows we see. As a member of the public who enjoys these facilities, I want to know what is planned and why. I would prefer if this was consulted on publicly via a transparent consultation process where we could contribute our views.
This isn’t straightforward. Arts critic Mark Amery wrote his view on this matter here. I think he makes some really valid points and I agree with Mark especially when he writes: “Let’s then grasp the opportunity for progressive rather than reductive change, and not be afraid of new ways of working. That’s something both City Gallery and Wellington Museum have proud history in.”
However, I think it is important that we can weigh in on how Experience Wellington is operated and this matter DOES seems to be structural rather than operational in nature. I am so indebted to the Wellington Museum in particular for the amazing support they gave me regarding my book launch late last year. I want to be able to know what’s going on. What do you think?
How can you help?
You can write a letter and send it to all members of the Experience Wellington Board and of Wellington City Council, and key officers at Wellington City Council (email addresses attached). Your support will make a difference. Your letter doesn’t need to be long. It should say who you are, describe your relation to City Gallery, say why the Gallery is important to you, and express your concern. The key message should be: City Gallery is a massive asset to the city, the sudden change proposal puts it in jeopardy, and there needs to be public consultation. You should, of course, put this in your own words.
Note: The process is under way. If you can write a letter this week, do so. By all means enlist your networks. Help us save City Gallery.
Experience Wellington Board
Jane Wrightson (chair) jane@cffc.govt.nz
Rachel Farrant Rachel.farrant@bdo.co.nz
Peter Jackson peterjacksonnz@gmail.com
Peter Johnston peterjohnston@raineycollins.co.nz
Diane Calvert (WCC representative) diane.calvert@wcc.govt.nz
Chief Executive
Sarah Rusholme SarahR@experiencewellington.org.nz
WCC Council
Andy Foster (Mayor) mayor@wcc.govt.nz
Diana Calvert diane.calvert@wcc.govt.nz
Jenny Condie jenny.condie@wcc.govt.nz
Jill Day jill.day@wcc.govt.nz or 021 276 2905
Sarah Free (deputy Mayor) sarah.free@wcc.govt.nz or 04 388 7024, 022 121 6412
Laurie Foon laurie.foon@wcc.govt.nz
Fleur Fitzsimons fleur.fitzsimons@wcc.govt.nz or 027 803 0515
Rebecca Mathews Rebecca.mathews@wcc.govt.nz
Teri O’Neill teri.oneill@wcc.govt.nz
Iona Pannett iona.pannett@wcc.govt.nz 04 384 3382, 021 227 8509
Tamatha Paul tamatha.paul@wcc.govt.nz
Sean Rush sean.rush@wcc.govt.nz 021 964 898
Malcolm Sparrow Malcolm.sparrow@wcc.govt.nz 027 232 2320
Simon Woolfe simon.woolf@wcc.govt.nz 027 975 3163
Nicola Young (arts portfolio) Nicola.Young@wcc.govt.nz 021 654 844
Council Officers
Barbara McKerrow (Chief Executive) Barbara.mckerrow@wcc.govt.nz
Claire Richardson (Chief Operating Officer) claire.richardson@wcc.govt.nz
Gisella Carr (Head of Arts, Culture & Community Services) gisella.carr@wcc.govt.nz
Natasha Petkovic-Jeremic (City Arts manager) natasha.petkovic-jeremic@wcc.govt.nz ph 04 803 8228 or 021 227 8228