A national arts and cultural events response network will be convening for an online hui at 11 am, Monday 30 March. This will be the first in a series of weekly online gatherings for the arts and cultural events community, held at the same time, every Monday over the next month.

The regular hui will be a chance for us to gather remotely, connect, and get up to date as a community. The first, facilitated by Barbarian Productions’ artistic director, Jo Randerson, will focus on the Creative New Zealand emergency response funding announced earlier this week, and its effect on arts workers. Alongside Jo will be Creative New Zealand’s senior manager Arts Development Services, Cath Cardiff; PANNZ chairperson and manager of Toitoi - Hawkes Bay Arts and Events Centre, Megan Peacock-Coyle; and Tempo Dance Festival artistic director, Cat Ruka (Ngāpuhi, Waitaha),

You can join via the Facebook event or via YouTube

You will be able to watch the hui live, which will be recorded and made available afterwards for those who are unable to join. During the live stream, you will be able to ask questions via the comment threads, on the Facebook event, and on YouTube. We will do our best to respond to all questions during the hui, or failing that will gather them into common themes to be answered afterwards.

A personal message from PANNZ CEO Louise Gallagher.

“It is now time for the industry to regroup, and find a place we can come together again to support each other. We have seen and heard from so many of you over the last week. My phone has been running hot, with the stories of the impact COVID-19 has had on artists, production staff, administrators, artistic directors, and venue managers. The devastating effects over the last two weeks tell me that every one of us is hurting.

We will rebuild as an industry; we all know that but, in the meantime, we have to look out for each other.

The NZ performing arts industry is a very special industry made up of many, many incredible people. We are highly connected, and we genuinely care about each other - whether you have a job title or not, making work or not. We all rely on each other, so let’s continue to do that by regularly checking in.

For those who recently experienced the PANNZ Arts Market, we want to carry on that feeling of being connected, communicating important news and information. This weekly online hui is a place for us to reconnect, hear from people in our industry, receive updates, and give you the chance to ask questions and seek advice from our panel members.”

Please share this message with your networks. Everyone is invited to the hui, and welcome to attend and contribute. You are not alone. We are in this together. He waka eke noa.