The district council is contributing $33,000 to a combined revamp of artistic management in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Both the Tauranga City/Western Bay of Plenty District Council have been out of art sector strategic management since the SmartArts Strategy was placed on hold in 2013.

The city council's arts organizer Creative Tauranga has put on hold the appointment of a chief executive officer while Creative Tauranga reviews its strategic direction.

Now the arts sector is seeking funding to support a collaborative and inclusive arts and culture strategy for the western Bay of Plenty sub region, based on a successful Dunedin City model.

A wide range of community arts organisations have agreed in principle in early discussion because they expect the strategy will identify priorities to inform the implementation phase of the strategy.

District councilors agreed at the policy and strategy committee meeting this week to put up $33,300 – one third of the $100,000 required. The district will pay over two years $22,000 in 2016/17, and $11,300 in 2017/18.

The district's current arts patronage includes:

• Creative Tauranga - $50,000 per annum to administer the Creative NZ funding, monitor the overall implementation of the SmartArts Strategy and foster and support arts and cultural activities.

• Tauranga Arts Gallery $33,000 per annum (organise visits from schools and community organisations in the WBOP district to the Art Gallery and administer the Miles Art Award

• Katikati Museum $50,000 per year for three years

• Opus orchestra $1000 per annum

• Katikati Open Air Art $8,000 per annum

The sector is looking increasingly attractive to the councils because it aligns with their policies, and there is money to be made.

The staff briefing noted the arts sector contributes $1.8billion a year 2.3 per cent of Auckland's GDP.

Auckland City launched 'Toi Whitiki” last year, a strategy recognising that the creative sector has far reaching benefits across all sectors of society. Toi Whitiki emphasises arts and culture as an 'economic enabler” to contribute to a strong economy, generate jobs, support business, increase employment and, improve school performance.

Currently there is no coherent approach to Council investment in the arts and culture, and the staff report to the committee notes that the arts sector in the Western Bay of Plenty sub region is growing in keeping with the increase in population and significant arts sector innovation and growth locally and nationally.

Examples include:

• In 2013 the Bachelor of Creative Industries was launched by the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic offering the region's first creative tertiary qualification;

• The Tauranga Art Gallery won the national award for Best Exhibition at the Museums Aotearoa Awards, 2014;

• Since 2013 The Tauranga Arts Festival has presented the best of the arts to more than 80,000 festival lovers, at the same time injecting in excess of $3 million into the local economy;

• Large scale public art initiatives include the Hairy Maclary waterfront sculptures and the ‘Bound Around' sculptures at the Papamoa Eastern Link interchange, plus the Welcome to Omokoroa sculpture.

• The Incubator – Growing Arts and Culture was established at the Historic Village in 2013 to provide space and connection for artists and to enrich and refresh the arts culture in the Bay of Plenty.

'Engaging the sector in the process will ensure greater understanding, alignment and ownership of the strategy. It will promote relationship building and collaboration from the sector and community at large. This process will enable a more fit-for-purpose strategy and action plan,” states the report.

It also notes that; Katch Katikati, Waihi Beach Events and Promotions and Te Puke EDG all support the need for an Arts and Culture Strategy that clearly recognises and supports the vibrant arts and culture ‘scene' in the Western Bay of Plenty district e.g. Katikati museum, murals etc.