Submission
9 year plan feedback
Should we remove 231 Stuart Street (formerly the Fortune Theatre) from the list of strategic assets in the DCC Significance and Engagement policy?
No, keep 231 Stuart Street as a strategic asset
Do you have any comments about 231 Stuart Street?
Should we charge an entry fee of $20 (incl. GST) for international visitors aged 16 and over, at Toitū and Dunedin Public Art Gallery?
No, do not introduce an entry fee of $20 (incl. GST)
Do you have any comments about the entry fee for international visitors?
Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
Kia ora! My name is Ash Dawes, I'm a theatre-maker born and raised in Ōtepoti. I graduated from Otago's Theatre Studies programme in 2022, and I'm currently based in Ireland studying an MA in Theatre.
I'm submitting to urge the Council to reinstate the funding for a professional theatre venue, which has been eliminated in the new nine-year plan.
You will have received many submissions that outline, more eloquently than I am able to, the current state of Dunedin's theatre infrastructure. I would like to contribute my perspective, as a young professional who has moved overseas to seek opportunities that aren't available at home.
As things stand at the moment, there is no future for me as a professional artist in Dunedin; the lack of a modern purpose-built performings arts venues precludes the development of a sustainable long-term career. I love my hometown and I owe so much to the theatre community there—and I'm amazed by the variety and quality of work that is being produced in Ōtepoti—but without support from the Council, the infrastructure that makes professional theatre possible will continue to deteriorate, and those of us who leave will have not have the option to come back.
The arts are not a "nice to have", they're a necessity. As the world becomes more polarized, as the issues that face us become more urgent, we need artists to imagine new ways of being in the world. Theatre teaches us to empathise with people who experience the world differently, it provides space to imagine possible futures, it lets us work through issues in a nuanced and non-didactic way. Now, more than ever, we need that.
Removing funding for a professional performing arts space is a short-sighted decision that will damage the cultural life of the city for years to come. A thriving theatre industry means retaining talent; it means providing spaces and opportunities for young artists to take risks and learn from the wealth of talent and experience among Ōtepoti's existing professional practitioners.
Please consider reinstating this funding.
Local Water Done Well feedback
Which water services delivery model do you support?
Why did you choose this option?
Do you have any other feedback related to the proposed water services delivery models?
Supporting information
No associated documents with this submission.
Submitter
Submission id number: 1132250
Submitter name:
Ash Dawes
Organisation