Arts needed to add magic

Kim Cleland shares her thoughts on the draft Arts & Culture Strategy. Photo/supplied

Throughout June, the Bay of Plenty community is being asked to give its thoughts on a draft Arts & Culture Strategy, which will see the region embrace a three-year action plan for arts and culture. In this mini-series, Rosie Dawson-Hewes talks to locals about what arts and culture means to them, and for their city

Kim Cleland is passionate about community and making Tauranga a great city. She is the producer for the Tauranga Arts Festival and is also involved in several other community projects, including Night Owl Cinema, Cult Cinema Club and Diner en Blanc Tauranga.

She started her own business, Done By People, to enable her to work on these projects.

What made you choose to live in the Bay of Plenty?
I grew up in Tauranga - love brought me back. Family, opportunity and proximity to the ocean have kept me here.

You have a passion for community building - do you think this is something the Bay does well? Why is it important?
Yes! There are so many incredible individuals in Bay of Plenty achieving so much. I feel like there are lots of people willing to take risks for things they are passionate about. I think people in the Bay do this very well but there is a lag between what is happening and how it is enabled and supported. Community building is important because it enhances all aspects of our lives and connects us to something bigger than ourselves.

Do you think arts and culture has a positive effect on creating a sense of community? If so, how?
Absolutely. Art and culture reflects who we are and makes us ask hard questions about what is, and isn't, okay in society. It is a form of celebration and inspiration - it helps us to tell stories of our history and where we want to be in the future. It helps keep us curious and adds magic, surprise and delight to life.

What does art and culture mean to you personally?
It's a release, a teacher, a motivator and a lens to view the world through.

Why do you think arts and culture is important for any city? And why do you think it is important for the Bay specifically?
If I think about anywhere I have visited that has felt vibrant, active, safe and thriving it is because arts and culture has formed a strong part of the fabric of that city.

It also allows anyone to tell their story - regardless of barriers formed by language, age, gender, background, heritage - in a way that can be consumed by everyone.

I think we need strong leadership here in Bay of Plenty, creative thinking to take us in to an exciting, bold future.

What would you like to see the Bay do better in future?
Support and celebrate arts and culture and have that build a strong identity of who we are, helping us to tell our story to ourselves, New Zealand and the world. Recognise what art and culture contributes to the Bay - we are more than just a stretch of sandy coastline.

To read the Arts & Culture Strategy and have your say, visit www.creativebop.org.nz, email artsandculturestrategy@gmail.com or pop in to the Creative Bay of Plenty office on Willow St. Submissions close 5pm, June 30.