I am at last, after a month of the usual humiliations and frustrations, having kissed the hoops and leapt the hems at Work and Income New Zealand, moving forward on distinct and obscure pathways to arts and cultural employment. So Lynn tells me, at The Depot Artspace [see link, left], my local service-provider for PACE:
In November 1999, ‘Uniquely New Zealand’ set out the Labour Party’s policy on how creative industries can make a significant contribution to New Zealand’s social and economic well-being. It further recognised that the employment potential in the cultural sector is significant and that by delivering appropriate support to the sector, significant growth can be achieved in a sustainable way.
In August 2001, following a discussion between Minister’s Maharey and Tizard, the ‘Pathway to Arts and Cultural Employment’ (PACE) initiative was developed and agreed to. PACE was launched by Minister’s Maharey and Tizard on 9 November 2001 and became effective from 12 November 2001.
The aim of PACE is to assist job seekers willing and able to pursue a career in the arts and creative industries to move towards sustainable employment and self-sufficiency.
– from PACE Resource Pack, 2008 (available at: http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/find-a-job/pace.html)
Having just spoken with my charming trainee case-manager at WINZ, Charlene, there may even be a benefit granted, some small and useful stipend pending. I couldn’t possibly hazard a guess as to how much it will ultimately amount to, but there’s no doubt it will compare favourably with that drawn weekly – a director’s prerogative – over the twelve years of Cafe Brazil’s run. And all this so as I might work some small and useful niche and serve my society by helping myself to realise the modest dream of establishing a theatre group called T-Cell.
I intend to bore you with a blow by blow record as I move forward with this venture, under WINZ’s economic wing and with PACE’s provision of a native guide: hit after hit after hit. Any assistance proffered from out there in the interweb, where you are, is, as usual, welcome, whether alphabetic or numeric; however coded, it will be gratefully accepted as a vote of confidence and good counsel.
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