Nor'West News: December 21, 2023

26 The
NEWS
North Canterbury News, December 21, 2023
Arts centre proposal
Chelsea wins award
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Waimakariri hopes to lead the way in
performing arts.
Rangiora HighSchool wants to build a
state of the art performing arts centre to
grow its booming arts and music
programme and to supportthe wider
community’s ambitions.
The school’s business manager David
Lowe and head of music, Sophia
Bidwell, made arequest for funding
during apresentation to the
Waimakariri District Council
community and recreation committee
meeting on December 12.
The school’s board of trustees
proposed building an 800­seat
performing arts centre with classrooms
and breakout rooms, at acost of $10­12
million.
‘‘In New Zealand we do sportvery
well, but we could be leading the way in
providing something in whicharts takes
centre stage,’’ Ms Bidwell said.
‘‘We want it to be more than
grassroots, but something all people in
our community have an opportunity to
be apart of.’’
She said the school was putting a
greater focus on arts and music.
About 250 students planned to do year
9music next year, ‘‘which is an
incredible amount’’.
The largest performing arts facilities
in the district included the auditoriums
in the Rangiora Town Hall and at
Kaiapoi High School, whichhad seating
for around 350 people.
‘‘The town hall is agreat space, but
this is the next step,’’ Ms Bidwell said.
Mr Lowe said the school hall needed to
be replaced as it was ‘‘gettingold’’ and
was too small for aschool of nearly 1700
students.
The Ministry of Education supported
its replacement as part of the school’s
master plan, proposing to fund $2­3
million towards anew hall.
The board proposed to fund$2­3
million from reserves, with the balance
to be raised from grants and fundraising.
‘‘The hall only seats 350, which is not
enough for even oneyear level,’’ Mr
Lowe said.
‘‘We had our year 9/10 prizegiving last
week and it was embarrassing, with the
audienceflowingout into the foyer.’’
Mr Lowe said the school hoped to
build the facility over the next two or
three years and invited to council to
consider contributing to the cost of
building acommunity facility.
‘‘It is the next thing we want to get
done, so we are alittle bit impatient for
it.
‘‘We want to engage architects next
year and get on with it.’’
The council’s community and
recreation general manager, Chris
Brown, said the council’s arts strategy,
developed earlier this year, identifieda
need for additionalarts space.
He recommendedthe school make a
submission to the council for
consideration as part of next year’s
2024/34 Long Term Plan.
Public interest journalismfunded
through New Zealand on Air.
By ROBYN BRISTOW
Rangiora local Chelsea Houghton is
the 2023 recipient of the Institute of
Directors (IoD) Canterbury First Steps
in Governance Award.
The award provides young
professionals with first­hand
experience on anot­for­profit board.
Ms Houghton has expertise leading
strategic communicationsand her
governance experience to date
includes Marian College Board of
Trustees, with previous roles as chair
of the Takahē Collective Trust and a
board member for Kidsfirst
Kindergarten.
Through her business, Grow
Creative, she is buildingaco­operative
organisation that provides aplatform
for freelance creatives to collaborate,
gain experience, and receive
mentorship.
‘‘I believe Ican offer boards
innovative leadership and clear
communication models,’’ she says.
APhD candidate at the University of
Canterbury, Houghton is investigating
the impact of platformisation on arts
organisations.
Her research has been supported
through University of Canterbury
Scholarship, Aho Hinātore, and she has
been conductinginterviews and
surveys with organisational leaders
across Aotearoa about the way
platforms have changed their models of
work, funding, andcultural production
models.
Ms Houghton says her experience
has given her the confidence to
contribute to the success of other
businesses.
‘‘My work with startups in various
stages, andindustry membership,
underscore my dedication to fostering
innovation within the organisational
and community spheres.’’
As the winner of the Canterbury First
Steps in Governance Award, Houghton
will receive a12­month governance
internship with the Laura Fergusson
Brain Injury Trust (LFBIT), afurther
$955 towards an IoD director
development course of her choice, oneyear
complimentary membership to the
Institute of Directors, and mentoring
with an experienced director.
Selection panel chair and IoD
Distinguished Fellow, Rex Williams
says Houghton’s grounded focus,
combined with her research,
illustrates her desire to make a
difference on boards.
‘‘As boards increasingly seek new
and unique insights and expertise to
set them up for the future, there is no
better time to be stepping into
governance.
‘‘We hope that Chelsea’s research
insights, leadership potential and
strategic background will bring new
ideas to the LFBIT board, especially
today as stakeholder values continue to
impact organisational culture and
decision making, where
communication is key and the board
will have the opportunity to draw from
her strengths in this space.’’
The selection panel believe Ms
Houghton will be an asset to the Laura
Fergusson Brain Injury Trust board,
and in turn, hope that she will broaden
her skillset, laying asolid foundation
for afuture in governance.
Established in 2014, First Steps in
Governance is awarded to young
professionals and helps them to gain
first­hand experience on anot­forprofit
board. Eligible recipients must
not have held any substantial board
roles, but can have experience on local
sports, schools or community boards or
trusts.
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