Golden Bay Community
ARTS COUNCIL

" To Develop and Strengthen Community through the Creative Arts and Ngā Toi "

BAY ART

YOUNG@ART

OUR MISSION:

The Golden Bay Community Arts Council is committed to supporting arts and culture in Golden Bay, by:

Organising, supporting and/or promoting a diverse range of local arts and cultural events, activities and workshops.
Helping to promote arts and cultural events/activities/workshops organised by others, taking place within Golden Bay or the wider Nelson-Tasman region.
Assisting local artists, artisans, creative practitioners and arts-related groups to prepare funding applications to Creative Communities or other local, regional and national funders.
Providing access to resources, equipment, professional development and exhibition opportunities that support professional artists and other creative practitioners in Golden Bay.
Providing opportunities for the local arts community to network and share information, ideas and resources.
Working with other local organisations to increase the local community’s awareness of, respect for and participation in the arts, and to promote Golden Bay as an ‘arts destination’.

OUR VALUES:

Broad-based leadership - to champion arts and culture, to support the development of local arts and artists, and to provide positive, effective leadership and advocacy for the arts and artists in Golden Bay.

Integrity - individually and collectively, we aim to be fair, respectful, open and consistent in our interactions with others, both inside and outside the organisation, and manage the resources entrusted to us diligently and prudently.

Cooperation – we welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with other individuals, groups and organisations to strengthen the arts, support artists, and to increase the range, quality and accessibility of arts-related opportunities in Golden Bay. We view different perspectives as strength rather than a weakness, and strive to utilise our combined skills and ideas to best advantage.

Excellence - to deliver high-quality events, projects, activities and support through a commitment to ongoing evaluation of our activities and processes, welcoming constructive feedback from inside and outside the organisation.

Advocacy and Promotion - of local arts and artists.

THE COUNCIL:

Marg Braggins - Council Chairperson (Golden Bay Promotion Association (GBPA) Representative)
Marg loves the concept of art in the community - people who create the art as well as people who watch it, listen to it, read it, hear it and enjoy it. Marg has a background in teaching and publishing - founding the Geraldine News in 1992 with her partner Neil Wilson, then together purchasing the Golden Bay Weekly in 2002 where they made significant changes till they sold it to the current owners in 2017. Marg owns the Pohutukawa Gallery Takaka and is the current chairperson of the GBPA.

John Coulter - Council Member (Previous Council Chairperson)
John is sonic artist and instrument maker who lives in Collingwood with his partner Sheridan and daughter Sequoia. His creative interests include: live music, multichannel acousmatic music, environmentally-driven music and art, instrument making, and sound therapy. John has worked as a Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Auckland for 18 years, presented his work in several countries throughout the world, hosted several international conferences, received awards for his artwork and been published in journals internationally.
He is currently completing his book Ear to the Earth: Artmaking with Sound and building a sound studio at his family home.

Robert Hewison - Council Treasurer (TDC Golden Bay Community Board Representative)
Robert is a charted accountant running his own business. He has a commitment to the Not For Profit sector providing professional support with financial reporting, strategic planning and constitutions to a number of organisations in the region. Born to deaf parents and profoundly deaf himself, Robert was on the National Board of Deaf Aotearoa Incorporated (past President) and continues to be involved with Nelson Deaf Community Incorporated. Robert has been living in the region since 2012 moving here from West Auckland and is married with four children.

Samual Cole - Council Member

Sam is a passionate contributor to the arts and entertainment industry, working in many areas he has managed and developed music venues and performance spaces and for several years managed a regional focused artist booking group based in Tasmania. In his younger years Sam regularly toured throughout Australia and New Zealand with Tasmanian based band, The Mornings, performing in regional towns, major cities and festivals.
Over the last 10 years He has been directing his skills and awareness into many types of events working with festivals, community organisations and touring shows around New Zealand, Australia and overseas.
His most recent roles have seen him play a part in delivering festivals including; Nelson Arts Festival, Mona Foma, Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, Dark Mofo, Party in the Paddock, YIRRAMBOI, The Unconformity, Auckland Writers Festival, Junction Arts Festival and many others.

Deb Morris - Council Member
Deb has a passion for the performing arts and is a member of a number of performing arts groups in the Bay.

THE ARTS WORKER:

Gary Smith - Arts Worker (Bay Art and Summer Arts Festival Contracts)
Gary was born in Christchurch but in recent years has lived in Northern Buller and currently lives at Riverside Community with his partner Samaya and their three sons. With a background in Social Anthropology and Psychology over the last 15 years he has developed skill sets around event and sound management. Gary has also worked with local theatre groups, run film workshops for youth, provides sound and stage management services at multiple festivals and works with musicians, visual artists, videographers and photographers to have a presence at local events through his business KSM Productions. Gary has a strong relationship with the Conscious Dance community helping produce quality soundscapes at local events.

Since August 2023 Gary has been contracted to GBCAC to deliver two MCH contracts, the Community Strengthening Initiative and development of a Summer Arts Festival. With these contracts ending in July 2024 the GBCAC have contracted Gary to deliver Bay Art 2024 and the Summer Arts Festival 2025. Gary is also supporting GBCAC as it redefines how it provides support to the regions creatives and wellbeing through creativity to the Golden Bay/Mohua region as a whole.

HISTORY AND LEGALITIES:

The Golden Bay Community Arts Council (GBCAC) is an incorporated society and registered charity established to promote and support arts and culture in the wider Golden Bay area. It has operated as a voluntary, not-for-profit advocacy group since 1984, and was formally incorporated on 7 January 2000.

The structure, conduct and purpose of the organisation is set out in and governed by the GBCAC constitution

GBCAC keeps formal financial accounts.

An AGM is held once a year to elect the organisation’s board of trustees and select a Chairperson and Treasurer.

Incorporated Society registration number: CRY100968S

Charitable status registration number: CC21408 (registered 28 February 2008)

Golden Bay Community Arts Council is the main arts and culture-related umbrella body in the Golden Bay region.

The Arts Council has a duty to provide a representative for the Golden Bay region to the Creative Communities Scheme Funding Panel.