Salient

Funding for NZSM

By Jenna Powell | 9 Jul, 2007

Students at the New Zealand School of Music rejoiced last month at a Government announcement of $11.5 million in funding for a new central facility. The grant means that Massey and Victoria students at the combined school will no longer have to venture between campuses for classes, which will now be held at one location.

The proposed site for the new school is in Civic Square, on the former Circa Theatre site. The collaboration has been in place since 2006 and the school currently has 300 students.

Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen, who announced the funding, applauded the collaboration and said that the new building is an “important symbol of what could be achieved.”

Cullen maintained that the school needed “a new home to reflect the contribution to our national identity,” and that music is a vital part in expressing New Zealand’s identity.

School director Elizabeth Hudson describes the proposed new building, with a performance auditorium attached, as “an absolute necessity” for Wellington students of music and hopes it will enliven student life in Wellington.

The government funding depends on a business report that will be released by the school, covering the costs, benefits and financial sustainability of the building. The school still needs further assistance with funds and will start its own fundraising effort to meet costs.