Latest news with #ArtsFunding
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Kaipara Champions And Creatives Receive Funding Boost
Press Release – Kaipara District Council The Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund helps subsidise travel for rural junior sports teams (5 to 18 year olds) participating in local competitions. The Fund helps to remove cost barriers to participation for those in rural communities and is administered … Kaipara District Council has allocated over $33,000 through the Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund and Creative Communities Scheme – Arts Funding, benefiting 17 successful local applicants. The Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund helps subsidise travel for rural junior sports teams (5 to 18 year olds) participating in local competitions. The Fund helps to remove cost barriers to participation for those in rural communities and is administered by Kaipara District Council on behalf of Sport New Zealand. Successful applicants include Dargaville High School who received $4,088.37 and Otamatea High School, awarded $2,254.77 which will support travel to sporting competitions such as hockey, football, basketball and rugby. In addition, the first round of Creative Communities Scheme for 2025 has distributed just over $17,000 to support local arts activities. The Creative Communities Scheme, administered by the Kaipara District Council on behalf of Creative New Zealand, focuses on projects that foster community participation in the arts, celebrate diverse cultural traditions, and enable youth under 18 to engage in artistic activities. Successful applicants included Company of Giants who received $3,187.50 towards the Northland grown play 'A Vaudeville of Flowers'. Te Ata Hou Roopu and Friends United secured $2,488 towards their Matariki Exhibition Wananga consisting of weaving, collaging, jewellery making, resin art and incorporation of Māori art themes and culture. For a list of all successful applicants, check out Creative communities scheme funding is currently open until 31 July 2025 and Rural travel funding applications open 1 August to 31 August 2025. grants@
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ben Folds Admits It's Hard to Reason Why He Didn't Stay at Kennedy Center to Combat Trump
Ben Folds reflected on his decision to step down as the artistic adviser of the Kennedy Center's National Symphony Orchestra earlier this year, telling MeidasTouch Sunday that it's a choice that he knows was right, but he still struggles to articulate why. Folds served as the first artistic adviser for the NSO from 2019 to 2025, but he resigned following the Trump administration's takeover of the Kennedy Center in February. More from TheWrap Ben Folds Admits It's Hard to Reason Why He Didn't Stay at Kennedy Center to Combat Trump | Video 111 BBC Journalists Blast Broadcaster for 'Censorship' of Gaza Coverage, Call for Robbie Gibb's Board Removal CBS' John Dickerson Says Trump Settlement Jeopardizes Network Holding 'Power to Account After Paying It Millions' | Video Elizabeth Warren Rallies for 'Full Investigation' Into Trump-'60 Minutes' Settlement, Says Paramount Has Refused to Answer Inquiries 'I know I did the right thing,' Folds said. The musician explained that while he's 'not used to messaging this sort of thing,' he's spent several years advocating for arts funding in the United States, but he could no longer remain in the role at the Kennedy Center because 'what I saw was an abuse of power, a very extreme one.' 'There was why I resigned, and then there's kind of the other question that I think people want answered, which is, 'Why not stay?'' he shared. Watch the musician's interview below: 'People might not realize how the arts work in the government, but it's very separated from the art itself. The government, artists and politics is separated with a firewall from what we say, how we say it, who says it — that's up to the people,' he continued. 'And the firewall was breached in the biggest way. I mean, [Trump] let go of the board, which was bipartisan. Once the board was gone, installed loyalists, the loyalists came in and voted in — guess who — Trump to be the chairman, the head of the Kennedy Center.' The situation was 'alarming,' Folds said, 'because now he can put, or they can put their fist on the scale of what is programmed, who gets to speak and who doesn't get to speak at our greatest arts institution, the Kennedy Center.' 'The thing I have a hard time explaining to people is why not stay and sort of fight it out,' Folds admitted, turning to MeidasTouch co-founder and interviewer for the video Ben Meiselas. 'And I think I can really use some coaching on this because I know I did the right thing.' Meiselas agreed. 'My thought is, is that you don't want to be used as a puppet for the regime, and they're going to use someone like you with your distinguished career,' he said. 'And they're going to say, look, Ben Fold supports me, you know, take a look at what Trump does.' 'What he loves the most is celebrity,' Meiselas continued. 'And when he just has Kid Rock over and over and over again, he wants Ben Folds to say, look, here's an artist with kind of deep intellectual roots who supports me, and if Ben Folds supports you, you should too. So that's my belief about why you have to leave because you're just used as a prop.' Trump was elected as Kennedy Center Board Chair in February. 'The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces executive leadership changes, effective immediately. At a Kennedy Center Board meeting this afternoon, the Board elected President of the United States Donald J. Trump as Kennedy Center Board Chair, replacing former Chair David M. Rubenstein. The Board also terminated Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter's contract and announced Richard Grenell as interim Kennedy Center President,' the Center announced in a press release at the time. 'Fourteen new Kennedy Center Board of Trustee members were also announced today including President Donald J. Trump, Susie Wiles, Dan Scavino, Allison Lutnick, Lynda Lomangino, Mindy Levine, Usha Vance, Pamela Gross, John Falconetti, Cheri Summerall, Sergio Gor, Emilia May Fanjul, Patricia Duggan, Dana Blumberg, bringing the total number of board members to 31.' The post Ben Folds Admits It's Hard to Reason Why He Didn't Stay at Kennedy Center to Combat Trump | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Diego City Council approves 2026 fiscal year budget
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The highly scrutinized San Diego city budget for the 2026 fiscal year has finally been passed. After facing more than a quarter of a billion-dollar shortfall, city council voted to approve an amended budget, all while saving some of the key programs and services Mayor Todd Gloria chose to cut. There has been passion and heated opinions from the public for months, including on decision day Tuesday when city council was set to approve an amended budget. 'Investing in them tell San Diegans they matter. Mayor Gloria's budget tells San Diegans that only some of them matter. It cuts funding for libraries, parks and rec centers, youth programs, the arts, equity offices and climate justice initiatives,' said Noah Yee Yick, researcher and policy advocate at the Center on Policy Initiatives. Councilmembers presented amendments to Gloria's final budget, saving several items on the chopping block that drew heavy criticism from the community. Fire pits have been saved due to county funding. Monday hours will be available at more than a dozen libraries and all rec centers hours will be restored. In addition, the Office of Race and Equity and $450,000 in funding for arts, culture and community festivals nonprofits grants will be restored. Access will not be lost to Lake Murray and Lake Miramar and public restrooms near the beaches and Balboa Park will remain open. After Gloria largely blamed the public for not passing the most recent proposed tax increase, the money for these restorations had to come from somewhere. That includes cutting administrative positions totaling $3 million, plans to start charging for parking at Balboa Park and a newly approved monthly trash fee, which is expected to generate $80 million annually. 'With that behind us and those revenues that we can count on for the next year, it is allowing us to do the extraordinary changes that our residents, our constituents, our neighborhoods, need and demand and deserve,' said Council President Joe LaCava. Even with the budget passing with a majority 7 to 2 vote, the city's independent budget analyst acknowledges how narrow the margin is for any error. 'If we do hit an economic downturn, even if all of these good things, these new revenues come to fruition, we will be faced with the need for immediate cuts,' Charles Modica said. The budget goes into effect on July 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
