Speaking up about the value of the arts

7/8/2024

I recently spoke at a public hearing about proposed changes to community arts grants. Under the new proposed criteria, I would probably have not have been approved funding (just NZ$500 twice) for my art as therapy solo exhibitions. It was a life-changing experience and even though speaking is stressful for me, I spoke up, on behalf of others in the community who may potentially benefit.

'More Than Good Enough' (painted at an exhibition about the mixed emotions exhibiting)

My speech is from timestamp 3:43:30 in the video and I have also typed a transcript, best I can. The view I had with my speech was that in the video (I was behind the camera). I have also read the transcript out in a video at the end of this blog post (which is clearer).

There are also a few pics of my art near the end of this post.

Transcript

Removed most pauses.
Xanthe: 'My name is Xanthe Wyse, um…My submission is mostly about proposed changes to the art grants and also speaking as someone who has disabilities.
Brief background: I was born in Taupo and have lived here most of my life.
My disabilities: I have a mental injury um psychiatric diagnoses, mood disorder.
At my lowest point, I returned to New Zealand (I was living in Australia for a time), ah, with nothing and I couldn’t speak or write a coherent sentence; fill out basic form or even do something basic like cook a scrambled egg because my disabilities; so traumatised.
I set a ‘ridiculous’ goal of an art exhibition because I couldn’t think coherently but I could push paint around. It was a ridiculous goal ‘cause nobody would be behind it but painting made me feel like I wasn’t a waste of space.
Um, I had a few people, um, get behind this and I was recommended to go and apply for an arts grant. I have I applied for just a small amount. Ah, you know I had no job, no money, nothing. I applied for $500, which I was awarded for art exhibition. I didn’t know how it was going to happen.
Ah, um…Kerence, who was the exhibitions officer, mentored me; and I didn’t have the exhibition with the council but she did give me some contacts to have the exhibition take place. Now, my art was pretty messy; I called it ‘art as therapy’; and I had quite a lot of people visit, down at the Red Rock Gallery.
Now, I exhibited but because I didn’t feel good enough and if you were to judge my art at that time you probably would think ‘what a mess’ but it was still therapeutic; and the $500 paid for art materials and exhibition fees; because I was painting with just old garage paint, bits of cardboard and anything I could find.
Now, my concerns about the proposed changes to the arts grants is that apparently the arts and sports are going to be merged, with the same figure; and what if people have a sports bias and don’t value the arts. The arts are very, very therapeutic and helpful to mental health in the community (including) those without psychiatric diagnoses.
There may be other vulnerable people in the community who have mental health struggles, trauma, disabilities; um like myself that won’t get the sponsorship that is listed as part of the new criteria; that aren’t really commercial; but they, these are disadvantaged people, feel isolated.
Um, (I’m) speaking to help someone else. I have had the grant twice; I had two art exhibitions about two years apart.
It can make the literal difference between life and death; because I felt like I had no reason to keep going.
So, it made a difference to my life and I now have a hobby art business; and my art skills have improved; and that it actually gets commented on by professional artists both New Zealand and overseas. I don’t make much money from it but it is still something that gives me meaning and purpose.
Um, my other small comment is to do with - as a person with disabilities - is to do with increasing the rates. Yeah, there’s all this stuff about wheelie bins etc, costs a lot of money. Now, someone like myself: I don’t own a house, um, I have no hope of owning one. The rates are passed on by the landlords. It’s very hard to find a place to live; I currently live in in a room which is also my art studio, which is damp, has mould, is cold; the house is unheated; and when I went looking at places, I was openingly discriminated against.
And, I think you need to remember that not everyone is on good incomes. I earn well under the minimum wage – a fulltime minimum wage.
So, I would like to consider that some of us don’t have much. Any questions?'

Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor: ‘Before I answer questions, just brief comment. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for your bravery. Um, I appreciate it takes some courage to sit in front of a group of complete strangers and seeing you don’t know many of us; and a big group of strangers behind you so I commend you for coming in and for speaking to your submission. Thank you very much. Any questions?’

Council member 1: ‘Yes, Xanthe, if I can just reiterate what the deputy mayor has said, thank you so much, so brave of you and you’ve done so well. I never would have guessed if you hadn’t mentioned your personal circumstance. Um, where can you view your art?’

Xanthe: ‘Well, um, I have a website. Um, soarpurpose, s-o-a-r purpose um dot nz is mainly the art but dot com is more generalised personal expression as well, like writing. It took me seven years to write a book about mental health challenges. Um, my psychiatrist actually bought a copy. Um, so I’ve got two books which are based on relationships with disabilities based on my experience, diagnosed with a severe form of bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. So, I can’t work fulltime but I do the art and the writing even though it was hard to construct a sentence; and try to make a paragraph and everything to write a book. Even my psychiatrist couldn’t believe it.
So I don’t plan to exhibit because it’s not; it’s very stressful for me, maybe group things, but ah I did it as a personal growth experience and um Andrew Welch – I hear he’s passed away now – he he came to both my exhibitions. Um, and, yeah.’

Council member 1: ‘Thank you so much. I know I’ll check out your website.’

Council member 2: ‘Thank you Xanthe. It certainly is intimidating being on that side of the desk. I do know how that feels.’

Xanthe: ‘I was mute as a child so...'

Council member 2: ‘Well done.’

Xanthe: ‘…and I have social anxiety as well.’

Council member 2: ‘Well done. I just wanted to; and you might be interested to know that a number of people have also put in submissions similar to yours. Um, you say that annually is too infrequent. What sort of ah timeframe do you think would be better?’

X: ‘I think that; I believe it’s six-monthly at the moment? Is that correct?’

Council member 2: ‘Right. It sort of depends on the (?).’

Xanthe: ‘With the arts and someone else commented, any form of arts - drama I believe - annually can be such a long way away. I think that if you have six months; yeah, you can kind of have something a little bit more of a feasible goal to work towards. Um, yeah.’

Council member 2: ‘Thank you. That’s helpful. Thank you very much. Thank you.’

Deputy Mayor: ‘Thank you Xanthe. Your submission touches on some of the more difficult conversations we need to have and it’s around the community grants and conscious that whatever we decide, we are supporting mainly volunteer groups in the community. So, um, yeah. So thank you for your contribution to that.’

Art saved my life

More detail about why I spoke up about the arts, in a blog post on my other, art-focussed blog.

art as therapy exhibitions

More about the exhibitions with media releases.

'Outer Space High' (old garage paints on cardboard) - 1st exhibition

'Crashing' (garage paints) from 1st exhibition

'Time to Shine' (from 2nd exhibition)

'Whitewater Roar' (from 2nd exhibition)

Hobby art business

This year, I launched a hobby art business. Website: soarpurpose.nz with original paintings and fine art prints of paintings (plus open to accepting the odd commission here and there).

Art-based blog.