Supplementary Agenda of Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Item No. 11

Supplementary Agenda (Open Portion)

Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Page 4

11/4/2018

REPORT TITLE: Dark Mofo and City of Hobart Winter Feast - Request for Additional In-Kind Support

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Acting Associate Director Community Development

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. This report presents a request from Darklab/Dark Mofo for in-kind support for the 2018 Dark Mofo in addition to its current grant provisions in the three year agreement with the City of Hobart.

1.2. Taking into account Dark Mofo’s festival offerings, its significant value to the City, and to support the continued growth of the festival to achieve even greater outcomes, it is proposed that the Council provide the additional in-kind assistance sought for the Dark Mofo + City of Hobart Winter Feast (the Winter Feast) and for the ‘Landing’ event at the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre.

2. Report Summary

2.1. In December 2015, the Council resolved to provide annual funding of $150,000 cash support and $50,000 of in-kind support to MONA for its Dark Mofo festival for a three year period commencing in 2016 (and then for 2017 and 2018), with an additional allocation of $100,000 in cash for the 2016 Dark Mofo only.

2.2. Given the outstanding success of the festival and very significant patron demand, the Winter Feast has grown to seven days in duration and spans two weekends. The event in 2018 will run from 7 - 24 June with the first weekend being “The Prelude” weekend as it does not include Winter Feast.

2.3. As a consequence of the extended duration of the Winter Feast, the hire of Taste of Tasmania equipment has increased by two days, with an associated increase in equipment hire costs of $32,037 above the already allocated in-kind support of $50,000. The total in-kind support for the hire of equipment would be $82,037.

2.4. In addition, this report presents a request for in-kind support associated with a new event proposed for the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre (DKHAC), titled ‘Landing’ which will be produced and presented by Dark Mofo in partnership with the Salamanca Arts Centre/Situate Art in Festivals. This event would be staged over a 36 hour period from 6am Friday 8 June to 6pm Saturday 9 June as part of Dark Mofo 2018. If the venue was to be provided fully free of charge, the full cost of this in-kind support would be in the order of $21,545, with additional staff costs of $1,459.

2.5. Finally this report presents a request from Dark Mofo for the Council to meet the fees and charges applied for lost parking revenue for the use of Castray Esplanade and associated areas for the staging of the Winter Feast, which amounts to $13,644.

3. Recommendation

That:

1. The Council provide $32,037 in additional in-kind equipment hire support for the extended 2018 Dark Mofo + City of Hobart Winter Feast.

2. The Council subsidise the provision of the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre for the proposed ‘Landing’ project to be staged over a 36 hour period from 6 am Friday 8 June to 6 pm Saturday 9 June as part of Dark Mofo 2018, at a total cost of $10,277, made up of $8,818 associated with the loss of venue income and the cost of centre staff overnight amounting to $1,459, noting that Dark Mofo would need to cover pool hire costs of $12,727.

(i) The additional in-kind support of $32,037 for equipment hire, and the loss of venue income and staff costs amounting to $10,277 for the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre be attributed to the Major Event and Festival Grant activity of the 2017-18 Annual Plan with a corresponding off-set from the City of Hobart Art Prize Activity in the Cultural Development budget function for any expenditure in excess of the existing budget in accordance with s82 of the Local Government Act 1993.

3. The Council decline a request from Dark Mofo to meet the cost of road closure fees and loss of parking revenue, estimated to be $13,644, associated with the closure of Castray Esplanade, the car park area in the middle of Salamanca Lawns and Tasman Fountain car park to allow for the staging of the Dark Mofo + City of Hobart Winter Feast for the period of 12 to 26 June 2018 inclusive.

4. Should Dark Mofo not proceed with the proposed ‘Landing’ project, the Council approve the allocation of the in-kind support amounting to $10,277 for this project to road closure costs associated with the Dark Mofo + City of Hobart Winter Feast.

5. The General Manager be authorised to amend the current grant agreement with Dark Mofo to reflect this additional support.

6. The total grant provision be recorded in the City of Hobart’s Annual Report in accordance with the Council’s policy in relations to the disclosure of grants and benefits.

4. Background

4.1. At its meeting of 21 December 2015, the Council resolved to provide base funding of $150,000 cash support and $50,000 of in-kind support to MONA for its Dark Mofo festival for a three year period commencing in 2016 (and then for 2017 and 2018), with an additional allocation of $100,000 in cash for the 2016 Dark Mofo only.

4.2. This grant provision was not formally considered as part of the Council’s current Event Partnership grant stream (as it had not been established at that time), and so it is felt reasonable to consider this new request outside of that structure.

4.3. This report presents a request for additional in-kind support for the 2018 Winter Feast valued at $32,037 above the $50,000 in-kind support already allocated, given the extension of the event over a two week period.

4.3.1. The Winter Feast will be held over two weekends from Friday 15 June to Sunday 17 June and Thursday 21 June to Sunday 24 June.

4.4. The extension of the Winter Feast has increased the associated cost of the provision of Council owned event equipment, including cooking kiosks necessary to stage the event in PW1 from $50,000 to $82,037. The cost of this equipment hire is noted below.

Item	Quantity	2 weeks hire ex GST
PW1 purpose built cool rooms - per week	5	$3,709.09
PW1 Food Kiosk - per week	19	$64,857.71
Scullery Sink - per week	3	$470.62
Table and Bench Set Hire - per week	120	$8,901.82
Vinyl Floor - per unit per week	44	$1,632.00
Wheel Chair ramps - per unit per week	2	$74.18
Cigarette butt buns	2	$74.18
Grey Water Tank - per week	1	$92.73
Concrete Cubes	4	$1,454.55
Container Ramps - per week	2	$370.91
Water refill station - per week	2	$400.00
TOTAL		$82,037.78

4.5. The further request for additional in-kind support is associated with a new event proposed to be staged at the DKHAC, titled ‘Landing’, undertaken by artist Tanya Lee and produced and presented by Dark Mofo in partnership with the Salamanca Arts Centre/Situate Art in Festivals.

4.6. A brief outline of this project is shown at Attachment A, but in summary:

· ‘Landing’ is a large-scale participatory artwork by artist Tanya Lee, which takes the form of an ‘absurd swimming carnival’. Audiences (participants) will be asked to wear island shaped hats, and collectively attempt to swim the distance between Australia and Manus Island.

· It is understood that the central themes of this artwork are migration, islands as sites of incarceration throughout history, bodily experience, and past and current policy and debate around offshore ‘exile’.

· It is proposed that the work take place over a 36 hour period from 6 am Friday 8 June to 6 pm Saturday 9 June.

· The work could see up 720 participants involved.

4.7. This work would require the use of the 50 m DKHAC pool for a continuous period of 36 hours, the centre to be open overnight, with associated staffing and centre management support.

4.8. The cost implication of this support has been estimated as being $23,004 in pool hire, lost centre income (from existing hirers) and staff time.

4.9. As there is only budget capacity to meet the lost income component of this and staff time, amounting to $10,277, Dark Mofo would need to meet the cost of pool hire, which for the 36 hour duration of the event, amounts to $12,727.

4.10. Dark Mofo has indicated that while it could meet staffing costs, it cannot sustain the pool hire costs, and so would have to cancel the event. In saying this Dark Mofo has provided the following commentary:

“As a point of interest, the Melbourne City Baths provided their pool free of charge to present this work as part of Festival of Live Art recently.

'Landing' is fully subsided by Dark Mofo, has community participation and is free to the public.

For regular swimmers at the Centre they are welcome to be part of this interesting project. We plan to broadcast this art project as part of the Dark and Dangerous Thoughts program as well as possibly stream it live online.

Cancelling 'Landing' would be a very unfortunate outcome for a project that is sure to capture the public's attention, interest and bring positive national publicity to the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre.”

4.11. Dark Mofo has further specifically requested that the Council meet the cost of the charges associated with the closure of Castray Esplanade, the parking area in the middle of Salamanca Lawns and the Tasman Fountain car park, to allow for the staging of the Winter Feast. The period of use is understood to be 12 to 26 June 2018 inclusive.

4.12. Aside from road closure permit and advertising charges of around $555, these charges amounting to $13,089, reflect the need to meet the impact of lost parking revenue to the Council associated with this extended road closure.

4.13. It should be noted here that there is no capacity to offset this additional cost within the allocation for the Community Development Division by identified savings within the 2017-18 Annual Plan.

4.14. It is understood that these charges were applied to Dark Mofo’s use of the road for the 2016 festival but were accommodated by the approved $50,000 of Council in-kind support. This charge could however, not be accommodated by the approved level of Council support in 2017.

4.15. Depending on the status of the occupation of lower Murray Street for Parliament Square building works, there may be an additional charge to Dark Mofo for the establishment of a temporary taxi rank in this area for the duration of the Castray Esplanade closure. This could be in the order of $5,500 to $6,000.

4.16. Further, depending on the final scope of Dark Mofo in terms of road and/or parking area occupation, additional charges beyond those detailed above could also apply to the festival.

4.17. Dark Mofo strongly aligns with the Council's strategic objectives, particularly its economic, community development and Creative Hobart strategic objectives, and strongly supports the Council's city activation goals, particularly during winter.

4.18. It is understood that while the Tasmanian Government provides some $2.1 million in program funding to Dark Mofo annually, Mofo has advised that “David Walsh still personally underwrites the festival to a very significant degree”.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that the Council provide additional in-kind equipment hire support for the 2018 Winter Feast valued at a total of $32,037 for Taste of Tasmania equipment hire, with this being attributed to the Major Event and Festival Grant activity of the 2017-18 Annual Plan.

5.2. It is further proposed that the Council subsidise the provision of DKHAC for the proposed 'Landing' project to be staged over 36 hour period from 6 am Friday 8 June to 6 pm Saturday 9 June as part of Dark Mofo 2018, at a cost of $10,277 associated with lost venue income and staff costs, to be met by an allocation within the Major Event and Festival Grant activity within the 2017-18 Annual Plan.

5.3. Given budget constraints, it is proposed that Dark Mofo would need to meet the cost of pool hire, which for the 36 hour duration of the event, amounts to $12,727.

5.4. Finally, given a further lack of budget capacity, it is proposed that the Council decline Dark Mofo’s request to meet road closure fees and loss of parking income charges associated with the provision of Castray Esplanade for the staging of the Winter Feast, amounting to $13,644.

5.5. Darklab/Dark Mofo has been advised of the officer recommendations, and its response is noted above.

5.6. Given this, if Dark Mofo does not proceed with the proposed 'Landing' project, the Council allocate the in-kind support amounting to $10,277 for this project to road closure costs associated with the Winter Feast.

5.7. It is proposed that the General Manager be authorised to amend the current grant agreement with Dark Mofo to reflect this additional support.

5.8. The total grant provision would be recorded in the City of Hobart’s Annual Report in accordance with the Council’s policy in relation to the disclosure of grants and benefits.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. The provision of the proposed support responds to Strategic Objectives 1 and 5 in the Economic Development, Vibrancy and Culture priority area of activity in the City of Hobart Strategic Plan 2015-2025, specifically:

"1. Partnerships with Government, the education sector and business to create city growth; and

5. Cultural and creative activities build communities wellbeing and economic viability."

6.2. The proposal also aligns very strongly with the Creative Hobart Strategy, particularly:

"Outcome Area 1: The City as a platform for cultural expression and creative participation; and

Outcome Area 2: The city as an incubator of creativity, innovation, excellence and diversity."

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. All figures in this report are exclusive of GST. GST would not be applied for internal cost transfers, but would be applied to any charges attributed to Dark Mofo.

7.1.2. The additional in-kind support of $32,037 for equipment hire, and the loss of venue income and staff time of $10,277 for the DKHAC, would be attributed to the Major Event and Festival Grant activity of the 2017-18 Annual Plan with a corresponding off-set from the City of Hobart Art Prize Activity in the Cultural Development budget function for any expenditure in excess of the existing budget in accordance with s82 of the Local Government Act 1993.

7.1.2.1. There is however no capacity to offset the additional request for assistance with road closure charges for the Winter Feast amounting to some $13,644, or the hire costs associated with fully free provision of the DKHAC, amounting to $12.727, within the allocation for the Community Development Division in the 2017-18 Annual Plan.

7.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

7.2.1. None are foreseen.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. There are no legal, risk or legislative impacts to be considered in respect to this report.

9. Environmental Considerations

9.1. The organisers of Dark Mofo have advised that all cups, packaging and cutlery used at the Winter Feast are certified compostable. Other items such as cans, wine bottles and water bottles are recyclable. It is also understood that some aspects of the food and beverage operation on site use washable plates and cutlery.

10. Marketing and Media

10.1. The Council is appropriately acknowledged as a major partner of Dark Mofo along with the Tasmanian Government.

11. Delegation

11.1. This matter is delegated to the Council.

11.2. Given that the closure of Castray Esplanade and use of lower Murray Street has been undertaken successfully over a number of years, these particular road closure/changes to road operation, do not require Council approval. It is understood that a further report will be presented to a City Infrastructure Committee meeting in April 2018 detailing a number of new Dark Mofo projects requiring road closure approvals.

As signatory to this report, I certify that, pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, I hold no interest, as referred to in Section 49 of the Local Government Act 1993, in matters contained in this report.

Kimbra Parker

Acting Associate Director Community Development

Date: 10 April 2018

File Reference: F18/27204

Attachment a: 'Landing' proposal for Dark Mofo 2018 ⇩