COMMUNITY AND CULTURE COMMITTEE Agenda Item 5.11 REPORT

8 March 2005 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL (MIJF) AND UMBRIA JAZZ MELBOURNE 05 – FUNDING REQUEST

Division Design & Culture

Presenter Morris Bellamy, Manager Arts & Culture

Purpose

1. To inform Council of developments in respect to the 2005 Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Background

2. MIJF has been produced in the City of Melbourne and supported by Council since 1996.

3. Recent events have affected the development of the 2005 Festival. This represents a significant change to the MICF proposal considered by Council through the 2005 Arts Grant Program.

4. Following a visit to the in 2004 by MIJF Chairman , agreement has been reached for the Artistic Director of the Umbrian Festival, Carlo Pagnotta, to become Artistic Director of the for three years.

5. The Umbria Jazz Festival is Europe’s major jazz festival attracting an annual audience of over 300,000. Mr Pagnotta is regarded as a very important player on the world jazz scene and has a reputation for attracting the best jazz artists from across the world.

6. Mr Pagnotta sees the MIJF as the gateway to exchanging jazz product between Europe and the Asia -Pacific and he is eager to use the event to source Australian product for the European market.

7. Mr Pagnotta’s influence has enabled the development of a significantly improved Festival in 2005 which will include over 100 concerts. For the City of Melbourne this will include concerts at the Forum, Bennets Lane, the Grand Hyatt and Hamer Hall, plus a significant daily program of free events and concerts in and around the city and at .

8. Importantly, the Umbria Regional government has expressed interest in this development and has recently sent three representatives to Melbourne to plan a range of promotional events and exhibitions which will be presented in association with the Festival.

Issues

9. MIJF originally requested $50,000 from Council when applying for funds for the 2005 Arts Grant Program. Subsequently a grant for $35,000 was approved by Council in August 2004. Further deputations have been received by the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor which have provided new information in respect to MIJF. Details are contained in the accompanying confidential report. This includes details of confidential negotiations currently being conducted by the MIJF. Time Frame

10. The 2005 Festival will run for 11 days from 5 May to 15 May.

Relation to Council Policy

11. MIJF contributes to the implementation of a range of priorities of Council’s Arts Strategy 2004- 2007 including ‘support a diverse range of Melbourne’s international arts festivals to showcase Melbourne nationally and internationally’.

Finance

12. A grant of $35,000 has been provided to Melbourne International Jazz Festival in February 2004. Additional funding will be subject to normal budget processes.

Legal

13. This report is for noting purposes only and legal implications arise from the recommendation contained in this report.

Recommendation

14. That the Community and Culture Committee recommend Council note the information contained in this report.

2 Agenda Item 5.11 Community and Culture Committee 8 March 2005

FINANCE ATTACHMENT

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (MIJF) AND UMBRIA JAZZ MELBOURNE 05 – FUNDING REQUEST

A grant of $35,000 has been provided to Melbourne International Jazz Festival in August 2004 (funded from the Art Program Grants budget).

Joe Groher Manager Financial Services

Agenda Item 5.11 Community and Culture Committee 8 March 2005

LEGAL ATTACHMENT

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (MIJF) AND UMBRIA JAZZ MELBOURNE 05 – FUNDING REQUEST

Section 89(2) of the Local Government Act 1989 states that Council or a Special Committee may resolve that a meeting be closed to members of the public if the meeting is to discuss contractual matters, legal advice and any other matter which the Committee/Council considers would prejudice the Council or any person. If the Committee/Council resolves to close a meeting to members of the public the reason must be recorded in the minutes of the meeting

The functions of a Council as set out in clause 3E of the Local Government Act 1989 include:

“(a) advocating and promoting proposals which are in the best interests of the local community”

(b) planning for and providing services and facilities for the local community;”

Under Section 141 (a) of the Act the Council may apply any money to enable it to perform its functions and exercise its powers.

The recommendation is therefore within the functions and powers of the Council.

Alison Lyon Manager Legal & Governance