For our final Urban Dreams Monthly discussion in this series we brought together Finance and Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Grant Robertson, and documentary maker Luit Bieringa to discuss the options and their own experiences of artist work schemes at Toi Poneke Arts Centre in Wellington.

This discussion was recorded and broadcast by Radio New Zealand and can be listened to here.

From the Phoenix Foundation to filmmaker Taika Waititi, The Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment or PACE scheme was credited with giving much needed space for artists to develop a career.

PACE was launched in 2001, allowing artists to sign up at the WINZ office without having to pretend to want to take on work in another field. They could get a benefit in return for proving they were producing and showing their work on a regular basis.

The scheme dwindled under the previous government, but now the Prime Minister and Arts, Culture and Heritage minister Jacinda Adern has pledged to explore the best ways to bring back PACE and explore other arts employment options. For a look at the history of PACE see this recent story by Adam Goodall on Pantograph Punch.