Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou - Seasons greetings from the SPADA Staff & Executive
Rāmere, 17 Hakihea 2021 / Friday, 17 December 2021
Kia ora, e te whānau,
After a year of peaks and troughs, we want to take a moment to acknowledge 2021 and celebrate the wonderful efforts of you, our SPADA community. This past year has seen it all, from scrambling for crew with all hands on deck to extended lockdowns that we know have challenged many in the sector both personally and professionally. There have been constantly shifting guidelines and practices around how to keep everyone safe, along with changes in funding and support, not to mention the impact on festivals and cinemas the world over, it sure has been a year like no other.
Despite all this, members have continued to lead and support the creation of a great range of screen stories, to achieve success on a local and global stage, as well as allowing audiences in Aotearoa and abroad to find the information, escapism, or entertainment they were in need of. Well done, we know it hasn't always been easy, and we are proud of how everyone has come together to work and support all in the sector.
For the staff and Executive at SPADA, it has been an incredibly busy year, and much of the work will flow into 2022 - together with the recently announced Government review of screen funding. We look forward to working with each of you and continuing to advocate for a robust and sustainable screen sector in New Zealand. While disappointed that we were unable to offer a SPADA Conference and the Annual SPADA Screen Industry Awards in 2021, we're looking forward to holding an event in March 2022 to celebrate the Awards and enjoy a much-needed opportunity to connect with each other.
Please note the SPADA Office will be closed from 5:00PM Thursday, 23 December 2021, until 09:00AM Monday 17 January 2022 (NB: if you have any productions kicking off early in the New Year and you need to start contracting cast asap please get in touch with the office before Thursday).
In the meantime, we send you wishes for a safe and peaceful break and hope you each have the opportunity to enjoy spending some time in your favourite way, with your favourite people.
Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te au Hou, seasons greetings for Christmas and the New Year from the SPADA Executive and Staff!