More than three months after the Otago Festival of the Arts
was held in Dunedin, all but a few creditors have been paid
in full.
The festival was held on October 5 to 14, and performers
began venting their frustration in December when they still
had not been paid.
Otago Festival of the Arts Trust chairman Malcolm Farry said
the process of paying most creditors took place just before
Christmas, but there may be ''one or two'' creditors that
still required ''further details''.
However, Mr Farry was pleased the issue had been largely
resolved and was now focusing on the organisation of the 2014
Festival of the Arts.
Mr Farry sincerely regretted the time creditors had to wait
for their payment, and said the delay had been caused by poor
administration of the event.
After the festival, the trust found paperwork and financial
records had not been put together properly, making it
impossible to get a clear picture of the festival's affairs.
Without invoices, reconciliations, contracts or a full list
of creditors, festival organisers were unable to make
payments, he said.
Festival director Alec Wheeler resigned in December and Kerry
Buchan was appointed by the trust as interim manager to
organise the conclusion of all matters relating to the
festival.
One creditor, Subject to Change band member Robert Craigie,
said he was pleased the issue had been resolved.
He and his colleagues were owed a share of about $1500 from
their performance.
''It's great to be able to put this issue to rest and move on
to the year ahead,'' he said.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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