COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update
This update is to inform you all on what we’re doing to prioritise the health and safety of our kaimahi, cast and crew, and those who work in and enter our building; Te Haukāinga, as well as the schools who have booked for our Te Reo Māori Season (TRMS) tour.
Similar to other businesses, we are taking guidance from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation. Here are the current procedures we have put in place for Taki Rua as of March 17, 2020.
Ngā manaakitanga ki a koutou katoa i runga i ngā āhuatanga o te wā.
Kaimahi, Cast and Crew
If our Taki Rua staff are felling unwell with symptoms that could be Covid-19, we ask that they inform the office and do not come into Te Haukāinga. We have a working from home contingency plan in place as well as unlimited sick leave for the foreseeable future to keep the operations of Taki Rua ongoing during this unpredictable time.
If any of the TRMS cast or crew are feeling unwell, they will not undertake a TRMS performance in schools. The cast and crew are informed and prepared for any situation, and appropriate action will be taken to cancel performances and support the unwell person through their recovery and isolation if required.
Te Reo Māori Season and Cancellation Policy
In light of the taupāruru announced by Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui on their practice of tikanga pertaining to pōwhiri, we have also opted to restrict the practise of hongi / harirū when visiting schools who wish to welcome us with a pōwhiri.
After the announcement from the NZ Government around maximum numbers able to attend performances, we are preparing to work with schools to reduce any TRMS bookings where attendance is expected to be higher than 500+.
Schools who wish to cancel their booking can contact us and a refund will be available. We have and will continue to communicate with schools on an individual basis to ensure the health and safety of our tamariki, and our cast and crew comes first. However our hope is that unless the Government has made a decree to close or cancel all performances in schools, that we would hope to continue our national tour, so that we can play our part to support our freelance contract artists who will be losing so much work this year, to keep the arts industry buoyant in a safe and healthy way.
Te Haukāinga
We are ensuring our building is regularly clean, as one of the most important preventative measures we can take according to recommendations by the Ministry of Health. Hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed throughout Te Haukāinga. We ask anyone travelling from overseas into NZ to not come into Te Haukāinga for two weeks, aligning with the self-isolation policy made by the NZ Government on Saturday.
We understand that it is and could continue to be a difficult time for Aotearoa, particularly those who work in the creative industries. Our aspiration is to support the industry, so that in a safe and healthy way, we can keep our artists making the significant impact for our tamariki, rangatahi and communities that we have done for years past.
NZ Govt Wage Subsidy
We want to ensure that you are aware of the support available as part of the government stimulus package. If you're an employer, contractor, sole trader or self-employed, you may qualify to get the COVID-19 wage subsidy.
Short version is, if you can demonstrate via your IRD records, or your business records that you/your business will suffer a 30% decline in revenue compared to last year you could be able to access a weekly subsidy of up to $585.80 p/w, or $350 p/w if you work for less than 20 hours on average per week.
The self-employed application can be found here.
This application is super easy to fill out and the only tricky question is the NZ Business Number, which most people don’t have. For the majority of you who are likely to be sole traders or contractors for hire (as actors, designers, directors etc.), you can put Sole Trader in this box.
Nā mātou iti noa nei,
Te whānau o Taki Rua.
