04 Sep 2019
Creative New Zealand is significantly increasing funding for Pasifika-led organisations over the next two to six years to support the dynamic Pacific arts sector, as we implement our Pacific Arts Strategy 2018–2023.
In February 2019, we sought proposals from existing recipients of Toi Uru Kahikatea and Toi Tōtara Haemata funding in order to achieve the outcomes identified in the Investment Strategy Te Ara Whakamua 2018–2023. Aligning our investment programmes to the Pacific Arts Strategy 2018–2023 and Te Hā o ngā Toi – Māori Arts Strategy 2019–2024 was a key part of this mahi.
The five successful Pasifika-led organisations are The Conch Charitable Trust, Pacific Dance New Zealand, Pacifica Arts Centre (Pacifica Mamas Arts and Cultural Trust), The Black Grace Trust, and Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust. Tawata Productions, a Māori and Cook Islands theatre company delivering strong Pacific arts outcomes, was also successful.
Funding for the Pasifika-led organisations will rise 68 percent, from 2018 funding of $1.37 million to $2.31 million from 2020. There are a total of 80 organisations in the Investment programmes from 2020.
The support for Pasifika-led organisations was one of the key actions of the Pacific Arts Strategy’s implementation plan.
“It was really important that as we continue to implement our Pacific Arts Strategy, we look at how our investment portfolio and other Creative New Zealand programmes support and grow Pasifika-led organisations and individual artists,” says Caren Rangi, Deputy Chair of the Arts Council.
“The recent Creative Professionals research has highlighted many things the sector already knows but now is the time for us to make sure the vaka is set in the right direction, to empower creative Pasifika leaders and organisations to thrive for the benefit of our communities as well as for all New Zealanders.”
Sefa Enari, Director of Pacific Dance New Zealand, says that the funding increase allows them to grow and develop their staff capacity to match the continued growth of their programmes.
“Our recently updated strategy and business plan aligns well with the approved three years funding as we extend our reach across New Zealand, the Pacific region and beyond.”
Decisions reflect the Arts Council’s commitment to position the Investment portfolio to deliver to Aotearoa’s changing arts sector and population, in line with the direction set out in the Investment Strategy – particularly the three strategy features of diversity and reach, dynamic arts and a resilient arts sector.
“An increase (in funding) means a stronger foundation and from that we can build and create more Pacific employment and invest in the development of more high quality projects,” says Nina Nawalowalo ONZM, the award winning Artistic Director of theatre company The Conch.
“From this base we can engage with the main houses and festivals and propose more highly developed ideas. For The Conch, this means supporting the emergence of a NZ Melanesian voice and strengthening the diversity of Pacific storytelling,” she says.
The increase comes after the first (financial) year of delivering the Pacific Arts Strategy, and will see a number of new initiatives supported through 2020 and beyond to 2023.
Read more about the Pacific Arts Strategy one year on
Full report – A profile of a creative professionals
Summary report – A profile of a creative professionals
Any questions, please email: investments@creativenz.govt.nz
For Pasifika media queries please contact:
Paul Lisi
Senior Communications Adviser - Pacific
Creative New Zealand | Toi Aotearoa
Mob: +64 27 218 6382 | | DDI: +64 9 373 3090| Ext: 590
E: paul.lisi@creativenz.govt.nz | W: creativenz.govt.nz
More about the 2019 investment round
In February 2019, through a Request for Proposals, we sought proposals from current recipients of Toi Uru Kahikatea and Toi Tōtara Haemata funding in order to achieve the outcomes identified in the Investment Strategy.
Organisations making proposals to the Investment programmes needed to show how their proposed programmes of work deliver to the Investment Strategy’s three features of:
- diversity and reach
- dynamic arts
- a resilient arts sector.
Priorities for the 2019 Investment programmes funding round were:
- providing regional access to New Zealand arts
- supporting arts practices that reflect the diversity of New Zealand’s population
- supporting and developing Māori-led organisations
- supporting and developing Pasifika-led organisations
- supporting New Zealand arts by, with and for young New Zealanders.
The 2019 Investment programmes funding round (for funding commencing in January 2020) was only open to proposals from organisations that had a current funding contract for either the Tōtara or Kahikatea funding programmes. This was to allow the Arts Council to determine any gaps in delivery following the current clients’ re-calibration toward the Investment Strategy aims.
While our decisions on the Investment programmes ‘shift the dial’ significantly towards the principles of the Investment Strategy, and the funding priorities for this round, gaps remain. The Arts Council will consider the gaps in the Investment portfolio in October 2019, and will decide whether or not to open the programmes for proposals in 2020 at that time. We will publicly announce the result of this decision by the end of 2019.
Over time, we expect our Investment programmes will better reflect the diversity of New Zealand’s population and its arts practices. We also expect to extend the reach of our investment to make arts attendance and participation accessible to more communities.
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