Funding to support artists, practitioners, and collaboratives at the early stage of their career who wish to learn, create, and share their mahi with their communities.
Overview
Amount
Up to $10,000
Artforms
Timing
- You can apply anytime up to 1PM, Friday 4 October 2024*
- We plan to notify the results in November
*Early Career Fund will close for 2024 on 4 October, and will reopen in January 2025
Who can apply
Artists, practitioners, and collaboratives who are:
- New Zealand citizens or Permanent Residents
- at the early stage of their career
You do not need a track record to apply.
What can be funded
You can request up to $10,000 towards:
- creating, presenting, or distributing your work
- sharing knowledge and skills with others
- mentor fees
Additional access payment
If you identify as Deaf or disabled, or experience disability or an impairment, and are awarded a grant through this fund, you can claim an additional access payment on top of your grant.
The payment is to help with the costs of meeting your access needs, such as NZSL interpreters, support people, or accessible travel. You can read more about the access payment in If you receive funding.
What to include in your application
Application questions
Provide responses to the following questions:
- What do you want to do?
- Why is it important for you to do this now?
- What do you think the benefits will be to your practice or to your communities?
- What do you hope this will lead to?
Budget
You do not need to provide a budget in your application. But, you must tell us the amount of funding you need, up to $10,000.
If your application is successful, we will ask you to provide a budget when we offer you the grant.
Support material
You can attach an artistic CV, or other material to support your application. Read more about support material in Making an application.
How to apply
Apply using the online application form which is available in the CNZ portal when the funding round is open.
Decide which funding pool to apply to: either General arts, Ngā toi Māori or Pacific arts. Read more about how to select a funding pool in Making an application.
In the CNZ portal:
- Select the Early Career Fund – General arts 2024 application form when applying to the General arts funding pool
- Select the Early Career Fund – Toi Tipu Toi Rea 2024 application form when applying to Ngā toi Māori funding pool
- Select the Early Career Fund – Pacific arts 2024 application form when applying to the Pacific arts funding pool
Support making an application
If our systems are not accessible to you, speak to one of our advisers to find the best way for you to apply.
How we assess your application and make decisions
We assess applications in three batches throughout the year. We will let you know the result of your application 10-12 weeks after you submit it.
Your application is assessed by different people, depending on which funding pool you apply to:
- General arts funding pool – Creative New Zealand staff assess your application and make the funding decisions
- Ngā toi Māori funding pool – A panel of Ngā toi Māori peer assessors assess your application and make the funding decisions
- Pacific arts funding pool – A panel of Pacific arts peer assessors assess your application and make the funding decisions
Read more about selecting a funding pool in Making an application.
When assessing your application, our assessors (Ngā toi Māori and Pacific arts funding pools) or staff (General arts funding pool) consider whether your activities:
- allow you to learn, create and share
- allow you to take risks and develop new ideas
- help grow your practice
- are important for you to do now
When making decisions, we aim to fund a broad and diverse range of Aotearoa artists and practitioners.
Who to talk to
Speak to a Practice and Pathways adviser to discuss your application
Share this
