Residencies, Internships and Fellowships Fund

On this page:

• Who can apply
• What can be funded
• What to include in your application
• How to apply
• How we assess your application and make decisions
• Recommended minimum standards for Creative NZ supported internships
• Who to talk to

Who can apply

New Zealand-based organisations, trusts, groups, or individuals that wish to offer a residency, internships, or fellowship opportunity for New Zealand artists and practitioners.

International providers may apply only if the funding directly benefits New Zealand arts and artists.

Organisations in Toi Tōtara Haemata or Toi Uru Kahikatea investment programmes can apply.

You cannot apply to this fund if you have received funding through the Arts Organisations and Groups Fund – up to $50,000 or Arts Organisations and Groups Fund – $50,000 to $125,000.

What can be funded

This fund is offered once every three years.

You can apply for a contribution towards the cost of delivering residencies, internships, or fellowships.

Costs can include:

• artists' stipends or wages
• travel and accommodation
• materials

• administration costs related to the delivery of the residencies, internships, or fellowships. However, we do not fund the administration costs of some types of organisations.

You can apply to deliver multiple residencies, internships, or fellowships within one application, as long as the total request does not exceed $50,000 per year, for up to three years.

You must show evidence of a minimum 10% financial contribution or co-investment towards the residencies, internships, or fellowships, which can be made up of cash or in-kind support.

If delivering an internship, it must meet our recommended minimum standards for Creative NZ supported internships.

What to include in your application

In your application:

1. Tell us about the residency, internship or fellowship and the impact on the recipient
2. Tell us about how you intend to ensure the residency, internship or fellowship is accessible and how the recipient will be supported. If delivering an internship, include information about how it meets our recommended minimum standards for Creative NZ supported internships
3. Tell us about the relationship with your communities, including mana whenua if relevant, and the benefit they will receive from the fellowship, internship, or residency

You must supply budget which shows a minimum 10% financial contribution or co-investment, which can be made up of cash or in-kind support. 

Your budget must show fair pay for artists and arts practitioners, in line with Creative New Zealand’s Remuneration Policy for Artists and Arts Practitioners.

How to apply

The application form is available in the CNZ Portal when the funding round is open.

Support making an application

If our systems are not accessible to you, speak with a Development adviser to find the best way for you to apply. 

How we assess your application and make decisions

Your application is assessed by different people, depending which funding pool you apply to. There are three funding pools for this fund:  

• General arts funding pool – External peer assessors and Creative New Zealand staff assess your application and make the funding decisions  
• Ngā toi Māori funding pool – Ngā toi Māori assessors and Creative New Zealand's ngā toi Māori staff assess your application and make the funding decisions  
• Pacific arts funding pool – Pacific arts assessors and Creative New Zealand's Pacific arts staff assess your application and make the funding decisions  

When assessing your application, the assessment panel considers:  

• the strength of the proposed residency, internship, or fellowship, considering the expected benefit and impact for the recipient  
• the level of engagement with your communities and mana whenua (if relevant) and how well the residency, internship, or fellowship is designed with the communities' needs in mind 
• the strength of the overall planning and whether it provides a safe, inclusive, and accessible environment with appropriate support throughout recruitment, selection, and delivery

When reviewing the final list of proposals, the assessment panel will consider:  

• the range of recommended residencies, internships, or fellowships, including their demographic spread
• needs within different artforms and whether artists and practitioners will be well-served through the recommended residencies, internships, or fellowships
• how the residencies, internships, or fellowships will support the development of the artform and its infrastructure
• the amount and type of financial contribution or co-investment

Recommended minimum standards for Creative NZ supported internships

Interns should be paid a fair wage of at least $30 per hour. This is to emphasise their value, improve their career sustainability and personal wellbeing, and ensure equitable access to internships for New Zealand’s diverse population.

Your organisation should have the capability and capacity to support an intern and provide meaningful training within the internship.

You should be able to provide: a clear position description for the intern, with a defined role and responsibilities; and, appropriate line-management, supervision, mentoring and pastoral care.

The internship should be inclusive and support diversity across New Zealand’s arts sector.

Inclusiveness should be supported: in the way the internship is promoted; through appropriate cultural support and guidance from staff, management or Board members; and, through the programmes the intern works on or is part of.

You should have staff or Board members who can support your organisation’s delivery to cultural diversity. Interns may bring cultural knowledge to your organisation, but they should not be the primary means of your delivery to cultural diversity.

All parties, including the intern, host and any contracted coordinating entities, should establish and agree their expectations about the internship before it commences.

Who to talk to

Speak to a Development Adviser to discus your application