11 Nov 2016
Creative New Zealand has awarded 82 grants worth a total of $2,079,143 in its latest Arts Grants funding round. A high number of applications were received with $6,620,925 in total requested by 203 applicants.
New Zealanders participating in the arts
Funding included significant support for projects by, with or for young people, including community arts initiatives. Northland Youth Theatre will produce a new work based on the whakatauki Te Whare O Ngāpuhi for its summer show and Project Prima Volta will deliver a Carmen opera youth project in Hawkes Bay. Sistema Aotearoa and Sistema Whangarei-Toi Akorangi will receive funding toward their music-based development programmes for young people and Nga Rangatahi Toa will receive support for Manawa Ora 2017 which showcases its arts mentoring project for marginalised rangatahi.
Experiencing high-quality New Zealand art
The spread of funded projects across the regions was broad, with festivals and touring shows offering rich opportunities for New Zealanders to experience high quality arts. These include multiple live performances by Opus Orchestra in 2017 in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty; funding towards the Tauranga and Nelson arts festivals, the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival and the Kokomai Creative Festival in Wairarapa.
Developing high-quality New Zealand art
Funding for the development of new work will support composer Dylan Lardelli to create a major new work for ensemble; contribute to new work development by visual artist, Francis Upritchard and assist sculptor Kate Newby to develop work for an exhibition in Stockholm, Sweden. The Auckland Performing Arts Centre will receive funding towards the development of a new play involving the blind community and the Foster Group, led by Sarah Foster Sproull, will complete and premiere a new choreography – Orchids, which includes dancers of all ages.
New Zealand art gaining international success
Numerous artists will receive funding to take their work to international audiences, or to pursue professional development opportunities overseas. They include the Palace Dance Studio for their five country European tour in 2017; Okareka Dance Company, for a four week tour of K’Rd Strip – A Place to Stand in Australia; presentation of New Zealand artists’ work at the 2017 Honolulu Biennal and Tu Raa and Jarcinda Stowers-Ama who will present Pacific storytelling at the Chennai Storytellers Festival in Chennai, India in 2017.
As part of this funding round the $20,000 Todd Bursary for an emerging writer has been awarded to Lynn Jenner for an ambitious work of creative non-fiction and poetry focused on the McKays to Peka Peka Expressway on the Kapiti Coast.
Arts Grant applications are assessed by both Creative New Zealand staff and external assessors. Recommendations are made to the Senior Manager, Arts Funding and the Chief Executive for final decisions and ratification.
Results include:
- General arts fund – 60 projects totalling $1,461,401 were supported. $ 5,042,714 was requested by 163 applicants.
- Māori arts fund (including the Toi Ake Fund) – 13 projects totalling $448,115 were supported. $1,185,940 was requested by 28 applicants
- Pacific arts fund (including the Kava fund) – 9 projects totalling $169,627 were supported. $392,171 was requested by 12 applicants.
See the full list of Arts Grants for the round closing September