02 Jun 2016
Creative New Zealand has awarded 84 grants worth a total of $1,811,509 in its latest Arts Grants funding round.
A high number of applications was received with $4,834,499 in total requested by 224 applicants.
Results include:
- General arts fund – 60 projects totalling $1,296,000 were supported. $3,345,693 was requested by 169 applicants.
- Māori arts fund (including the Toi Ake Fund) – 15 projects totalling $374,875 were supported. $1,064,999 was requested by 39 applicants
- Pacific arts fund – 9 projects totalling $140,634 were supported. $423,807 was requested by 16 applicants.
This second round of Arts Grants for the year included significant funding for regional and community arts activity. Theatre company Winning Productions will be funded for a premiere season of The Floating Theatre in Auckland, Hamilton and Whangarei while Barbarian Productions will mount a local version of its Sing It To My Face music theatre project for the Nelson Arts Festival. More than $230,000 was allocated towards festivals throughout New Zealand, mainly towards the development of new work.
Arts projects involving children and young people were also funded with grants towards touring shows, writing workshops and book publication. The Youth Performance Trust received support towards a new music and dance event, Matariki Rhythmz to showcase Pasifika and Māori youth talent and Tim Bray Productions will take theatre adaptation of Margaret Mahy’s A Lion in the Meadow and Other Stories on tour to Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Whangarei , Tauranga and Hamilton.
A number of grants will assist artists to take work to international biennial and exhibition events or help to fund residencies, research or international performance opportunities. On the back of recent festival performances in New Zealand, Dunedin rock band, The Chills, has been given a grant towards an upcoming tour to the UK and the USA, while Courtney Meredith will particpate in the 2016 Fall Residency at the International Writing Programme in Iowa and visual artists Kathy Barry and Luke Willis Thompson will participate in the 32nd Bienal de São Paulo.
A feature of this round was the awarding of several special scholarships and bursaries:
The Louis Johnson New Writer’s Bursary has been awarded to John Dennison towards a new poetry manuscript.
The Edwin Carr Foundation Scholarship for young composers has been awarded to David Taylor, Jake Baxendale and Warwick Blair.
A New Zealand/Aotearoa Music Scholarship has been awarded to Anna Whittaker.
The Jack McGill Music Scholarship has been awarded to Norelle McNaughton.
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.
See the full list of Arts Grants for the round closing March 2016.