18 Dec 2023
Creative New Zealand has announced the final Arts Grants recipients with more than $5 million in funding to be distributed across 140 projects.
This funding round was delivered in two parts, with this announcement following the earlier allocation of $2.7 million for 53 projects. More than 600 applications were received for the second part of this round, making it the largest ever for Arts Grants.
Creative New Zealand has distributed more than $100 million in project funding through the current Arts Grants programme since it was established in 2009. Senior Manager – Arts Development Services Gretchen La Roche says it has enabled artists and arts organisations to bring a wide range of projects to life.
“Arts Grants have supported works which have been enjoyed by many thousands of New Zealanders since the programme began.”
“I also wish to acknowledge the many artists who have prepared and submitted applications over the years as well as the hundreds of art form and practice experts who have contributed their knowledge as assessors during this time.”
The projects supported in the most recent round covered a wide range of artforms including visual arts, theatre, music and multidisciplinary arts with 34 Ngā Toi Māori and 26 Pacific Arts projects funded.
There’s also strong representation for deaf/disabled artists, with nine such projects receiving funding. Panacea Arts Charitable Trust has been funded to hold an exhibition celebrating the shared vision of disabled artists Ululau Ama and the late Sarah Holten. Ama received the Pacific Toa Award at the 2022 Arts Pasifika Awards, while Holten was recognised posthumously as the recipient of the Te Tohu Iho Pūmanawa at November’s Te Waka Toi Awards.
Other works featuring disabled artists include an international tour of inclusive aerial dance performance The Air Between Us by Chloe Loftus and Rodney Bell , a theatre production by Pati Umaga, and a remount of the accessible production Spark LIVE by Glass Ceiling Arts Collective.
Seven funded projects cater directly to rangatahi including the Auckland Youth Choir who will be holding a 40th Anniversary concert, Launchpad who are set to run a series of creative talks with established Pasifika Artists and industry experts, and the Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa who will run a 12-month programme of resources and opportunities to support the sector.
This round is the last time Arts Grants will be offered after the launch of Creative New Zealand’s For the Arts funding programme last month. It offers eight new programmes, aimed at early career artists, artists and practitioners, and arts organisations and groups.
La Roche says the new opportunities represent a fundamental change after listening to feedback from the sector about the challenges with the current system.
“We’ve moved from a focus on investing in projects to investing in people. These changes have been made to support artists to be able to take more risks. We want to provide greater flexibility for artists who we know need different things at different times.”
The new programmes will begin to open for applications early in 2024.
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