20 Mar 2025
Launched in 2020 as an initiative under the Pacific Arts Strategy and co-designed by staff at Creative New Zealand and the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi, Boosted X Moana reached the million-dollar mark at the end of 2024 with close to 7,000 generous individual donations co-funding 111 Pacific arts projects.
The innovative strategic partnership has seen a whopping success rate of 100% for all projects with guaranteed matched funding from the Pacific Arts Strategy budget, as the project teams successfully campaign to their own networks to crowdfund the rest of their target.
Projects supported range across music, theatre, dance, literature, visual arts, film, digital including podcasts from big cities to the regions, and all-across Aotearoa.
Boosted X Moana was created to provide creative solutions to diversifying funding options for artists. It also sought to engage the public and communities as everyday champions and philanthropists while helping artists to build skills in campaigning, marketing, publicity, and networking in the digital space.
Jannita Pilisi, Arts Council member, acknowledges the generosity of donors.
‘We are so thankful and grateful to the thousands of incredible and kind individual donors who have helped and contributed to so many artists and their projects. We cannot say "fakāue lahi mahaki - thank you" enough to all of the generous donors who have helped artists and creative teams realise their dreams and grow their skills and reach while diversifying revenue for their artmaking,’ says Jannita.
In 2024, Boosted X Moana was themed around Climate Change focused projects to align with one of the six priority areas under the Pacific Arts Strategy 2023 – 2028.
For 2025, Boosted X Moana has been re-designed and co-designed to focus on ‘Global Pacific arts’ projects to support the increasing demand from overseas markets for world-class unique Pacific stories for the stage, screen, festivals and exhibitions.
The strategic vision for Pacific arts is ‘Powerful and resilient Pacific arts led by passionate and enterprising Pasifika people for Aotearoa, Te Moana Nui a Kiva, and the world.’
Makerita Urale, Senior Manager Pacific Arts, highlights the strategic drivers behind the partnership.
“Global, enterprising, excellence, Aotearoa, Te Moana Nui a Kiva and the world – these are the drivers of our strategic work for Pacific arts. We absolutely love working with the Arts Foundation team because they’re innovative, and all our hearts are grounded in our communities and our shared alofa for artists to thrive culturally, socially and economically,” says Makerita.
Jessica Palagi, General Manager of the Arts Foundation, is excited to partner again for the sixth year with Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts.
‘We look forward to Boosted x Moana campaigns every year. The Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Strategy team, by partnering with us and providing match funding have seen their investment grow significantly, meaning more money is going to Pasifika artists and the wider ecosystem.”
“We’re also building collective capability and showing the power of giving to all communities across Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Jessica.
Producer and actor Kasi Valu has led several successful Boosted X Moana, including a podcast project in the first year of the partnership.
“Boosted X Moana provides incentivised communal investment for artists at any stage of their career. It’s a platform for artists, companies, collective or organisation to engage directly with their networks, and expand their reach. It’s grounded in our Pacific values of helping each other, sharing resources, and finding creative ways to fundraise. While bringing to life an artistic vision is challenging - it’s still possible.”
“Creating your own Boosted campaign offers valuable learnings from strategic engagement, marketing, fundraising to curating a message that connects with your audience. Having led four successful campaigns, we’ve grateful to the kind donors who supported our projects because they love the arts and believe in what we do,” Kasi says.
The first Boosted X Moana cohort for 2025 is open and crowd funding live now, until the Thursday 10 April 2025.
We will see three more cohorts fund across the year, so there is plenty of time to be involved as a project and as a supporter. Reach out to the team at kiaora@boosted.org.nz to find out more.
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