Applications for the second of this year’s Creative Communities Scheme funding rounds are now open.

Provided by Creative New Zealand, the aim of the fund is to increase the range, diversity and participation in the arts in the community.

The distribution for Hawke’s Bay is managed by the Hastings District and Napier City councils and applicants can apply through either council, or to both councils if their project involves both Napier and Hastings residents and the funding requests are for different components of the project.

Past recipients across the region have included artists and art exhibitions, community event organisers, performance workshops, comedy and music shows, and theatre and youth initiatives.

The amounts of individual grants have ranged from $500 to $4000.

Hastings District Council community grants and partnerships advisor Kev Carter said the scheme was about increasing diversity and participation in the arts in communities.

“These initiatives help encourage a sense of place and belonging through the many different forms of the arts, enriching and promoting our unique attributes and the cultural diversity in our communities.”

Napier City Council’s acting community services director Darran Gillies said he encourages anyone who is working on an arts project or in a group, to get an application in and give it a go.

“We have so much hidden talent in Hawke’s Bay, it is wonderful to have the Creative Communities Funding Scheme available to help shine the spotlight on these otherwise hidden gems.”

The assessment committee aims to support as many applications as possible each year, providing grassroots funding to diverse initiatives that have a notable impact on the development of the arts in Hastings.

Applications for the upcoming funding round are open now and close on August 19, 2022.

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