Kāpiti Coast District Council has approved funding for eight local arts and heritage initiatives from its two new development funds – the Arts Sustainability Fund and the Museum and Heritage Development Fund.

Libraries and Cultural Services Manager Ian Littleworth says the new funds enable Council to help local groups do aspirational things through the arts or telling stories of our heritage in interesting ways.

“These types of initiatives help put the Kāpiti Coast on the national cultural map, and we are looking forward to seeing how they grow and enhance our cultural offerings. We were particularly pleased to see increased collaboration with our mana whenua in the development of arts and heritage projects.”

The Arts Sustainability Fund was set up to support the development and long-term sustainability of arts initiatives and organisations in Kāpiti. The assessment panel for this fund has awarded grants to four recipients, representing a commitment of around $30,000 a year for the arts over the next three years.

“We’ve allocated funding to Kāpiti’s first mixed-gender barbershop chorus, a collaboration between Mahara Gallery and Te Wānanga o Raukawa with a focus on sharing traditional Māori taonga creation with the community, an annual mid-winter Ōtaki based winter festival that celebrates Matariki through the arts, and re-establishing a beloved community orchestra,” says Mr Littleworth.

The Museums and Heritage Development Fund is designed to help projects or activities that showcase the rich heritage of our district and build capacity and capability in the heritage sector. Grants were awarded to four recipients totalling $54,900.

“We’re excited to be supporting the Friends of the Ōtaki Rotunda in their work with the Department of Conservation and Ngā Hapu to restore an important piece of our history, the Kāpiti US Marines Trust to create a unique US Marines trail linking eight existing heritage sites, the Ōtaki Museum to introduce technology that will enable more interactive participation of visitors, and Te Whare Taonga o Paekākāriki/Paekākāriki Station Precinct Trust on a number of projects to improve and enhance the presence of the Station Museum, Ngati Haumia ki Paekākāriki and Paekākāriki Village.”

For more information on available funding, visit kapiticoast.govt.nz/funding.

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