Kāpiti Coast District Council has about $22,000 available in 2024/25 to share between projects that will showcase the rich heritage of our district or help our local museum and heritage groups do more to tell our stories and do it better.

Council arts, museum and heritage advisor Rosie Salas said council had a responsibility and a desire to support those telling our stories.

“Kāpiti has a rich and vibrant heritage that is hugely influential in shaping our community identity and connections,” Ms Salas said. “It’s important we support this mahi.

“We’ve already been able to help some fantastic projects get up and running, or come to fruition, and we’d like to do more,” she said.

Previous projects include contributing to films documenting the history and relocation of The Kilns at Te Horo and the restoration of the Ōtaki Rotunda.

The Kilns at Te Horo celebrate the legacy of potter Mirek Smíšek whose hand-built brick beehive-shaped kilns created a hub for ceramic art in Aotearoa New Zealand for more than 40 years.

The rotunda at the old Health Camp in Ōtaki is listed on the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga due to its national historical, architectural, and social significance. It has great potential for community use, enabling this part of our history to be appreciated by future generations, Ms Salas said.

“We have incredible stories right here in our community that demonstrate that history need not be consigned to dusty old books. Contemporary heritage is not just about bringing the past alive through curated collections and integrating it into our everyday lives,” Ms Salas said. “It’s as much about capturing the important stories and taonga of today and for the future, through buildings, technology, art forms, and oral histories.

“Council is committed to providing opportunities for our community to learn and celebrate the stories of our district and its people. There’s always lots more to discover, describe, and preserve or reimagine for future generations.”

This museum and heritage development funding round opens on Monday 19 August and closes at 5pm on Monday 7 October. Applications can be for more than one year, and grants are usually for about $5-10,000 for each year covered by the grant.

Anyone wanting to apply must first email staff at artsadmin@kapiticoast.govt.nz before Friday 4 October to arrange to discuss their project.

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