Creative New Zealand announces 2015 investment funding

31 July 2015

Creative New Zealand announces 2015 investment funding

The Arts Council has committed a further $10.5 million to 26 arts organisations in its latest multi-year investment funding round.

Arts Council Chairman, Dr Dick Grant says the Toi Uru Kahikatea (Arts Development) and Toi Tōtara Haemata (Arts Leadership) investment programmes were established in 2012 to ensure New Zealand’s arts infrastructure was intentionally strengthened and enriched. “These programmes provide funding for between one and five years and account for more than half of Creative New Zealand’s funding of the arts.”

He says, “We are looking for a very deliberate and complementary mix; leadership organisations that fill key roles in our arts ecology and development organisations that foster diversity and exploration. I believe we are getting the balance right. Internationally and at home our arts offering demonstrates both quality and vibrancy.”

This year’s funding commitment brings Creative New Zealand’s investment spend for the current calendar year to $24,594,281 across 82 arts organisations.

Support for participation activities for young people includes funding for the Youth Performance Trust, which has an established secondary school events programme for young Pasifika songwriters, and for the New Zealand Shakespeare Globe Centre Trust, which brings together secondary school students from 23 regions to direct their own productions.

A number of new New Zealand works are being funded, including new dance works by Atamira Dance Company and by Ross McCormick with the New Zealand Dance Company. New Pacific and Māori works will also be developed by The Conch and Tawata Productions.

Multi-year funding for residencies, such as those run by the Randell Cottage Writers Trust and the McCahon House Trust, help to develop the potential careers and work of individual artists and practitioners. Other opportunities and initiatives include support for developing choreographers by Footnote, new playwrights and theatre practitioners in the Matariki Development Festival run by Tawata Productions, workshops for writers run by the New Zealand Society of Authors and professional development opportunities for the craft/object sector to be delivered by Objectspace.

Publishing support has been committed to Auckland University Press, Bridget Williams Books, Otago University Press, Penguin Random House and Victoria University Press for activities that will increase and diversify readership and sales in line with priorities identified in Creative New Zealand’s recent review of literature.

Artspace and The Physics Room will receive increased support to present high-quality visual arts in a non-commercial space.

Regional representation is strong across the full investments portfolio, with additional support provided in this round for the presentation and touring of work by Arts on Tour, Southern Lakes Arts Festival Trust, the New Zealand Dance Company, Atamira Dance Company and the Kahurangi New Zealand Dance Trust. There is continued investment in Christchurch’s arts infrastructure with funding commitments to the Christchurch Arts Festival and SCAPE.

International opportunities are being supported, including presentations by The Conch in Sydney and the New Zealand Dance Company at the Holland Dance Festival and in Germany.

Creative New Zealand offered five key roles in visual arts, craft/object arts and literature this year. These will be fulfilled by The Physics Room, Artspace and Objectspace and by the New Zealand Book Council.

The full list of recipients for Toi Uru Kahikatea (Arts Development) and Toi Tōtara Haemata (Arts Leadership) investment funding is available on the Creative New Zealand website.

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