The August 2015 round of Arts Grants resulted in 83 grants totalling $1,863,481 being offered to support projects by New Zealand artists, practitioners and arts organisations. More than $6.5 million was requested by 201 applicants.

Results include:

• Pacific Arts Fund - 10 projects totalling $148,119 supported. More than $430,000 was requested by 17 applicants
• Nga Toi Maori Fund - 13 projects totalling $323,002 supported. More than $1.23 million was requested by 32 applicants
• General Arts Fund - 60 projects totalling $1,392,360 supported. More than $4.9 million was requested by 152 applicants.

As well as supporting established artists, several emerging artists have been supported including

• Critically acclaimed writer David Coventry who has been awarded the Todd New Writers Bursary for his second novel
• Five time Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards nominee Marlon Williams who has been awarded a grant to help promote a new album in Europe and North America. 

Arts Grant funding supports a diverse range of arts activities across artforms and areas of arts practice including heritage arts. In this round three kaupapa waka projects were supported for a series of wananga on navigation and the carving of pou. The wananga, held in different regions, will be led by tohunga including Jack Thatcher, Stanley Conrad, Turanga Hoturoa, Barclay-Kerr and Piripi Smith. Kaupapa waka is an artform priority under Nga Toi Maori.

Some of the artists and organisations funded through Arts Grants are working within small communities while others are creating work in larger centres. Projects have been also funded which will produce works for national touring. Several supported projects are internationally based.

Creative New Zealand uses independent experts from the arts sector to give advice during the assessment process. During this round, 35 peer assessors with a broad range of knowledge and experience worked with staff. They came from throughout the country and across a full range of artforms and areas of arts practice.

In addition, Nga Toi Maori applications were assessed by a Maori arts panel and Pacific applications were assessed by a Pacific arts panel.

See the full list of results.

Source: Creative New Zealand
05/11/2015