Creative New Zealand

The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) (previously the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council^[1]) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets and audiences for New Zealand arts domestically and internationally. Its funding consists of approximately 50% central government funding and the remaining amount from the Lotteries Commission. Creative New Zealand distributes around $11.5 million each year in contestable funding to support projects that develop New Zealand arts.

Funding is available for artists, community groups and arts organisations. Creative New Zealand funds projects across art-forms, including theatre, dance, music, literature, visual art, craft object art, media art and pan art-form festivals.

Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill 2010

The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill 2010 (the Bill) was referred to the Government Administration Committee for consideration, following its introduction to the House on 25 June 2010 and its First Reading in the House on 18 August 2010. This Bill replaces the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 1994 (the 1994 Act). The primary purpose of the Bill is to streamline the governance structure of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand (CNZ)) established by the 1994 Act by replacing it with one unitary board. The board is to be known as the Arts Council and will replace the current Arts Council and the three boards it governs: the Arts Board, Te Waka Toi, and the Pacific Arts Committee.

Contestable Funding

Creative New Zealand distributes arts grants through contestable funding rounds to support projects that develop New Zealand arts.

In 2011, Creative New Zealand introduced Arts Development Investments to replace its Recurrently Funded Organisations funding. Arts Development Investments provide funding for extended periods for established artists, arts practitioners, groups and arts organisations.

Māori Arts

Creative New Zealand supports Māori arts through its Arts Board and Te Waka Toi board, which provide funding for Māori artists and organisations.

Toi Ake is a special funding initiative tailored to iwi (tribe), hapū (sub-tribe), and whakapapa (genealogy) oriented groups to focus on cultivating and retaining traditional and contemporary Māori arts.

Pacific Arts

The Pacific Arts Committee provides funding for Pacific Island artists, community groups and arts organisations. The committee also funds the annual Pacific Arts Awards, including the Iosefa Enari Memorial Award and artist residencies in Samoa and the Cook Islands. It has also funded festivals such as Pasifika, a free annual festival of Polynesian arts, crafts and performances in Auckland. The Arts Council supports a contingent of Pacific Island artists from New Zealand to attend the Festival of Pacific Arts held every four years. Creative New Zealand funds Tautai, an organisation promoting contemporary Pacific Island visual artists such as Fatu Feu'u, painter and sculptor Johnny Penisula, multi-media artist Shigeyuki Kihara and printmaker, painter and sculptor Michel Tuffery.

Arts Organisations

Creative New Zealand provides funding for many New Zealand arts organisations, including the New Zealand Opera, Playmarket, Chamber Music New Zealand, New Zealand Book Council, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Arts Access Aotearoa and Taki Rua theatre company.

Creative Communities Scheme

Creative New Zealand administers a fund called the Creative Communities Scheme (CCS). CCS funding coordinators sit within local councils and receive biannual grants to be directed to local arts projects.

Film

The Independent Filmmakers Fund is a partnership between Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Film Commission to support established and emerging filmmakers. It replaced the former Screen Innovation Production Fund (SIPF).

Artist Residencies

Creative New Zealand funds several artist residencies including the Berlin Writers' Residency and the Creative New Zealand and the National University of Samoa Artist in Residence programme.

References

1. ^ "A Brief History of Government Involvement in Culture, Ministry for Culture and Heritage". http://www.mch.govt.nz/about/history.html. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 

External links

• Creative New Zealand
• Ministry for Culture and Heritage
• The Big Idea, NZ creative communities website
• Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts
• Toi Maori Aotearoa