Creative Communities Scheme to offer one-off festival funding
Published on 18 July 2023
Whanganui’s Creative Communities Scheme is open once more, funding local arts projects that benefit the community.
A special element to this round is additional funding available only this year for arts festivals celebrating the life experiences, stories, cultures, and regional identities of New Zealanders.
The Creative Communities Scheme is a partnership between Whanganui District Council and Creative New Zealand, funding projects which positively impact the community by encouraging youth participation in the arts, giving locals the chance to engage with arts activities, or showcasing artistic cultural traditions.
The council’s creative community advisor, Anique Jayasinghe, says, “It’s encouraging to see Creative New Zealand invest in a fund like Creative Communities Scheme which has a strong focus on supporting the local arts sector.”
The festival funding is a one-off that has been provided from the government to help alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on the arts sector. The $1.2 million allocated across different councils who opt-in for the one-off funding is part of a total $22 million top-up to Creative New Zealand.
The main eligibility criteria for the festival funding is the festival must be established and needs to have run at least once in the past five years. The festival must also have a set programme, take place within a certain place and time, and feature one or more art forms.
Two funding rounds for the scheme are run each year. This round is for projects that will take place between 11 September 2023 and 11 September 2024.
To help with the funding process, it’s recommended you discuss project plans with Anique Jayasinghe before making an application. You can contact Anique by calling 06 349 3086 or emailing Anique.Jayasinghe@whanganui.govt.nz.
For more information, to see past grant recipients and to apply, visit the Creative Communities Scheme page.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday, 18 August 2023.