Individual artists feature among Arts Board grants

Individual artists

feature among

Arts Board grants

Nearly half of the 177 grants announced in the latest funding round of the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand support projects by individual artists.

Arts Board Chair Christopher Finlayson said that project grants were a key way in which the Arts Board could provide direct support to individual artists.

“We’re delighted at the high number of individual artists we’ve been able to support in this round,” he said. “A particular feature was the number of applications from individual artists across all artforms seeking support for ongoing research or professional development.”

Mr Finlayson said it was vital that artists had opportunities for creative and professional development, either in New Zealand or overseas. Not only did this benefit individual artists in their pursuit of excellence, it also benefited other artists with whom they shared their insights and knowledge

In this funding round, the Arts Board received 592 applications seeking more than $8.7 million. In the end, 177 grants totalling just over $1.9 million were offered. The Arts Board Board has three funding programmes to which applicants apply. These are Creative and Professional Development; New Work; and Presentation, Promotion and Audience Development.

“Even though the Arts Board supported a high number of individual artists, we would have liked the support to have been more generous, particularly for senior and established practitioners,” he said. “We recognise the importance of a substantial grant in providing an artist with a sustained period of time to develop their work and take risks.

“To this end, we will be working with the Government to see if a fellowship programme can be developed.”

The Arts Board awarded three Jack McGill Music Scholarships, which are administered by the Public Trust Office with Creative New Zealand, and one Butland Music Scholarship. Both scholarships support promising young musicians for advanced music study overseas. This year’s recipients are:

- Carolyn Wu of Christchurch, awarded a $3000 Jack McGill Music Scholarship towards a masters degree in music performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London

- Stacey Dixon, formerly of Christchurch but now based in London, awarded a $5000 Jack McGill Music Scholarship to continue postgraduate oboe studies at the Royal College of Music

- Lara Hall of Auckland, awarded a $5000 Jack McGill Music Scholarship towards a masters degree in violin performance at the University of Michigan in the United States

- Soren Beech of Havelock North, awarded a $2500 Butland Music Scholarship of $2500 to continue postgraduate study in cello at Rutgers University, New Jersey, in the United States. This scholarship was supplemented by a $500 Arts Board grant.

In this round, the New Zealand Festival was offered grants totalling $310,000 to support new New Zealand work and artists at the 2002 New Zealand Festival. This was in addition to the $90,000 the Festival received last year for its Show and Tell process, where artists are invited to develop and present proposals for new work to both the New Zealand Festival and other New Zealand and international presenters.

The New Zealand Festival will soon be announcing the new New Zealand work for its 2002 Festival.

This was the final funding round for four of the seven Arts Board members. Chair Christopher Finlayson and members Owen Marshall, Jennifer Shennan and Julie Warren retire from the Arts Board and new appointments will be announced by the Government later this year. Members who remain on the Arts Board are Dame Fiona Kidman, Marilyn Kohlhase and Helen Schamroth.

Peter Biggs, Chair of Creative New Zealand’s Council, paid tribute to the commitment and contribution of the four retiring Arts Board members. In particular, he said, Mr Finlayson had played a vital role as a member of the Arts Board for the past six years - the last three of which were as Chair.

Applications to the next funding round of Creative New Zealand close on 27 July 2001. Copies of the Funding Guide: Nga Putea 2001-2002 are available from Creative New Zealand offices or can be downloaded from the publications page of its website (www.creativenz.govt.nz).

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