Pacific Arts Committee grants

Pacific Arts Committee grants
highlight need to pass on
cultural knowledge

The need to pass on cultural knowledge and skills to New Zealand-born Pacific children was a common theme among the heritage arts projects offered grants in the latest funding round of the Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New Zealand.

A feature of this round was the record number of applications from community groups seeking support for their heritage arts projects. Of the 54 applications received by the Committee, 21 applications were for heritage arts projects.

Marilyn Kohlhase, Chair of the Pacific Arts Committee, said the Committee was pleased to offer grants to 14 heritage arts projects from the Tuvaluan, Tokelauan, Niuean, Fijian, Samoan, Tongan and Rotuman communities.

She commended the energy and commitment of these communities seeking to preserve their cultures. “Heritage arts are the backbone of our Pacific arts and the Committee was particularly pleased to be able to support the first application it’s received from New Zealand’s small Rotuman community.”

A $3000 grant was offered to the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Rotuman Fellowship for cultural workshops at its annual get-together over Labour Weekend 2002. The Fellowship has three branches – Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty and Wellington – and each branch takes a turn at hosting the annual event.

“As a minority ethnic group, Rotumans need to share and preserve their distinct cultural heritage,” said Ravai Shaw, a member of the Fellowship. “The opportunity to learn firsthand from experienced Rotuman elders is immeasurable since most of our community has never been to Rotuma Island.”

The Hutt Valley Fijian Community was offered a grant of $3920 for traditional Fijian costume-making workshops. It has performed several times at Te Papa, at fashion shows for schools, church conferences, government department openings and festivals.

“Our project is about doing our traditional dance, singing our traditional songs and wearing our costumes, wherever and whenever possible,” said Ulamila Kama of the Hutt Valley Fijian Community.

These projects were two of the 27 projects supported by the Pacific Arts Committee through its four funding programmes. These are: Pacific Islands Arts Development; Pacific Islands Arts Promotion; Pacific Islands Heritage Arts; and Pacific Islands Tangata Whenua Links. A total of $133,320 was allocated to the 27 projects.

Traditional Dunedin weaver Emma Kesha and Wanganui ceramic artist Lurlene Christiansen will take up artist residencies in Christchurch at the beginning of July, with the support of a $9000 grant to the Macmillian Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. The artists will develop new work during their three-month tenure at the Macmillan Brown Centre and their work will be exhibited at the School of Fine Arts Gallery in late September.

Another artist undertaking a residency is Tony Schuster (Samoan) of Grey Lynn, Auckland. He was offered a $5000 grant supporting the inaugural six-month residency in the Ruatoki Valley, starting in July 2002. The artist will be working with local Tuhoe artists in an artist studio and gallery, run and owned by the Urewera hapu. At the end of the residency, he plans to exhibit his work initially in the Ruatoki Valley gallery, followed by shows in Auckland and Sydney.

Two grants supported projects profiling Pacific arts and artists internationally. These are:

 $15,000 to Queensland Art Gallery towards the New Zealand Pacific Island component at the Asia-Pacific Triennal of Contemporary Art 2002, opening in September in Brisbane. This includes a performance project entitled Pasifika Diva and an archival video compilation by Ole Maiava.
 $6000 to Fatu Feu’u (Samoan) of Whenuapai, Auckland towards an art and cultural exchange between Kanaky artists and six New Zealand Pacific artists in New Caledonia in September 2002.
The Pacific Arts Committee is keen to encourage applications for literature proposals and will be working with Pacific writers and publishers to help develop Pacific writing. It was pleased to offer a $6000 grant to Essential Films of Auckland supporting talented Auckland writer Rene Naufahu to develop a film/television screenplay called Bloodlines.

Marilyn Kohlhase said the Committee noted a steady increase in applications and an overall improvement in the quality of applications.

“This is the direct result of the fono we held last year, and our ongoing liaison with individuals and community groups,” she said. “There were a number of exciting projects and the Committee plays an important role in helping our Pacific artists and communities reach their potential.”

Applications to the next funding round of Creative New Zealand close on Friday, 26 July 2002. Copies of the Funding Guide: Ngä Pütea 2002-2003 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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For further information:
Undine Marshfield
Media and Communications Advisor, Creative New Zealand
Tel: 04-498 0725 or 025-965 925
Email: undinem@creativenz.govt.nz

Iona McNaughton
Writer, Creative New Zealand
Tel: 04-498 0715 Email: ionam@creativenz.govt.nz
Pacific Arts Committee project grants
The following is a complete list of grants offered under the Pacific Arts Committee’s four funding programmes. These are Pacific Islands Arts Development; Pacific Islands Arts Promotion; Pacific Islands Heritage Arts; and Pacific Islands Tangata Whenua Links.
Pacific Islands Arts Development
$5000 to Art and Industry Biennial Trust of Christchurch towards the cost of Ani O’Neill participating in the 2002 Art and Industry Biennial from September to November. O’Neill will be artist-in-residence at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School where she will develop work for display as part of the Biennial’s site-specific programme.
$6000 to Essential Films of Auckland towards developing Bloodlines, a film/television screenplay by Rene Naufahu about “love, loyalty, family, home, Jesus, Dracula … and Twisties”.
$3500 to Sheyne Tuffery (Samoan) of Sandringham, Auckland towards a solo exhibition, Samopolis, at the Salamander Gallery in Christchurch from 10-30 June 2002. The exhibition will consist of 15 pieces of work encompassing a South Island identity.
$6000 to Fatu Feu’u (Samoan) of Whenuapai, Auckland towards an art and cultural exchange between Kanaky artists and six New Zealand Pacific artists in New Caledonia in September 2002.
$9000 to the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies of Christchurch towards its Pacific artist-in-residence programme, starting in July. The 2002 artists are Samoan weaver Emma Kesha of Dunedin and Samoan ceramic artist Lurlene Christiansen of Wanganui.

$4000 to Daren Kamali (Fijian) of Sandringham, Auckland towards the production of a CD album. A poet and musician, Kamali and his band aim to release a single in July and a 12-track album in November 2002.
Pacific Islands Arts Promotion
$15,000 to Queensland Art Gallery towards the New Zealand Pacific Island component at the Asia-Pacific Triennal of Contemporary Art 2002, opening in September in Brisbane. This includes a performance project entitled Pasifika Diva and an archival video compilation by Ole Maiava.
$6000 to Govett Brewster Art Gallery of New Plymouth towards a major exhibition, Geneaology of Lines: Hohoko e tohi tohi, and publication on New Plymouth sculptor Filipe Tohi (Tongan).
$6000 to Fiso Siloata (Samoan) of Lyall Bay, Wellington towards recording and promoting his solo, 12-track CD album of original compositions with his band Footsouljahs. Fiso Siloata (aka MC Flowz) is a hip hop artist with eight years’ experience in writing, live performance, acting and music.
$2400 to Dagmar Dyck (Tongan) of Devonport, Auckland towards her first solo exhibition in the South Island. Celebrating Kola will run at the Salamander Gallery in Christchurch during October 2002.
$7000 to Bill Sevesi (Tongan) of Mt Roskill, Auckland towards recording, manufacturing and promoting a CD album of 14 Polynesian tracks. Ten of these tracks are new compositions and four are archival.
Pacific Islands Heritage Arts
$4000 to Auckland Nui Community Trust of Sunnyvale, Auckland towards traditional Tuvaluan costume-making workshops. Once completed, the four titi (costumes) will be used for performances.
$5000 to Fatupaepae Tokelau Hutt Valley Weaving Group towards a traditional Tokelauan weaving workshop in Lower Hutt. The group plans to use authentic material imported from the Tokelau islands and wants to pass on knowledge of Tokelauan arts and crafts to a new generation.
$3000 to Fiti Keuila Trust of Waitakere City towards traditional Niuean arts workshops, culminating in a week-long exhibition of the completed works.
$3920 to the Hutt Valley Fijian Community Inc towards traditional Fijian costume-making workshops. One of the aims of the workshops is to provide traditional costumes for at least 15 youth.
$3000 to Ikihepo Mahofihofi Women's Group of Waitakere City towards traditional Niuean arts workshops, culminating in a week-long exhibition of the completed works.
$3000 to Niue Motu Maka Enterprises of Manukau City towards traditional Niuean arts workshops, to be held once a month and to culminate in a week-long exhibition of the completed works.
$5000 to Reeds Publishing (NZ) Ltd of Auckland towards a book documenting the history of the Polynesian Panthers, a group formed in Auckland during the 1970s by New Zealand-born Polynesian youth. The book will be edited by Dr Melani Anae, director of the Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland and a founding member of the Polynesian Panthers.
$3000 to Tony Qalivutu of Christchurch towards Fijian weaving workshops in the South Island with weaving tutor Penina Ligatabua.
$3500 to Tiale Puapua o Tokelau of Porirua towards a three-day workshop of Tokelauan arts and crafts in July 2002.
$4000 to Tianamo Women’s Association of Ranui, Auckland towards workshops on Tuvaluan weaving of mekei mats.
$4000 to EFKS Women’s Fellowship of Palmerston North towards Samoan cultural workshops, targeting women of all cultures but open to all the community.
$5000 to Kalapu Pikipkikama-Kae-Vaevaemanava of Mt Roskill, Auckland towards workshops promoting and preserving Tongan performing arts from June to December 2002.
$3000 to the New Zealand Rotuman Fellowship (Wellington) towards cultural workshops for the Rotuman community over Labour Weekend 2002.
$5000 to Clive Henry Beaumont of Ranui, Auckland towards a third Niuean language course book by Clive Beaumont and the late Aiao Kaulima. The Pacific Arts Committee supported the two earlier language course books.
Pacific Islands Tangata Whenua Links
$5000 to Tony Schuster of Grey Lynn, Auckland to undertake an inaugural six-month artist residency from July 2002, working with local Tuhoe artists in an artist studio and gallery run and owned by the Urewera hapu.
$4000 to Pati Umaga of Lower Hutt for Mäori and Pacific Island jazz musicians to rehearse together before participating as an eight-piece band, Kabasa and Friends, in the Island Jazz Festival in Samoa, starting in September 2002.

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