Pacific Arts Committee calls for nominations

Media release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To: All Media

Date: 23 April 2008

Pacific Arts Committee calls for nominations

Creative New Zealand is calling for nominations for a new representative from the Cook Island community for appointment to its Pacific Arts Committee.

Creative New Zealand is the national development agency for the arts. One of the strategic priorities for the organisation is investing in New Zealand Pacific communities strengthening and building cultural identity through the arts.

Chair of the Pacific Arts Committee, Pele Walker says the committee supports and celebrates both the heritage arts and contemporary arts of Pacific communities.

“The role of the Pacific Arts Committee is to support the arts of the Pacific peoples of New Zealand. As well as allocating grants to a range of projects by Pacific artists and organisations, the committee also establishes special initiatives such as artform development workshops, the annual Arts Pasifika Awards, an artist-in-residency programme and funding information forums. Our focus is a vibrant and vital Pacific arts culture in New Zealand.”

The Pacific Arts Committee is a committee of Creative New Zealand’s Arts Board. It meets up to five times a year, and is made up of eight members. There are representatives from the seven main Islands groups of Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Cook Islands, Tokelau and Tuvalu, as well as the chairperson of the Committee, who is also a member of the Creative New Zealand Arts Board.

Ideally, people nominated to become members of the Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Committee should have:

* significant experience or expertise in a particular artform, and ideally, language arts and literature, and expertise in Pacific arts or significant experience or expertise in areas such as arts access, arts in the community

* a passion and vision for the development of Pacific arts in New Zealand

* an established network among their community in New Zealand

* support from their community, locally or nationally

* good communication skills and an ability to work well within a team

* proven skills in strategic planning, budget planning and project management

* knowledge of the issues facing Pacific artists and groups in their development.

The closing date for nominations is 5pm Friday 9 May 2008.
For more information and a nomination form, please contact Tarisi Vunidilo at tarisi.vunidilo[at]creativenz.govt.nz or 09 354 4863.

You can also download the nomination form from the Resources section of Creative New Zealand’s website - www.creativenz.govt.nz.

ENDS

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