Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency

Call for applications - Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency

Fulbright New Zealand and Creative New Zealand invite applications for the 2011 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency, an award which offers a New Zealand writer of Pacific heritage the opportunity to work for three months on a creative writing project exploring Pacific identity, culture or history at the University of Hawai‘i. The project may be in any genre, but priority is given to works that focus on developing New Zealand literature in the genres of fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction (including biography, history, arts-related and cultural topics) and playwriting.

The residency is valued at NZ$30,000 and includes return airfares to Hawai‘i, accommodation costs and a monthly stipend. Previous recipients have included children’s author Sarona Aiono-Iosefa, poet Tusiata Avia, playwrights Victor Rodger and Makerita Urale, and filmmakers Sima Urale and Toa Fraser. Hawai‘i has been identified as a strategic location for artists and is considered the hub of Pacific writing with numerous universities, library resources, networks, writers’ forums and publishers. It is also an important link to the mainland US and has a strong indigenous culture.

Last year’s writer-in-residence, Makerita Urale, finished the first draft of a new play entitled The Heathen’s Way and conducted a reading of scenes from the play with students from the University of Hawai‘i’s Department of Theatre and Dance. She found the experience “creatively, intellectually, culturally and spiritually fulfilling” and said it was “the pinnacle of creative achievement” in her writing career. “I was given the time and space to develop my ideas, thoughts and feelings and write the first draft of my new play,” she explains. “I did a lot of talking and sharing with scholars and professors – from New Zealand, the Pacific, and the US – and the sharing of thoughts and ideas helped my script and helped me grow as a person. After the public reading of my play and the response from the audience, I finally accepted in my heart that I am a writer.” Since completing her residency Makerita has been appointed as Senior Pacific Arts Adviser at Creative New Zealand, where she is using her own residency experience to help other Pacific artists fulfil their dreams.

This year’s Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency is available from August to November 2011. The deadline for applications is 5:00pm, Friday 1 April.

See http://www.fulbright.org.nz/awards/nz-cnz.html
or contact Felicity Birch or Makerita Urale at Creative New Zealand for further information:

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