14 July 2006

SOUNZ great says Minister

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Luamanuvao Winnie Laban visited The Centre for New Zealand Music (SOUNZ) in Wellington today to announce the successful applicants to the Digital Strategy’s Community Partnership Fund.

The Community Partnership Fund supports national, regional, and community Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives. Wellington-based organisation SOUNZ was one of over 50 successful applicants throughout New Zealand announced today.

"SOUNZ is a great example of how the Community Partnership Fund will help develop exciting new initiatives that will see communities, business and government working together to realise community aspirations through ICT," Luamanuvao Winnie Laban said.

"ICT can bring communities closer together, provide services to isolated areas and reach people who are excluded from taking part. ICT is all about people and their ability to connect to the things that matter to them, and that is why the Community Partnership Fund is so important,” said Luamanuvao Winnie Laban.

SOUNZ is a not-for-profit charitable trust that provides, fosters and promotes the music of New Zealand composers through a range of services, projects and activities. Currently SOUNZ holds details of over 7,000 works by more than 300 composers. It is the largest and most accessible collection of New Zealand music in the world.

Community Partnership Funding of $528,747 will help SOUNZ to change the way it documents and disseminates its unique collection of information about New Zealand music. Key to this is the development of a new cataloguing system and website. The new website will offer a comprehensive view of New Zealand music making, including efficient searching facilities of SOUNZ database of works, composers, scores and recordings.

Further information:

For a full list of the successful applicants, visit: www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz

For information about SOUNZ, visit: www.sounz.org.nz

ENDS

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