Ashburton District Council: Creative Communities Scheme [New Zealand]

Deadline: 31-Mar-23

Looking to bring your creative project to life? The Creative Communities Scheme is here to help.

With funding available for a wide range of artistic ventures, from music and dance to visual arts and community workshops, this scheme supports more than 1,800 individuals and groups across the country each year.

Locally, the scheme is administered by the Ashburton District Council and they’re looking for arts projects that do at least one of the following:

• Increase opportunities for local participation in the arts.
• Support the diverse artistic expressions of the local communities.
• Enable young people to engage with the arts.

Funding Information

• There is no limit to how much you can apply for, but most CCS grants tend to be under $2,000.

Eligible Projects

To be eligible for funding through CCS your arts project must support at least one of the following:

• Access and participation: Create opportunities for local communities to engage with, and participate in local arts activities, eg:
  • performances by community choirs, hip-hop groups, theatre companies or poets
  • workshops on printmaking, writing, dancing or other creative forms
  • exhibitions by local craft groups promoting weaving, pottery and carving
  • festivals featuring local artists
  • creation of a community film or a public artwork by a community
  • development of new tukutuku, whakairo or kōwhaiwhai for a local marae
  • artist residencies involving local artists or communities
  • seminars for local artist development.
• Diversity: Support the diverse artistic cultural traditions of local communities, eg:
  • workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions in Māori or Pasifika heritage art forms
  • workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions by local migrant communities
  • arts projects bringing together groups from a range of different communities
  • workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions by groups with experience of disability or mental illness.
• Young people: Enable young people (under 18 years) to engage with, and participate in the arts, eg:
  • a group of young people working with an artist to create a mural or street art
  • a group of young people creating a film about an issue that is important to them
  • printing a collection of writing by young people
  • music workshops for young people
  • an exhibition of visual art work by young people
• Your project must:
  • take place within the city or district where the application is made
  • be completed within 12 months of funding being approved
  • not have started or finished before CCS funding is approved.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals or groups can apply for CCS funding. Individuals must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
• If you have already received funding from CCS for a project, you must complete a report on that project before making another application, unless the project is still in progress.

For more information, visit Ashburton District Council.