The talent, passion and drive of 12 creative entrepreneurs was recognised and celebrated at the 2012 ART Venture Awards event in Auckland this evening. Each of the 12 Aucklanders were awarded a place, worth up to $35,000, on the prestigious year-long creative enterprise accelerator programme ART Venture. The Award Recipients are: Celia Harrison | Ella Mizrahi | Kristina Hard | Kyra Clarke | Margaret-Mary Hollins | Marshall Smith | Sally Greer | Sarah Graham | Shirley Allan | Tamati Patuwai | Te Rongo Kirkwood | Tim Bray

Sandi Morrison, Deputy Chair of the Arts Regional Trust, says she is excited by the high calibre of the Award recipients and their participation in the 2012 ART Venture programme, adding that they are “a fantastic group of talented, creative practitioners with exciting projects that will make a difference to Auckland”.

The theme of the gala awards event was ‘Ma te huruhuru, ka rere te manu’ (‘Adorn the bird with feathers, so it can fly’) and each Award recipient was presented with a huia feather necklace made by Auckland jeweller Ross Malcolm. Traditionally, huia feathers were worn by Maori of high status and mana. The principle so beautifully expressed in the whakatauki or proverb is also is at the heart of ART Venture and all of ART’s creative enterprise programmes says Sandi Morrison. “Through its innovative programmes, ART is intent on incubating and accelerating the development of creative, entrepreneurial people - people who are already making a difference through their work in the arts and creative sector. ART strives to ensure creative people and their projects take off and fly. By backing these creative entrepreneurs and what they do, the effect is generative within communities and Auckland’s economy” she says.

The 2012 ART Venture Award recipients were selected from a pool of over 50 applicants to the programme through a robust selection process lead by a panel of selectors. The panel is made up of business development specialist Hinurewa Te Hau, business advisor and investor Dave Booth, Maori Arts Advisor Nigel Borell, and ART trustee and experienced creative sector consultant Sandi Morrison. The 2012 participants come from a wide range of arts backgrounds; some have been working in the sector for many years, and some are in start-up mode. Such variety isn’t a problem, explains Programme Director Elisabeth Vaneveld “The programme provides a flexible yet intensive action-learning environment that, through peer-to-peer support, specialist coaching, a seed fund pitching process and an innovative curriculum, accelerates the creative enterprise development of each participant.”

She says the ground-breaking ART Venture programme is a unique opportunity, “there is nothing else like it. Throughout the programme participants get direct personalised input to help them develop strategies to take their creative enterprises and projects to the next level. “

Justin Lewis, one half of the very successful theatre company Indian Ink, and ART Venture 2008 programme participant, says “I found the ART Venture programme to be extremely well designed: practical, responsive and forward thinking. I would describe the programme as visionary and have no doubt that the value it places on human capital and the ability of key individuals to make a profound impact on the cultural and economic wealth of Auckland will pay dividends for many years to come.”

Previous ART Venture, and its sister programme ART Source, participants have included Charlie McDermott [theatre producer], Renee Bevan [jewellery designer], Shona McCullagh [filmmaker, choreographer], Jamie McLellan [designer], Philip Patston [social entrepreneur] and Claire Cowan [composer]

Also presented at the ART Awards event on the 29th of February was the ART Creative Entrepreneur 2012 Award, which was awarded to ‘filmhead’ Ant Timpson. Initiated by the Arts Regional Trust (ART) and sponsored by Hynds Group of Companies, the Award brings with it a $10,000 cash award and most importantly recognition for the countless hours of hard graft and determination that Ant Timpson has put in to spark the imaginations of and provide opportunities for many thousands of movie goers, filmbuffs and aspiring filmmakers