Artspace Aotearoa is pleased to announce that next year, the Chartwell Trust New Commissions programme will expand to include a new writers programme. In addition to supporting early-career artists to produce new artworks to exhibit at the end of the year, the Chartwell Trust New Commission's initiative will now also support five early-career writers to produce new texts.

The Chartwell Trust New Commissions Writers Programme is a year-long opportunity for Tāmaki Makaurau-based individuals at an early stage of their writing or cultural criticism practice. The programme offers space, support, and visibility for emerging voices in Aotearoa’s arts and cultural writing ecology.

This programme responds to the ongoing decline in spaces for critical arts writing across Aotearoa. As publishing platforms reduce their coverage of the arts, the opportunities to produce and engage with cultural commentary are diminishing. Critical writing plays a vital role in shaping how art and culture are thought about, discussed and understood—not only recording history, but actively generating discourse, reflection, and change.

The New Commissions Writers Programme supports the development of new writing through a collaborative process that includes shared reading, peer learning, and editorial feedback. Over the course of a year, participants will develop one critical text for publication, with a focus on depth of thinking, clarity of voice and engagement with contemporary culture. The texts will be published during the Chartwell Trust New Commissions exhibition season at the end of 2026.

The programme includes regular monthly meetings, where participants will initially read collectively from a reader of diverse cultural criticism texts (including those nominated by the participants), then pitch text ideas, workshop drafts, and discuss the writing process as a group. Each writer will publish an annotated text from the reader as insight to their thinking during the programme in our online Reading Room. Participants will be supported to take risks, experiment and expand the scope of their thinking and practice.

Each selected participant will receive a writing and participation fee of $1200.

We welcome applications from people based in Tāmaki Makaurau working across a wide range of disciplines and contexts, who are at an early stage in their writing or cultural criticism practice and can commit to the year-long programme. This kaupapa is supported by the Chartwell Trust.

Timeline:

Applications close: Thursday 21 November 2025
Participants notified: Thursday 5 December 2025
Programme duration: January to December 2026

To apply:

Please submit a Pdf with the following by 21 November to bridget@artspace.org.nz :

• An expression of interest outlining your reasons for applying and how this opportunity aligns with your practice (300 word limit)
• A bio describing your current work and background (150 word limit)
• A written response to the prompt (300 word limit):
  A reader of texts will accompany the programme for shared reading and discussion. If you could recommend a piece of writing to include what would it be and why?
   

Applications will be assessed on the following:

• A strong writing voice
• Nuanced and critical thinking
• Evidence of commitment to developing a writing or cultural criticism practice
• Strong alignment with the aims of the programme
• Willingness to participate in a process of peer discussion and collaborative learning
• Tāmaki Makaurau based to participate in the programme