It's peak season for Creative New Zealand (CNZ) funding - with more than $4 million just pledged and the new-look Arts Grants window opening up minus the application cap and suffocating deadline. 

CNZ has announced the Annual Arts Grants recipients for 2023/24 - with 36 Projects getting a slice of the $4,334,230 funding pool designed "to support established artists, arts practitioners and arts organisations with a strong track record of funding from CNZ to present a regular or continuous programme of activity over 12 months and/or produce a significant event or project." 

That's up from the 23 projects funded to the tune of $2,832,339 in last year's Annual Arts Grants - that boost thanks to a $1.5 million top-up from Manatū Taonga Ministry of Culture and Hertiage (MCH), the last of the money from $22m one-off payment announced earlier this year. That means that future Annual Arts Grants won't be funded to this level again.

While that extra money will go a long way, there are still a number of organisations reeling after the sting of an unsuccessful application - all most half of the eligible applicants missed out (36 awarded from 70 applications).

One of those who missed out told The Big Idea that "chaos ensues" from here for them and many others, with a number of creative projects now needing to be pulled from the pipeline.  

The process by which those who have been rejected are told is also under some scrutiny from the creative community.

CNZ explained to The Big Idea that everyone is emailed with the grants outcome prior to the results being made public. Those unsuccessful are not provided with feedback, but are able to request information regarding their application’s assessment.

One creative points out that the lack of relationship managment was an issue raised last year when those who received the devastating news didn't receive a call - explaining their frustrations in feedback to CNZ via cohort feedback.

"We were all apologised to and were guaranteed this would change – and not happen again. And here we are again. Form letter – no contact."

Getting the green light

Some of the country's heavy hitters are among those to receive backing - with the grant offering funding between $50,000-$150,000. Arts Laureates collectives FAFSWAG and Mata Aho have both had six-figure bolstering for international presentation of their mahi.

Highly regarded creative Nikau Hindin's among those given the chance to head abroad as well - along with John Pule, her participation in the Bienniale of Sydney has been supported.

Hindin told The Big Idea "This funding for the Sydney Biennale project will allow myself and my apprentices Rongomai and Atarangi to engage meaningfully with bark cloth makers from Hawai'i, Tahiti, Tonga and Fiji. 

"It is a dream project where we will have the opportunity to exchange. Each cloth maker is at a different stage in the revitalisation or maintenance of their respective practice- and within these diverse experiences, there is a lot to learn from one another. 

"The driving aspirations of this project is the sharing of knowledge, deep exploration into the material potential of aute and the cultivation of joy with and between bark cloth practitioners and their practices."

Hindin adds "I think it is vital to support the arts because right now more than ever before, BIPOC artists are being recognised and celebrated. Our art practices often come with community responsibilities and are directly related to the land. The Sydney Biennale's theme, Ten Thousand Suns, touches on this too. As the world is heating up, the global environmental crisis is at the forefront, but for the first time, so are we! 

"There is a need for joy to cut through the dread and catastrophization of the world ending. The arts are a vehicle to drive society to be more self-reflexive and more in touch with their humanity. Money for the arts is essential."

Among the established theatre groups to get the nod in the hotly contested annual round was Trick of the Light Productions - their $150,000 going towards the creation and premiere of Suitcase Show, the Edinburgh season of the acclaimed show The Griegol and ongoing business infrastructure.

Co-Founders Hannah Smith and Ralph McCubbin Howell told The Big Idea "It’s a real mix of emotions. We’re surprised and relieved, excited and daunted. For us, it means we can keep going and see projects long in the works come to fruition, and we’re thrilled for our peers that were funded, but this is tempered by feeling devastated for the many artists and projects that missed out. 

"This is an incredibly hard time in the arts, with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, universities swinging the axe, and bleak prospects if the government shifts to the right. It’s encouraging to see CNZ making moves to change their model, and the increase of funds this round is great, but this is only short term — for the arts to survive, let alone prosper, there needs to be a significant and long overdue investment from central government."

Emotions were also running high for Eve Gordon from The Dust Palace when contacted by The Big Idea.

"We’re absolutely relieved and simultaneously jubilant! We back our activities and worth but at the same time, we weren’t banking on receiving an annual grant this year! There are so many worthy arts organisations out there, we feel extremely honoured to have been selected for one.

"We’ll be delivering a workshop in consent-based tuition for circus educators and the kaupapa Māori school we’ve started - Te Kura Maninirau, as well as some boss artistic endeavors pushing the circus theatre form too!"

Peter Deckers, Artistic Director of Makers 101 - an art organisation that advocates, organises and provides creative opportunities for the Aotearoa jewellery sector - told The Big Idea "We are of course most happy that the two projects we represent can now begin.  These two projects will benefit many artists (HandShake 8 and the next Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial planned for 2025).

"Annual Arts rounds are a great addition to the standard Arts grant. Starting these two projects that require significant planning means that our focus can now shift to the actual implementation of the projects, rather than spending more time drafting segmented funding applications.

"The normal Arts rounds are like a game of chance, with not enough funding for the art sector. The qualifying criteria of the art rounds were a great idea, removing some anxiety caused by open-call competitions and big numbers applying."

A number of residencies have been supported, including at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, Samoa House Library and McCahon House.

Chair of McCahon House Trust Lisa Bates (below) told The Big Idea they are "hugely grateful" for the recognition their residency has on contemporary art in Aotearoa.

Citing their staggeringly talented alumni list which includes Judy Millar, Lisa Reihana, Andy Leleisi’uao, Martin Basher, Dan Arps, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy, Sorawit Songsataya, Cora-Allan Lafaiki and Tanu Gago - along with incoming 2023 artist Neke Moa, Bates proudly declares "McCahon House Trust, through the Parehuia residency, has a proven ability to offer transformative career experiences to professional artists, some of whom definitely go on to win major awards.

"So the feeling of course is jubilation - to know that the Parehuia residency is covered for 2024, and to find that out two weeks before the Parehuia panel meets to decide who the 2024 artists would be is very timely. This type of infrastructure for artists is exactly what should be funded by a national arts funder - as it goes straight to the source."

Bates adds "To be honest, I don’t think CNZ receives enough funding from central government. It’s pretty clear from the latest Australian arts reforms and the recent survey of artist incomes that the sector is underserved. But I don’t blame that on CNZ. In fact, the staff and the council members appear to be every bit as passionate about the arts as we are.

"So what can we do? Well, we push hard for private philanthropy which is a godsend but at some stage Government Aotearoa will need to make a decision to back the arts better, or not, I guess."

CNZ Annual Arts Grants Recipients 2023/24

Action Education Incorporated - $150,000 towards a year-long Spoken Word Poetry and development programme for poets aged 13 - 18 years old.

Arts On Tour NZ - $125,000 to provide six national tours within the year of 2024 to 70 plus rural venues throughout New Zealand to benefit all New Zealanders.

Biennale of Sydney Ltd - $100,000 towards Nikau Hindin and John Pule's participation in the 24th Biennale of Sydney.

Binge Culture Collective Limited - $149,989 towards an international show exchange, international tour, development of a new work and business capability.

Borderline Arts Limited - $150,000 towards an annual programme of presentation, creation, community outreach and sustainable business planning.

Centre for Fine Woodworking - $117,405 towards a mentoring programme for our established and emerging tutors and creating a new generation of Aotearoa-based teachers.

David Riley - $50,000 to create six children's books for minority communities in New Zealand.

Eleanor Bishop - $145,100 towards a year-long programme of activity including the national and international touring of theatre shows.

FAFSWAG Arts Collective $150,000 - towards the developing of new work for an international presentation.

FCC - $120,000 towards supporting the Australian tour of Wild Dogs Under My Skirt and Savage Coloniser.

Foster Group Limited - $125,000 toward the production, development, presentation, and touring of high-quality Aotearoa New Zealand choreography.

HOEA Gallery and Arts Centre - $148,280 towards a year long programme of exhibitions and public programmes at HOEA! Gallery.

Huia (NZ) Limited - $149,400 towards International strategy, expansion and programme of work.

Karl Leonard - $75,000 towards sharing mātauranga tūrapa and kōwhaiwhai; the relationship between these two artforms.

Lima Productions -$140,000 towards developing the capability of Pasifika performing artists in Aotearoa to be sustainable and resilient.

Mahi Mahi Productions Limited - $150,000 ki te kaupapa tēnei e whakaara ana i te reo Māori me ōna tikanga. Ko He kura e huna ana me Te Rongomaiwhiti 1 & 2.

Makers 101 Ltd - $150,000 towards Part 1, HS mentorships, lectures, masterclass, two exhibitions and Part 2, curator selection for the second New Zealand Jewellery Triennial.

Massey University Press - $50,000 - towards artist monographs; artist-writer collaboration; one history; two non fictions; new poetry.

Mata Aho Collective - $135,200 towards sustainable studio praxis and preparation of work for international presentation.

Matthew McIntyre Wilson $75,000 - towards revitalising ancestral knowledge and community connections.

McCahon House Trust - $110,000 to support the Parehuia McCahon House Artists’ Residency Programme and two international residency partnerships.

Miharo Murihiku Trust - $90,000 - towards a cultural arts exhibition and events profiling a local Senior Artist, connecting & uplifting rangatahi and community.

Moana Fresh Ltd - $100,000 - to support a 12-month Moana Fresh lead programme of exhibitions, workshops and emerging artist mentoring.

Movement Of The Human - $140,000 to support a tour of Tōrua across five Centres and towards the development of a new work featuring Rodney Bell.

Prima Volta Charitable Trust - $100,000 towards creating wellbeing through music and singing.

RM Gallery and Project Office - $100,000 towards a contemporary art project space for New Zealand artists and art writers.

Samoa House Library - $149,968 towards Samoa House Library's education programmes, research residencies, projects and resource offerings.

Sistema Aotearoa Trust - $150,000 towards the tamariki and rangatahi of Ōtara being creative, building community and realising potential through orchestral music making.

Sound and Light Exploration Society Charitable Trust - $149,989 towards a year-long programme of sonic arts activities.

Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music - $138,899 towards three residencies for composers and sound artists at the New Zealand School of Music, Te Kōkī.

Te Rongo Kirkwood - $100,000 towards the development of Te Rongo Kirkwood's arts practice.

The Coalition for Books Incorporated - $100,000 towards a programme of four core activities aimed at sector growth and resilience.

The Dust Palace Charitable Trust (above)- $150,000 towards a programme of activity enabling capability building, show development, circus participation for tamariki Māori.

Trick of the Light Theatre Limited - $150,000 towards the creation and premiere of Suitcase Show, Edinburgh season of The Griegol, and ongoing business infrastructure.

Wellington Opera Trust - 100,000 to create opportunities for leading and upcoming Aotearoa singers, to be heard by our audiences.

Zeb Nicklin - $50,000 ki te titonga, he kohinga hai whakapukapuka roarota.