Creative Bay of Plenty’s Creative Communities Scheme now open

Eggs on Easels in Te Puke, funded by the Creative Communities Scheme. Photo / Jess Lowcher

Funding that aims to empower local creatives and enrich the community is now available.

Creative Bay of Plenty’s Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) for the Western Bay region is now open to anyone in the Western Bay of Plenty with a creative project that engages the community.

The scheme is more than just a grant, it’s an enabler for community connection and cultural expression.

The fund supports projects that increase participation in the arts, celebrate diverse cultural traditions and encourage young people to explore their creative potential.

In the Western Bay region, there is approximately $24,000 available for distribution from the general CCS fund. These grants typically average around $2000 per project.

Administered by Creative Bay of Plenty on behalf of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, CCS is part of a nationwide initiative funded by Creative New Zealand, which allocates over $3.2 million annually to around 1800 projects.

Past recipients of CCS funding include the Summer Shakespeare Tauranga Trust, which received funding for its performances, Tuatara Collective, which received support for their theatre wānanga for local rangatahi, the Creative Te Puke Forum, which was granted funds towards Te Puke schools’ town centre murals and Epic Te Puke’s Eggs on Easels initiative.

A notable recent recipient, Jared Hemopo’s Kaha Movement NZ workshops, provided Waihī Beach and Katikati with the opportunity to participate in Māori-led contemporary dance and movement sessions.

These workshops explored contemporary dance through various exercises, using games and whakapapa to create movement phrases.

The success of these workshops speaks to Jared’s passion for dance education and the invaluable support of the Creative Communities Scheme.

For more information and to apply, visit Creative Bay of Plenty’s website or contact Annie Hill at annie@creativebop.org.nz.

Applications close on August 29.