The Earle Creativity and Development Trust Awards were announced at a morning where each of the recipients gave a presentation about what they plan to create with their award grants.
The Science and Technology grants went to Dr Rafea Naffa's Science fun for future scientists ($16,950); Mark Anderson for his Design of realistic bleeding simulator ($7000), and St Peter's two projects - development of artificial Intelligence and an Advanced manufacturing competition ($7500.
The grants in Visual Arts were awarded to Kirsty Porter, Shifting Ground ($15,000); Catherine Russ, Early Morning Walks ($10,000); Isla Griffin-Wilson, Pursuing Equilibrium ($5000), Toi Warbrick, Te Marae o Hine Centennial Game ($5000), and Israel Birch ($15,000), Pūrākau.
Porter, who has supported the arts with Snails and her art in the community documenting the activism for social and environmental justice, said the local awards were fabulous.
"This gives me the opportunity to focus on myself, to create a body of work.
"My work will be a continuation of painting, and developing a visual language."
Griffin-Wilson was a former physiotherapist, and says she loves humans.
Her project is to create a space where people can reconnect with nature, and then continue on with their busy lives.
A painter and sculptor, Griffin-Wilson said she changed completely when she was doing her masters at Massey.
"It was an interesting juncture; I went into digital."
Griffin-Wilson uses light, sound and images to create an immersive experience.
Virginia and Warren Warbrick of Toi Warbrick, who have received Earle grants previously, will be creating a space in Te Marae o Hine in the Square which will be a combination of relationships and a lot to do with Treaty relationships.
St Peter's College's Phil Burt presented the college's project, Vex Robotics meets digital, for their science and technology grant.
Burt says their science and technology projects show teachers how they can make science fun.
This was echoed by Richard Garland who said year on year the awards leveraged creativity.
He said it was about making science exciting for students at school.
"My daughter went into the arts but she told me if science had been exciting at school she would have taken a different route."
Artist Naga Tsutsumi was a grant recipient in 2018, and reported back to the group about his charcoal drawings.
"I did not have a concrete purpose or goal, but this opportunity gave me a lifetime purpose."
Tsutsumi said he drew inspiration for his charcoal drawings from his Japanese clan, and in a forest in Japan where he encountered a man wearing a grey suit.
He spoke about the charcoal sticks he used, and then he decided to make his own.
He held up one of the charcoal sticks.
"To make this perfect, it would take me 20-30 years.
"I will have to apply for another grant."