Waikato councils support local creative projects with new round of funding

One local artist delighted to receive funding in the last round was David Tasker, who is organising a drag event in Hamilton called Category Is: The Blaster Ball. Photo / Supplied

Hamilton City Council and Creative Waikato are calling all creatives in town as the Creative Communities Scheme funding is now open.

Community arts initiatives that help grow and promote creativity in Kirikiriroa can now apply for funding to cover costs for short-term projects, such as materials for arts activities or programmes, venue or equipment hire, personnel or workshop facilitators, and marketing and promotion of arts activities.

In the last funding round, 27 local projects received funding including concerts, drag shows, theatre productions, drumming courses, exhibitions and pottery workshops.

One local artist delighted to receive funding for his project in the previous round was David Tasker. He is organising a drag event in Hamilton called Category Is: The Blaster Ball.

"Drag is a diverse art form and I'm so excited to see it recognised and celebrated here in Hamilton. The Creative Communities Scheme grant has allowed me to take this idea and turn it into a reality without the stress of wondering how I'm going to pay for everything."

The fund is administered by Creative Waikato on behalf of Hamilton City Council. Creative Waikato funding adviser Adrienne Clothier says; "It's always so exciting to see the range of creative activities that people want to do within Hamilton ... If it's a project with positive creative benefits and outcomes for the community, we do our best to provide some financial support."

For this funding round Creative Waikato is looking for projects that will begin after April 14. The projects have to focus on at least one of the scheme's three criteria: access and participation, diversity, or young people.

The funding round closes at 5pm on Friday, February 25.

Meanwhile, Matamata-Piako District's Creative Communities Scheme is set to open on February 9 and run until March 16.

This year's funding pool for Matamata-Piako's creatives contains $50,000 to divvy out to art projects across the district to recognise the important role arts play in creating vibrant communities.

Projects that get funded encourage participation, support diversity or enable young people to engage with and participate in the arts, like performances, workshops, exhibitions and festivals.

For more information on Matamata-Piako's funding round click here.

Applications for the Hamilton funding round can be made through the council's online funding application system.

For more information about the scheme or to arrange an appointment with a funding adviser, contact Creative Waikato at hello@creativewaikato.co.nz or on 0508 427 892.