More than $40,000 funding awarded to Rotorua arts projects

Trail of Blooming Yarn. Photo / Annette Bates

Funding has been awarded to a diverse range of arts projects bringing creativity to the Rotorua district.

The latest Rotorua District Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) funding round has awarded $40,378 to 18 different arts projects across the district.

Alison Perrin, community member of the Creative Communities Scheme Assessment Committee, described the interview and deliberation as "a very satisfying day".

"The grants have gone to support classical music, popular music, theatre, festivals, craft, exhibitions, tuition and performance."

Creative Communities Rotorua lead Julie Parsons says the committee was pleased with the range of artistic endeavours presented by the applicants.

"It is wonderful to see the literary arts represented, with a fabulous new week-long Māori writers' festival, Kupu, and The Great Write Away - masterclasses for inspiring writers that will take them from an idea to a published work.

"It is also rewarding to see that mahi from the past has produced a strong foundation of quality events, such as Lockwood NZ Aria and the Senior Music Scholarship, that have survived Covid cancellations and will reappear in our community over the next year."

The local CCS committee is gratified to see the Rotorua community thoroughly enjoying one of its recently funded projects in Eruera St.

The Trail of Blooming Yarn, These Times of Lockdown, has yarn-bombed trees on both sides of the road.

The Creative Communities Scheme offers two opportunities every year for creatives to fund their work, and is particularly invaluable to organisations and individuals that do not have charitable status.

This scheme is open to all New Zealand individuals and groups, provided the focus of their project is primarily creative art, is well thought through and delivered in the Rotorua Lakes District.

The next funding round for the Rotorua District Creative Communities Scheme will open August 1 and close September 22.

Applications must be for projects that are primarily focused on the creative arts, have not yet commenced and will be delivered in the Rotorua district within 12 months of funding.

Go to www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/creativecommunities for information and application forms, or contact Julie Parsons at Julie.parsons@rotorualc.nz.