More than forty cultural sector initiatives have been announced today as the latest recipients of the Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund, giving them the backing they need to make a lasting impact for the arts, culture and heritage sectors. 

In the third of four rounds, 42 proposals were approved for funding, up to a total of $11.4 million. In total, 205 Full Proposals were received, requesting funding to a value of $75.8 million. 

“The Regeneration Fund is designed to find and fund projects that will have a lasting impact for the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, with $28 million allocated to support strategic, cultural sector-led initiatives,” says Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae, Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive of Manatū Taonga. 

“We’re thrilled to support these 42 sector-led initiatives through the Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund. The diverse mix of projects will support career opportunities, build capabilities across the sector and provide more access to arts, culture and heritage for people in Aotearoa New Zealand to enjoy. 

“This Fund is supporting Aotearoa’s cultural infrastructure by investing in initiatives that will have a long-lasting impact for the cultural sector and our communities.” 

Manatū Taonga Pou Mataaho o Te Aka Tūhono, Deputy Chief Executive Investment and Outcomes Joe Fowler says the third round of recipients represent a balanced mix of investments which features a big boost for the music sector during New Zealand Music Month. 

“We’re enabling an exciting selection of initiatives from across the arts, culture and heritage community. This announcement happens to coincide with New Zealand Music Month where we are privileged to support some well-established and grassroots initiatives that will help develop the next generation of musicians,” says Joe Fowler. 

“It’s not just the music sector that we're backing. The team has worked really hard to find and fund a range of initiatives that will support increased sustainability and lasting benefits for many, many years.  

“The investments we’re making are balanced across national and significant regional initiatives reaching Māori, Pacific, and disabled communities across performing arts, visual arts, literature, the safeguarding of Mātauranga Māori and the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums, Iwi, Records (GLAMIR) sector. 

“It’s been humbling to hear from many voices from the community through our public feedback process. We received more than 5,000 comments on the 205 proposals being considered in Round Three of the Regeneration Fund, meaning that we have more than 14,000 pieces of feedback on file.  

“I want to thank everyone who took the time to apply and share their thoughts. We have benefited greatly from the local insights and expertise that people have shared so generously with us,” says Joe Fowler.   

Proposals to the Cultural Sector Regeneration Fund were assessed on their ability to meet five outcomes: 

• Improved sustainability and resilience of the arts, culture and heritage sectors 
• Improved safeguarding of Mātauranga Māori and support of Toi Māori 
• Improved access and participation in arts, culture and heritage sectors 
• Increased the use of arts, culture and heritage as a tool to improve wellbeing 
• Increased employment and skill development opportunities. 

The following initiatives were approved for funding in Round Three: 

Circus Space Community Trust up to $117,210 to support the establishment of a social circus school in Alexandra.  

Andromeda Arts Trust Board up to $320,000 to strengthen the long-term funding and sponsorship strategy; provide additional capacity and increased production value for the theatre; as well as support the streamlining of processes to improve the sustainability of the theatre. 

Antarctic Heritage Trust up to $150,000 to create an immersive virtual reality experience of Robert Falcon Scott’s first Antarctic base. 

Aotearoa New Zealand Circus Association Incorporated up to $81,452 to support advocacy, resource development, development of future income streams and work to build the capacity of, and best practice in, the circus sector.  

Arts Access Aotearoa up to $674,740 to support four projects that will increase the availability of trainers and accessible resources to expand opportunities for participants facing barriers and provide evaluation to demonstrate the value of accessible arts.  

Central Otago Museums Trust up to $106,150 to support a capability and capacity raising project across five public Museums in Central Otago.  

Centre for New Zealand Music Trust up to $1,233,860 to support:  

• Hōtaka Māori- a podcast centred around mōteatea; a Youth wellbeing project using Puoro Māori sound healing; and the development of music business skills from the perspective of Māori artists.  
• Moana Pacific Instrument Revitalisation via research on 8 endangered instruments from the Pacific and the creation of publicly available videos.  
• Improved access to resources through improvements to their website and blog. 

Circability Trust up to $323,024 to provide increased capability for practitioners of social circus via regional hubs, increased employment pathways for circus practitioners, and opportunities to bring the circus sector together.  

Copyright Licensing Ltd up to $397,395 to support low-cost legal rights consultations for authors and visual artists and increase awareness of Creative Rights Education for people in the creative sector. 

Creative Capital Arts Trust up to $469,898 to support targeted capability building and opportunities for sustainable career development for emerging and independent artists in Wellington, alongside the development of a national touring network for Fringe festivals. 

Creative Practice Mentoring up to $91,525 to support increased capability and wellbeing for artists and creatives in Te Tai Tokerau, through development of business tools, exhibition opportunities, and social support.  

Dot Dot Limited up to $199,859 to support the further development and rollout of a tool to support arts organisations and artists to create and present their work in a virtual or hybrid environment.  

Featherston Booktown Trust up to $206,301 to extend the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, including support for increased engagement through a rural readers programme, the young readers programme, an audio platform to capture local iwi stories, and increased engagement with other international Booktowns.  

Girls Rock! Camp Aotearoa Incorporated up to $109,200 to support increased confidence and community for girls, trans, intersex, takatāpui & gender-diverse youth through music. 

Golden Bay Community Arts Council up to $53,519 to develop a series of opportunities for the Golden Bay, Mohua arts community including support towards a Mohua-wide arts festival.  

Good Company Arts up to $99,855 to showcase the making of Taonga Pūoro instruments and highlight their potential through support for a dance film and documentary focused on current practice with a group of renowned Kāi Tahu wāhine artists.  

Heritage West Coast / Taonga Pumau O Te Tai O Poutini Incorporated up to $200,091 to support growth in the capability of the heritage sector in the West Coast region through strengthened heritage networks, closer relationships with Iwi, strategic heritage planning, and training for volunteers and professionals.  

InWorld Limited up to $587,566 to support completion and rollout of a digital tool (Pickpath) that empowers creative people and organisations to make digital/hybrid arts experiences at low-cost with no specialist technical skills.  

Lagi-Maama Limited also known as Lagi-Maama Academy & Consultancy up to $300,000 to support increased capability and skills for Moana Oceania creatives through sharing of knowledge and practices, additional opportunities for presentation of work, advocacy support, and creation of a publication of the cultural knowledge of Kiribati.  

Manawhenua ki Mohua up to $200,825 to support increased protection and accessibility for taonga, artefacts, artworks, illustrations, paintings, and carvings specific to the Mohua region.   

Media Access Charitable Trust up to $142,058 to increase access to free-to-air streaming content for audio described (AD) users, through support for an app for broadcasters and users.  

Miharo Murihiku Trust up to $243,360 to support a digital strategy, and programmes based in Murihiku and Queenstown to support Māori and Pasifika young people and their communities to participate in the arts and traditional and contemporary expressions of their culture.  

Museums Aotearoa up to $750,000 to establish and extend roles enabling effective delivery of advocacy, broadening membership and future sponsorship; deliver media campaign promoting Museums; and develop a platform for members allowing an opportunity to connect and share resources across the sector.  

Ngāti Maru ki Hauraki Inc up to $214,515 to support a series of wānanga to revive mātauranga Māori and restoring the mauri of people and place at their tupuna maunga Moehau, Hauraki.  

NZ Ballet Ltd up to $37,058 to support dance teachers to teach ballet classes for people aged over 50 to improve their overall health, and to boost the sustainability of jobs in the dance sector. 

Paemanu Charitable Trust up to $82,000 to elevate the profile of Toi Ngāi Tahu as an essential agent in development of whānau, hapū and iwi resilience, innovation, and identity, through research, artist wānanga, development of the Paemanu Art Collection and capability building. 

Proudly Asian Theatre up to $153,779 to support an emerging producer training programme across Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch for Asian, Black, and Middle Eastern producers to develop skills and undertake placements on real-life productions.  

Raynham Park Limited up to $291,431 to develop next generation production skills in content creators & an accredited skills development program to artists into the future through the investments and capabilities created through this project.  

MyLaunchPad Ltd up to $740,000 to establish a hub in Auckland for emerging artists that includes a recording studio and multiple other studios that will be available at low cost for many, subsidised by some space at commercial rates.  

Account for Sasha Mclaren up to $214,088 to support digital storytelling workshops for Māori communities across the Waikato, to improve digital literacy and capture stories of cultural significance.  

Screen Music and Sound Guild of New Zealand Incorporated up to $170,640 to roll out a broad platform of support and professional development initiatives for Aotearoa screen music and sound practitioners to support sustainable career pathways and expand professional opportunities, while championing diversity in the next generation of practitioners.  

Show Me Shorts Film Festival Trust up to $179,028 to increase the resilience of the short film festival and increase their audience base through on-line delivery, expansion of the film festival into the South Island and engagement of young people in schools.   

Sustainability Trust up to $232,575 to increase the sustainability of Wellington based community and outdoor events through the establishment of a network to support the implementation of a reusable serviceware programme.  

Taranaki Māori Trust Board up to $254,315 to share and safeguard mātauranga specific to Taranaki Toi Māori and ngā toi o Taranaki, focussed on oral arts including poi manu, karakia, karanga, waiata, pao and haka of Taranaki and Te Kāhui Maunga.  

Te Karanga Charitable Trust up to $161,330 to support Māori and Pacific vulnerable youth to develop arts practice and establish pathways to become financially sustainable.  

Te Pou Theatre Trust up to $377,476 to support the future delivery of Māori led projects through capability building for emerging Māori venue technicians & producers.  

Te Rā Ringa Raupā up to $495,278 to pass on the mātauranga of the only known woven Māori sail Te Rā across Aotearoa.  

The Hāpai Foundation up to $75,500 to contribute towards the removal of barriers for disabled persons by bridging the gap between arts, culture and heritage organisations/businesses and disabled persons, through support for a disability access card scheme.  

Toi Iho Charitable Trust up to $200,000 to challenge cultural misappropriation and safeguard Mātauranga Māori, revitalising the national Toi Iho trademark that verifies authentic, high-quality Toi Māori. Alongside capability building and improved accessibility to information for involved practitioners. 

Trick of the Light Theatre Ltd up to $171,190 to increase the environmental sustainability of touring for performing artists working within and from Aotearoa, through support for research and development of resources for the sector.  

Tuwharetoa Tarai Waka Trust up to $52,606 to support waka mātauranga to be regenerated through growing capacity in a group of kai-tārai-waka, and training kaihoe 

Vanessa Immink Productions Tapui Ltd up to $236,236 to build capability and address the shortage of skilled independent live performance producers through support for the development of online resources and training.