PĀNUI PĀPĀHO MEDIA RELEASE: Arts Access Aotearoa

Applications to Arts Access Aotearoa’s inaugural Ngā Toi Rangatira o Aotearoa Arts Access Fellowships 2022 have opened. The fellowships will give the recipients financial support to create or develop an arts project or new work.

The four fellowships, worth $10,000 each, provide investment in artists’ practice and development, and respond to the impact of COVID-19 across the arts community over the past two years.

Richard Benge, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa, says the fellowships replace Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards for this year because accessible arts projects and other achievements have been cancelled or delayed.

“We’re excited about offering these fellowships and see them as something positive, practical and forward-looking,” he says. “All of the fellowships are designed to increase accessibility, participation and inclusion in the arts.”

The four fellowships are:

• Whakahoa Kaitoi Whanaketanga PAK’nSAVE Artist Fellowship: supporting a Deaf or disabled artist, or an artist who has a disability or impairment, or an artist with lived experience of mental distress to undertake a project that will develop their art practice.
• Whakahoa Kaitoi i Te Ara Poutama Arts in Corrections Artist Fellowship: supporting an artist who is living in the community and is/has been in the criminal justice system to develop their art practice. The focus of this fellowship is to create and document new work or build on previous work, with the support of an arts mentor.
• Whakahoa Whakawatea Kaitoi Tangata Holdsworth Creative Spaces Fellowship: supporting a facilitator/tutor-led project that involves artists within a creative space working collaboratively. Accessibility will be built into the creation and/or presentation of new or existing work.
• Whakahoa Kaitoi Te Puna Toi Creative New Zealand Arts For All Fellowship: supporting an individual to research or develop an area of accessibility that will increase access for Deaf and/or disabled people. You must be working in or with an arts company or organisation that is a member of the Arts For All Network, facilitated by Arts Access Aotearoa.. You must be working in or with an arts company or organisation that is a member of the Arts For All Network, facilitated by Arts Access Aotearoa.

Applications close at 5pm Monday 5 September 2022.

Information on Arts Access Aotearoa’s website is translated into Easy Read documents and on NZSL videos.

Arts Access Aotearoa welcomes applications in alternative formats: for example, NZSL or audio/visual files. The application form is also a Word document, which you can fill in online and email to fellowships@artsaccess.org.nz.

Please get in touch if you want support to understand the information about the fellowship and to complete the application form. You can also ask a support person to assist you.

Contact Arts Access Aotearoa staff if you have any questions. You can phone Arts Access Aotearoa on 04 802 4349 or email fellowships@artsaccess.org.nz.

For more information, images, or an interview:

Iona McNaughton

Communications Manager

T: 04 801 4349 E: iona.mcnaughton@artsaccess.org.nz