Creative New Zealand welcomes additional $22 million in pandemic recovery funding

A new one-off investment of $22 million from the New Zealand Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Fund has been allocated to support the arts sector as it rebuilds after the effects of pandemic.

Welcomed by Creative New Zealand, the funding acknowledges the increased demand on the body, and, while details of how the extra money will be distributed are yet to be confirmed, $12 million of the $22 million will go toward additional support for artists, arts practitioners and arts organisations, including to top-up upcoming Arts Grants rounds.

Seen as an important step towards helping the sector adapt and thrive, $10 million of the funds will provide support for festivals, with both streams to be administered by Creative New Zealand.

Welcoming the funding, Arts Council Chair, Caren Rangi advised “we’re incredibly grateful to the Government for reprioritising this funding to Creative New Zealand. It will be an enormous help to the arts sector who continue to feel the ramifications of COVID.

“The benefits of this extra money will extend so much further than to the artists and festivals who receive this funding.

“The creative sector is crucially important to the economy and has a profound effect on the wider wellbeing of our communities. Arts events like festivals bring our towns and cities to life. They give us all an opportunity to come together, connect and be inspired.”

Creative New Zealand Chief Executive, Stephen Wainwright added “we know that the COVID emergency funding made available to the arts sector helped it to survive, but we also know that more support is needed to help the sector to thrive. This money will make a tangible difference to many in the arts community, and we’re pleased the Government has heard the call from the sector and ourselves to help alleviate some of the current pressures.

“With the recent flooding in Tāmaki, Northland, Gisborne and the East Coast region this funding boost comes at a critical time for those arts communities in particular.”

Having experienced unprecedented demand for funding from the arts sector In recent years, Creative New Zealand is considering how best to channel the additional investment, to help relieve some of the pressure the arts community is experiencing over the coming year.

The new initiatives will be the final additions to the range of funds that have come from the $495 million Arts and Culture COVID Recovery Programme, which was established to support the recovery of the arts, culture and heritage sectors.

Image: Tāmaki Makaurau-based Ngā Tūmanako. Credit: Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.