Innovative new work features
among Arts Board grants
New work that pushes boundaries, juxtaposing different artforms and disciplines, was a feature of the latest funding
round of the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand, announced this week.
Arts Board Chair Murray Shaw said there was a quality of freshness, innovation and risk-taking that stood out in many of
the projects to create new work.
¡§Some of these projects will also be seen on the international stage and will enhance New Zealand¡¦s image as an
innovative nation producing cutting-edge work,¡¨ Mr Shaw said.
A $28,200 grant will support two New Zealand designers, Dorita Hannah and Sven Mehzoud, to lead a team of international
artists in creating an interactive, theatrical exhibition for the 2003 Prague Quadrennial. Entitled The Heart of PQ
2003, the exhibition will form the centrepiece of the event and involve artists across artforms from Europe, Asia, the
Pacific, the United States and the Middle East.
The Prague Quadrennial is held every four years and attracts hundreds of designers, architects and theatre practitioners
throughout the world. At the 1999 Prague Quadrennial, the New Zealand exhibition, Landing: Seven Stages Aotearoa New
Zealand, won the Unesco Prize for the Promotion of Arts.
Murray Shaw said this was an excellent example of an interdisciplinary project that involved a range of artforms and
challenged traditional boundaries in the theatre.
¡§This is a tremendous honour for the two New Zealand artists selected to lead the project and a direct result of New
Zealand¡¦s success at the 1999 event,¡¨ Mr Shaw says. ¡§Other local artists will also benefit from involvement in this
collaborative project.¡¨
The Heart of PQ 2003 was one of 222 projects in this round offered grants totalling more than $2.52 million. The Arts
Board received 571 applications seeking more than $8.4 million.
A project that involves artists forging relationships with other sectors is Scape: Art and Industry Urban Arts Festival,
to be held in Christchurch from September to November 2002. The Art and Industry Biennial Trust was offered a grant of
$26,700 towards artists¡¦ fees for this event.
The Trust was established in 1998 to broker partnerships so that artists could work with industry to develop projects
resulting in site-specific public artworks. It also stages biennial festivals and like the inaugural Arts and Industry
2000 Biennial, the 2002 event will showcase especially commissioned contemporary artworks in public sites around the
Christchurch.
Earlier this year, Creative New Zealand supported three performing arts companies ¡V From Scratch, Black Grace Dance
Company and Taki Rua Productions ¡V to showcase their work in the spotlight performances at the 5th Australian
International Performing Arts Market in Adelaide.
As a result of From Scratch¡¦s performance at the Performing Arts Market, the Auckland contemporary music group has been
invited to take part in Tasmania¡¦s 10 Days on the Island festival in March 2003. An Arts Board grant of $8500 will
support From Scratch to perform Pacific Plate at the festival.
¡§New Zealand made a huge impact at the Adelaide market and From Scratch¡¦s participation in the Tasmanian festival is
just one of the many benefits resulting from our presence there,¡¨ Mr Shaw said.
The Arts Board supported several other projects showcasing New Zealand arts internationally. These include:
„h $60,000 to the Queensland Art Gallery to support New Zealand representation at the 2002 Asia Pacific Triennial, which
runs from September 2002 to January 2003. This includes the presentation of works by two New Zealand artists, Ralph
Hotere and Lisa Reihana.
„h $15,000 to the Contemporary Arts Centre of Lithuania towards New Zealand representation at the 8th Baltic Triennial
of International Art from September to November 2002. More than 40 artists will be invited to participate, including two
from New Zealand.
„h $2750 to C.K. Stead of Auckland towards attendance at international literary festivals in Britain from June to
October 2002, and $3000 to Patricia Grace of Wellington towards attendance at the 2002 Vancouver Writers¡¦ Festival in
October.
Every year, Creative New Zealand supports more than 40 residencies through its project funding and in partnership with
other organisations. In this round, the Arts Board offered grants to several tertiary institutions to support their
residency programmes, including a $15,000 grant to Waikato University towards its inaugural new media residency.
¡§Increasingly, we¡¦re receiving proposals from artists using new technologies to create and present work,¡¨ Murray Shaw
said. ¡§This new residency is an exciting and timely development, providing opportunities to the selected artist to
explore digital technologies within a supportive, critical environment.¡¨
The Waikato University was also offered an $18,000 grant towards its 2003 writer-in-residency programme.
Two scholarships supporting promising young musicians for advanced music study overseas were also awarded. This year¡¦s
recipients are:
„h Xenia Postova of Johnsonville, Wellington, who was awarded a Jack McGill Music Scholarship of $7800 towards
completing her second and final year of a postgraduate degree in piano performance, focussing on contemporary
repertoire, at the Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam
„h Victoria Simonsen of Epsom, Auckland, who was awarded a $2150 Butland Music Scholarship towards study for the
Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Violincello at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.
Applications to the next funding round of Creative New Zealand close on 27 July 2001. Copies of the Funding Guide: Nga
Putea 2001-2002 are available from Creative New Zealand offices or can be downloaded from the publications page of its
website (www.creativenz.govt.nz).
ends
For further information:
Undine Marshfield
Media and Communications Advisor
Creative New Zealand
Tel: 04-498 0725 or 025-965 925
Email: undinem@creativenz.govt.nz
Iona McNaughton
Communications Writer
Creative New Zealand
Tel: 04-498 0715