Hastings District Creative Communities Scheme

There are two funding rounds per year. Applications are open from 1 to 28 February and 1 to 31 August, with decisions made two weeks after each of the two application closing dates.

Information and forms

The application form and project report form are available from the 'related  documents' section

Documents that will assist you in the preparation of your application include:

• Creative NZ's Funding for Local Arts
• Creative NZ's glossary of terms
• Creative NZ's Application Guide

Who can apply?

You can apply for a Creative Communities grant if your project meets all of the following requirements:

• Has an arts or cultural focus
• Takes place within Hastings and/or benefits the district
• Meets at least one of the three funding criteria (listed below)
• Benefits local communities
• Has not started before the application for funding is assessed
• Has not been funded by Creative New Zealand for the same purpose

Criteria

Creative New Zealand has three funding criteria for this scheme. They are:

• Broad community involvement
  The project will create opportunities for local communities to engage with and participate in arts activities
• Diversity
  The project will support the diverse arts and cultural traditions of local communities, enriching and promoting their uniqueness and cultural diversity
• Young people
  The project will enable and encourage young people (under 18 years) to engage with and actively participate in the arts

Creative NZ requires that 30 per cent of the total cost of a project is funded by the applicant.

Activities that will not be funded

• Facility development i.e. the cost of buildings or items necessary to make a facility functional such as plumbing, floor coverings, furnishings, white ware or equipment
• The purchase of art works for galleries or communities
• Ongoing administration costs that are not directly related to a specific project
• Projects already started before the committee's decision date
• Projects that have already received Creative New Zealand funding
• Elimination of accumulated deficit or debt servicing
• Catering costs or fundraising costs
• Applications from groups which have not returned accountability forms after previous funding
• Arts activities provided by education institutions which would normally funded through their curriculum and operating budgets

Types of activities which may be funded

• Exhibitions, installation and performances
• Arts-related promotional activities
• Materials for an arts event or activity
• Seminars or workshops for local artists and arts groups
• Costs associated with artist in residence schemes
• Events or festivals
• Personnel costs for one-off, short-term projects
• Dance that has an arts and culture focus, for example, ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary dance, taiaha, highland dancing, cultural dance, rock 'n roll. (Dance that focuses on fitness, for example aerobics and line dancing, is considered a sport)
• School-based projects that are outside of the school's normal activities and provide opportunities for community participation or provide benefits for the wider community

Assessing your application

Council's assessment committee meets two weeks after the round's closing date. Decisions are notified by mail within seven working days of the committee meeting.

The Hastings committee assesses the applications on the Creative Communities criteria above, plus the following:

• The quality of the project
• The artistic merit
• The impact on the local arts community
• Your ability to make it happen
• That good project planning and budgeting are evident
• The level of financial need
• That the application is not for business-as-usual or ongoing operational expenses
• The financial risk if a project cannot be fully funded

How much can I apply for?

Because demand is always high, the average grant awarded is usually less than $2000.

If you need to apply for more than $8000 you should consider discussing your project with Creative New Zealand to see if it qualifies for national funding. See: Creative New Zealand or email info@creativenz.govt.nz.

Contact

If you have any questions about the Creative Communities scheme please contact the Community Grants Advisor.