What is the Creative Communities
Scheme?
Funding is available for local community based
arts activities in your area from the Creative
Communities Scheme (CCS).
The aim of the Scheme is to increase
participation in the arts at a local level, and
increase the range and diversity of arts available
to communities.
The Scheme is a partnership between Creative New
Zealand and the 74 local authorities. Each local
authority takes responsibility for delivering the
Scheme in its area.
Local decision-making is the key to the Scheme
and applications are considered by local assessment
committees. All New Zealanders are eligible to
apply.
Piloting new CCS criteria in four areas
Creative New Zealand supports arts participation
in a range of ways, and has recently adopted an Arts
Participation Strategy to provide an integrated
framework for this support. This Strategy includes a
review of the Creative Communities Scheme criteria
to help deliver the Strategy more effectively within
local communities.
In the first instance we will be testing new
criteria in four pilot areas: Auckland City, Rodney
District, Waitaki District and Dunedin City. These
Councils will be working with revised and more
targeted Creative Communities criteria. If you are
from one of these areas please make sure you contact
your local authority for revised application forms
and to receive full information about the revised
criteria. The pilots will run from September 2006 -
June 2007 after which the results will be analysed.
The new Scheme criteria focus on encouraging
active arts participation, encouraging young people
to participate in local arts activity and supporting
activities that reflect and celebrate cultural
diversity. Please click on the link in the side bar
for more information about the revised criteria.
Although the criteria have changed for these four
pilot areas, the amount of funding allocated to the
Creative Communities Scheme has not, nor have any of
the operational processes for allocation and
administration of funding.
The other 69 Councils have received extended
rollover agreements under existing terms and
conditions and continue to use the existing criteria
below.
What are the funding criteria?
Projects seeking assistance must meet at least
one of the three funding criteria. These are to:
- increase participation in the arts at a local
level
- increase the range and diversity of arts at a
local level
- enhance and strengthen the local arts sector.
Each local authority may set its own priorities
within these criteria. Contact your local authority
to find out local priorities before making an
application.
What types of projects are eligible?
Eligible projects must:
- have an arts or cultural focus
- take place within the city or district to
which the application is made and/or benefit that
district or city
- meet at least one of the three funding
criteria
- benefit local communities
- not have started before an application for
funding is assessed
- not have been funded by Creative New Zealand
for the same purpose.
Eligible projects include:
- events or festivals
- personnel costs for one-off, short-term
projects
- costs associated with artist-in-residence
schemes
- promotional activities
- materials for an event or activity
- seminars or workshops
- equipment purchase (up to 50% of purchase
price) for a legally constituted group
- dance that has an arts or cultural focus (eg
ballet, tap, taiaha, highland dancing, rock 'n'
roll)
- school-based projects that are outside the
school's normal activities and provide benefits
for the wider community.
What types of activites can't be funded?
- facility development (eg cost of buildings,
plumbing, floor coverings, furnishings)
- purchase of artworks for galleries
- activities that are the responsibility of
educational institutions
- administration costs not related to a specific
project
- projects that have already been completed
- servicing of debts
- catering
- fundraising
- projects normally funded from the local
authority's own resources
- salaries for ongoing administration and
services
- prize money.
When and where can applications be made?
City and district councils (local
authorities) administer the Creative Communities
Scheme for Creative New Zealand. In some places,
local authority councils have devolved part or all
of the Scheme to a specialist local group such as a
community arts council. In most areas, there are two
funding rounds a year and each local authority sets
its own application closing dates for these. To find
out the local application dates you will need to
contact the Creative Communities Scheme
administrator at the relevant local authority.
Applications should be sent to the local
authority covering the community that will most
benefit from the project. A project supported by a
particular local authority doesn't necessarily have
to take place within that local authority area, as
the following example shows.
Representatives of an arts group from District A
wish to travel to City B to take part in a workshop.
In this case, the application should be sent to
District Council A because the benefits of attending
the workshop will be experienced by the community of
District A even though the event will take place in
another city or district.
Has Creative New Zealand got the Creative
Communities Scheme application forms?
No. Applicants need to obtain a Creative
Communities Scheme application form from the local
authority they wish to apply to. To obtain an
application form, contact the Creative Communities
Scheme administrator at the relevant local
authority. It is essential to use the application
form for the city or district you are applying to.
Creative New Zealand provides all local
authorities with a model application form. However,
each local authority adapts the model form, adding
important local details such as application dates
and contact details.
Can individuals apply?
All New Zealanders are eligible to apply to
the Creative Communities Scheme, either as
individuals or groups. In principle, the Scheme
offers support for projects rather than support for
applicants and all applications are assessed
according to the merit of the project, based on the
Creative Communities Scheme criteria. All
applications, whether from groups or individuals,
need to identify the benefits of the proposed
project to the local community.
Creative New Zealand is keen to encourage more
applications from Maori and Pacific Islands
individuals and groups.
What is the difference between the
Creative Communities Scheme and Creative New
Zealand's national funding programmes?
Creative New Zealand's national funding
programmes are offered through the Arts Board, Te
Waka Toi and the Pacific Arts Committee. The focus
of these programmes is arts development and support
for projects of national significance. In some
cases, projects that are eligible for CCS funding
may require a scale of support not available under
the CCS. You may apply to Creative New Zealand's
national funding programmes if your project is of
national significance and concerned with arts
development.
If you don't know whether to apply to the CCS or
to Creative New Zealand's national funding
programmes either contact your local CCS
administrator or Carolyn Todd (Christchurch -
Southern Office Tel: 03-366 2337 Email:
carolyn.todd@creativenz.govt.nz) or Gretchen La
Roche (Christchurch - Southern Office Tel: 03-372
3570 Email:
gretchenl@creativenz.govt.nz )
Can I apply to both the CCS and Creative New
Zealand for the same activity?
Not generally. You cannot "double dip" for
Creative New Zealand funds for exactly the same
project. However, there may be situations where
parts of a large activity (eg a festival or a tour)
may be eligible for funding from both Creative New
Zealand and the Creative Communities Scheme. For
example, an artist may apply for a Creative New
Zealand grant to tour a show and subsequently, local
organisers may receive Scheme funding for costs
specifically associated with presenting the show
locally.
For more information contact the Creative
Communities Scheme Administrator in your Local
Authority who will have the funding deadline dates
for your area and application forms
Local Authority Administrators can contact
Creative New Zealand's Scheme Administrator:
Carolyn Todd
Programme Administrator
Southern Office
Creative New Zealand
Tel: 03 366 2337
Email:
carolyn.todd@creativenz.govt.nz
For more information about the Scheme please
contact the above or:
Gretchen La Roche, Programme Adviser
Tel: 03-372 3570
Email:
gretchenl@creativenz.govt.nz
