New initiatives to support Pacific heritage arts

Creative New Zealand is introducing two new initiatives to help maintain the health of Pacific heritage arts in New Zealand.

The Kava New Leaders and the Moana Community Festival initiatives will provide opportunities for heritage arts skills to be passed on to new or emerging artists.

They are a response to Creative New Zealand-commissioned research into the health of Pacific heritage arts in New Zealand which found that while some heritage artforms are thriving – such as the performing arts, tivaevae and Samoan tatau – others such as aspects of weaving were difficult to maintain.

“Heritage arts provide a way for Pacific people to express the values, perspectives and attitudes that make our communities unique. They also underpin and influence contemporary art, and Pasifika artists have urged us to find ways to support their preservation and development in this country,” said Creative New Zealand Senior Pacific Arts Adviser Makerita Urale.

Kava New Leaders

The Kava New Leaders initiative provides an opportunity for established practitioners of heritage arts to pass on their knowledge and skills to potential new leaders in their artform.

This could happen either in New Zealand or the Pacific Islands for between two and four weeks, with Creative New Zealand making up to $7,500 available to support one project this year. Aligned with Kaupapa Pasifika concepts of group learning, each project can include up to three artists participating and learning from the experience.

For more information visit: http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/en/getting-funded/find-funding-opportunities/kava-new-leaders-initiative/general-info

Moana Community Festivals

This new initiative is being offered to support small regional or isolated Pasifika communities outside the main population centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to run festivals passing on both heritage arts practices and Pasifika languages.

“Many of our communities have emphasised that language provides the context and meaning for heritage artforms and that the well-being of Pacific heritage cannot be considered in isolation from the health of their languages,” says Makerita.

Creative New Zealand will provide up to $2,500 each for three Moana events in 2011, and is calling for expressions of interest from community groups. Each event must take place by the end of the year.

“There is a strong desire from Pacific communities to preserve their culture, and we hope these two initiatives will be a means for this to happen,” says Makerita.

For more information visit: http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/en/getting-funded/find-funding-opportunities/moana-community-festivals/general-info

The deadline for applications for both initiatives is 5pm Friday 12 August 2011.