Arts Grants is the most popular fund. Arts Grants are open to emerging and established artists, arts practitioners and arts organisations for a range of activity.
Arts Grants offer short-term project funding between $5,000 to $75,000. This funding enables more sustainable careers, encourages innovation and the development of arts practice, and provides opportunities for diverse communities to access the arts.
You can apply even if you haven’t applied for or received funding from Creative New Zealand before.
Four Arts Grants funding rounds are offered in 2022/23.
Each Arts Grants round will close once 250 applications have been submitted.
Please note: Creative New Zealand has recently received a new one-off investment of $22 million from the government.
We are currently working through the details, including the best pathways for utilising these very welcome extra funds.
We will provide more information soon about how this extra investment will impact the next Arts Grants Round 4 (opening 27 April 2023).
Amount
$5,000 to $75,000
Artforms
Arts Grants 2022/23 Round 4
For projects taking place between:
23 Jun 2023 - 23 Sep 2024
Opens: 27 Apr 2023
Closes: When 250 apps are submitted
Results due: 23 Jun 2023
Arts Grants 2022/23 Round 3
For projects taking place between:
31 Mar 2023 - 30 Jun 2024
Opened: 9 Feb 2023
Closed: 10 Feb 2023, 8AM
Results due:
31 Mar 2023
Arts Grants 2022/23 Round 2
For projects taking place between:
9 Dec 2022 - 9 Mar 2024
Opened: 3 Oct 2022
Closed: 7 Oct 2022, 12PM
Arts Grants 2022-23 Round 1
For projects taking place between:
30 Sep 2022 - 30 Dec 2023
Opened: 25 Jul 2022
Closed: 3 Aug 2022, 8PM
Arts Grants 2021/22 Round 6
For projects taking place between:
23 Jun 2022 - 23 Sep 2023
Opened: 26 Apr 2022
Closed: 20 May 2022, 5PM
Arts Grants 2021/22 Round 5
For projects taking place between:
13 May 2022 - 13 Aug 2023
Opened: 14 Mar 2022
Closed: 8 Apr 2022, 9AM
General eligibility criteria
We accept applications from:
- Individuals who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents
- New Zealand-based organisations
- International arts organisations. But the application must show benefits to New Zealand arts.
Track record
You must have a track record of experience and success — this means you must have:
- recognition from peers or experts
- achieved a degree of critical or sales success
- specialised training or practical experience
For examples of what success means in your artform check under Guidelines - Artforms. If you don't have the track record we're looking for you may be able to get funding through the Creative Communities Scheme.
Funding types
There are three types of funding: Ngā toi Māori, Pacific arts and General arts. There are additional eligibility requirements for Ngā toi Māori and Pacific arts funding types. You may be eligible for more than one type of funding, but you can only choose one for your application.
Ngā toi Māori funding
To apply for Ngā toi Māori funding:
- you must be Māori, or your project must be managed or directed by Māori
- organisations, groups or collectives must be Māori-led. If an organisation is applying for funding on behalf of an individual, that person must also be Māori.
Applications are assessed by Māori artists or practitioners with experience in Ngā toi Māori.
Pacific arts funding
To apply for Pacific arts funding:
- your activities must align to our Pacific Arts Strategy 2018-2023
- Kaupapa Pasifika will be evident in the practice of your activities
- the activities will deliver outcomes to Pacific arts and artists
Applications are assessed by Pasifika artists or practitioners with experience in the Pacific arts.
General arts funding
The general eligibility criteria apply. Applications are assessed by artists and practitioners with experience in the relevant artform.
Breaches of agreements
You can't apply if you, your organisation, or key members of your project team are in breach of the conditions of a current funding agreement.
If you receive funding, be sure to read all the terms and conditions in your funding agreement and note your reporting deadlines so you don't breach the agreement. If we consider the terms and conditions of funding to be seriously breached, which includes missing the deadline for reporting, we reserve the right to terminate the grant and seek repayment.
For further information about the penalties for breaching a funding agreement see Guidelines - Eligibility
Arts Grants offer short-term project funding between $5,000 to $75,000 for New Zealand artists, arts practitioners, arts organisations, groups and collectives. This funding enables more sustainable careers, encourages innovation and the development of arts practice, and provides opportunities for diverse communities to access the arts.
Project costs
Funding can be used for project costs including:
- Fees, stipends and wages. These need to offer fair remuneration for artists and arts practitioners. See Guidelines - Remuneration
- Production, administration, and marketing costs
You can only apply for costs incurred between the project start and end dates listed in your application. We don't fund retrospective or ongoing costs.
For some activities, we only fund certain costs. See Guidelines - Activities
Project timing
Your project must be completed in a 12-month period, and within 15 months from the date the grant is awarded.
Activities
We fund a wide range of arts projects and activities. For instance:
- creating, developing, presenting, publishing and documenting work
- building skills, networks and audiences
- community arts projects
- projects with international connections
Some activities have specific application requirements. See Guidelines - Activities.
Benefits to New Zealand arts
Your project or activities must directly benefit New Zealand arts, artists or practitioners.
Arts Grants programme purposes
Your project must achieve one, or more, of the Arts Grants programme’s purposes, which are:
- More sustainable careers for artists, arts practitioners, arts organisations, groups and collectives
- Development of arts practice
- Innovation in New Zealand arts
- Opportunities for diverse communities to access and participate in high-quality arts experiences
Alignment to Creative New Zealand's strategies
Your project or programme of activities must achieve at least one of our strategic outcomes, which are:
- High-quality New Zealand art is developed
- New Zealanders participate in the arts
- New Zealanders experience high-quality arts
- New Zealand arts gain international success
- New Zealand’s arts sector is resilient
We are also interested in projects that achieve the outcomes of our two cultural strategies:
Partnering with organisations in Creative New Zealand’s Toi Uru Kahikatea or Toi Tōtara Haemata investments programmes
If your project is in partnership with, or will result in a presentation at, an organisation in Creative New Zealand’s Toi Uru Kahikatea or Toi Tōtara Haemata investment programmes you must supply a letter from them that outlines their contribution to the project.
What we don't fund
- Activities already funded by another Creative New Zealand funding programme or initiative. For instance, the Creative Communities Scheme.
- Activities another Creative New Zealand funding programme or initiative is designed to support
- Purchase of capital items, renovating or buying buildings, or restoring marae
- Duplication of funding with other government agencies
- Projects, project phases or programmes of activity that have received support from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage via the Arts and Culture COVID Recovery Programme (excluding Cultural Sector Emergency Relief Fund, the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme and the Grant for Self-Employed Individuals)
- Core education resources and activities that are part of the curriculum and course of study in New Zealand, including early learning, school, or further education
- Game design, fashion design and commercial design
- Some film and screen activity
- Activities that are part of the core business of a Tertiary Education Organisation (TEO), Territorial Local Authority (TLA) or Council Controlled Organisation (CCO)
Register or sign in to your Creative NZ Portal account to apply using the online application form.
The application form is available from the date a funding round opens and each Arts Grants 2022/23 funding round will close when 250 applications have been submitted.
You can start preparing the information for your application in advance, so you are ready to apply when the round opens.
When you're working in the online application form you will be able to see the number of other people who have created draft applications and see how many applications have been submitted.
See our Guidelines for step-by-step technical guidance, tips and support to create your CNZ portal account or to use the online application form.
If you have access needs or require additional support to use the CNZ portal, contact us on email portal@creativenz.govt.nz or phone 0800 CREATIVE (273 284).
How often can you apply?
You can make two Arts Grants applications (which includes the Louis Johnson New Writer’s Bursary and Todd New Writer’s Bursary) in the financial year 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
Each application must be submitted to a different funding round and be for a different project or a new phase of a project, which has not been part of a previous application.
You cannot receive Annual Arts Grants and Arts Grants funding in the same financial year. If you received an Annual Arts Grant for 2022/23 you cannot apply to an Arts Grants 2022/23 funding round.
Reapplying for a previously declined project
We offer the opportunity to resubmit a previously declined project only under limited circumstances. See Guidelines - Reapplying for a previously declined project.
To apply you need to fill in all sections of the online application form. You also need to prepare documents and supporting information to upload to your application form.
Application questions
The Arts Grants application form includes the following sections:
Idea
In this section you tell us what you're requesting funding for and what the central idea or kaupapa of the project is. You also tell us:
- The expected artistic outcomes and/or participant experience.
- Which Creative New Zealand strategic outcome your project will achieve, and how.
- Which Arts Grants programme purpose your project will achieve, and how.
If you're applying under Ngā toi Māori or Pacific arts, also tell us
- How Mātauranga Māori or Kaupapa Pasifika are evident in the idea, practice and outcomes of the project/programme.
The character limit for the Idea section is 500 to 10,000 characters.
Process
In this section you tell us where, when and how you plan to deliver your project.
The character limit for the Process section is 500 to 7,500 characters.
People
In this section tell us about yourself, and other key people/organisations involved in your programme or project.
The character limit for each person or organisation is 1,000 characters.
Budget
In this section you tell us:
- How much you're requesting from Creative New Zealand
- The total cost of the project.
You also need to provide a detailed project budget. Read more below.
Support material
In this section, you add the required documents and supporting information to your application form. See Guidelines - Support material.
Budget
You need to provide a detailed project budget as part of your application.
It must show:
- All the costs of your programme or project
- Which of those costs you want the Creative New Zealand grant to cover
- All sources of revenue
You can present your budget using any of the following:
- Standard project budget template
- Activity and budget template for a programme of activity
- Literature publishing subsidy template (for Literature publishing projects only)
- The template that is built into the Budget section of the application form
See Guidelines - Budgets.
Arts Grants assessment criteria
Your application is assessed by external peer assessors using the following criteria.
Idea
Is it a strong idea? We look for the following indicators:
- The artistic aims are clearly expressed.
- The idea is compelling.
- The artistic outcome and/or participant experience is likely to be high quality.
Viability
Can it be achieved? We look for the following indicators:
- The process to achieve the idea is realistic and well planned.
- The budget is thorough and accurate and considers fair remuneration for practitioners.
- The people involved have sufficient experience to deliver this project.
Strategic fit
Does it deliver to Creative New Zealand outcomes? We look for the following indicators:
- The project delivers to the selected strategic outcome.
- The project delivers to the selected Arts Grants programme purpose.
Applications to the Ngā toi Māori fund are assessed by Māori artists or practitioners with experience in Ngā toi Maori. Applications to the Pacific arts fund are assessed by Pasifika artists or practitioners with experience the Pacific arts. In addition to the criteria above, applications to these funds are assessed on whether:
- Mātauranga Māori / Kaupapa Pasifika is evident in the idea, practice and outcomes of the project.
For more information about our assessment and decision-making process, see Guidelines - Assessment
After the round closes, staff check your application is eligible before it moves to peer assessment.
We will let you know the result of your application on the results due date. There will also be a full list of funded applications on our Results page.
If your application is successful, we’ll contact you about your:
- Funding agreement
- Payment details
- Reporting requirements. See Guidelines - Reporting
If your application is not successful you can email Funding Services to get feedback on it, and you may consider looking into other sources of funding and support.
For more information, advice or to discuss your project email Funding Services.
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