It is a delight to see the variety of interesting projects that are proposed each March and September to the arts funding rounds at the DCC.

The most recent round saw 54 arts applications submitted across the Community Arts Grants, the Creative Communities Scheme and the new Professional Theatre Fund.

Some projects appear regularly such as the artmaking workshops held by the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival, the Lines of Flight music festival and the art making opportunities offered at the Waitati Music Festival. Some exciting new projects include a proposal for Open Studios for contemporary visual artists at Allbell Studios as well as several workshops across a range of areas including drama, weaving, art, film and music including Chinese traditional folk instruments.

The Professional Theatre Fund saw many high-quality projects apply and the community can look forward to a range of projects from Unity Creative, Afterburner, Arcade Theatre, Wolfgang Creative, Ruaimoko Trust, Ruth Carraway, Waiti Productions and the UNESCO Creative Cities Short Plays festival at the University of Otago.

Funding application tip

It’s always best to speak with a member of the Ara Toi team before submitting your application as they can advise on the best way to fit the funding criteria and provide budget tips. These funding rounds are always oversubscribed and staff can also provide advice on approaching other funders which is often an important part of the process.

The next funding round is open 4-29 March 2019 and the Ara Toi team look forward to receiving your applications.