Creative New Zealand’s Response

Creative New Zealand COVID-19 Response

Creative New Zealand’s first phase COVID-19 response

Creative New Zealand has now confirmed its Emergency Response Package, announcing in response to COVID-19, they will include a first phase $16 million investment to support the arts community, from now to beyond the immediate crisis.

The initial $16 million investment, with funding opening 14 April, will be distributed to the sector through to 30 June 2020 (end of Creative New Zealand’s financial year). It includes $4.5 million of new money announced on Friday plus $11.5 million repurposed from other programmes. Phase two, which will provide support beyond June 2020, will be explored at the
April Arts Council meeting.

Creative New Zealand’s Emergency Response Package will initially have two components:

  1. Resilience Grants for eligible artists, arts practitioners, arts groups and arts organisations (non-investment clients) who we know are suffering, to help them recover, maintain and develop their practice in a completely changed environment. There are two opportunities:
    • Arts Continuity Grant (up to $50k), supporting the creation of new work or the reframing of an existing project in light of COVID-19, including creative and professional development, promotion and distribution (eg, supporting new ways of working).  
    • Emergency Relief Grant (up to $10k per individual), for eligible artists and arts practitioners, collectives and groups who we know may be experiencing devastating loss of income and opportunity and an uncertain future, and who have applied for the announced government support. More details to come – applications will need to include details of the impact of COVID-19 on their arts practice. 
  2. Short-term Relief for Investment Clients – open to existing investment clients and on top of existing funding, with priority given to those materially negatively impacted by COVID-19, to help them stabilise their businesses and remain viable.

Creative New Zealand is planning quick application turnarounds and rolling weekly decisions for both the Arts Continuity Grant and Emergency Relief Grant, but will monitor this commitment and the rapidly changing environment.

Investment clients are the 83 multi-year funded arts organisations in the Toi Tōtara Haemata and Toi Uru Kahikatea investment programmes, employing between them many artists and arts practitioners (including technical specialists), and who may have had to cancel or defer programmes and carry the impact of incurred costs without the anticipated revenue.

Application assessment will take up to 20 working days, beginning as soon as the application is received. More details to come – applications will need to include a re-forecasted programme and budget.  

In the meantime, all artists, art practitioners, arts groups and arts organisations are encouraged to take advantage of the hardship support available through the Government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Package (extended yesterday to provide cover for self-employed, charities and others). They should also check with any other funders to see what support they might be able to provide.

The above information is a summary of the first phase as at the 24th of March, for more information, visit the Creative New Zealand website and contact their team for any inquiries.

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