Creative Fellowship Fund
Creative New Zealand
Funding
$25,000 or $50,000 NZD
Opens
17 August 2026
Deadline
24 September 2026
Location
NZ, NZ
About
Grants of $25,000 or $50,000 for NZ artists and practitioners to develop new work, ideas, and approaches in their creative practice.
The Creative Fellowship Fund offers grants of $25,000 or $50,000 to New Zealand artists and practitioners who want dedicated time to develop their practice, explore new ideas, and experiment with new approaches — without the pressure of producing work that's ready to present to the public.
You can apply for
- $25,000 to support up to 6 months of creative development
- $50,000 to support up to 18 months of creative development
The grant can be used for living costs, materials, and resources. You can receive a maximum of $50,000 from this fund within any 12-month period.
Who can apply: Individual artists and practitioners who are New Zealand citizens or Permanent Residents. Groups of collaborators can also apply jointly. Sole traders and company directors still apply as individuals. Arts organisations cannot apply.
Additional support: People who identify as Deaf, disabled, or experience impairment can claim an additional accessibility payment on top of their grant.
Application questions ($25,000):
1. What do you want to do in your creative practice with this funding?
2. How will this build on your previous work, and why is it important that you do this now?
3. How will this allow you to take risks, develop new ideas, and contribute to the growth of your arts practice?
Additional questions for $50,000:
4. How will you share your learnings, discoveries, or reflections with others?
5. How do you think this will evolve your creative practice, artform, or community?
No budget is required in your application — the amounts are fixed. Support material such as an artistic CV, work samples, letters of support, and a timeline are welcome.
Applications are assessed by artform-based peer panels alongside Creative New Zealand staff. Separate funding pools exist for Ngā toi Māori and Pacific arts applicants, with dedicated assessors for each.
You can also apply to the Creative Impact Fund in the same year, but not for the same activities. Combined, you can receive up to $125,000 across both funds within a 12-month period.
The next round (Round 2, 2026) opens 17 August 2026 and closes 24 September 2026 at 1pm NZ time.