Gisborne District Council / Creative New Zealand
Twice-yearly community arts grants of up to ~$2,000 for local arts activities in Tairāwhiti, with $42k distributed annually.
The Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) is a nationwide funding programme administered locally by Gisborne District Council for the Tairāwhiti region. Two funding rounds are held each year, sharing $42,000 annually across successful projects — most grants are under $2,000.
The scheme supports arts activities that bring local communities together to engage with and participate in the arts. Eligible projects include performances by community choirs, dance groups, theatre companies, musicians, and poets; workshops in printmaking, writing, or dance; exhibitions by local craft groups showcasing weaving, pottery, or carving; festivals featuring local artists; community film or public artwork creation; artist residencies; seminars for artist development; and the creation of new tukutuku, whakairo, or kōwhaiwhai for a local marae.
Funding can cover materials, venue and equipment hire, short-term personnel and admin costs, promotion and publicity, and reasonable costs for food for artists, participants, and audiences at community arts events.
To be eligible, your project must take place within Tairāwhiti, be completed within 12 months of funding approval, benefit local communities, and not have started or concluded before approval. Projects already funded through Creative New Zealand's other programmes are not eligible.
The scheme does not fund projects without a clear arts focus (such as puzzles, upholstery, magic, model-making, commercial design, commercial fashion, fitness-based dance, or martial arts); arts programmes in schools that form part of their core curriculum; projects where arts outcomes are secondary to health, heritage, or environmental outcomes; local council projects; fundraising activities; ongoing administration; facility development or restoration; or entry fees, prize money, royalties, or equipment purchases.
Recent funded projects reflect the breadth of what's possible — from pottery workshops and flax weaving wānanga, to youth gigs, stained glass teaching series, 16mm artist films, sound art exhibitions, contemporary jewellery workshops, and indigenous arts gatherings.
