February 4, 2008

OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO INAUGURAL FUNDING ROUND  

The deadline for applications to the first funding round of The Emerging Artists Trust (EAT Wellington) was 31 January. There have been an overwhelming number of applications from emerging film and theatre artists in the Wellington region, which reaffirms the desperate need for support in this area.

The applications will be short listed by the Film and Theatre committees respectively who are comprised of local industry professionals. The shortlist is then passed on to the Board of Trustees for final decision making. The results will be announced publicly by mid-March.

EAT Wellington was established late last year by Charlotte Larsen in recognition of the lack of support in the film and theatre industry, and the Trust purports to fill those gaps which are specifically identified as follows:

• lack of wages in theatre production generally;
• lack of funding for films
• lack of funding for new work to be developed, especially for theatre work;
• lack of funding for artists who are not "sufficiently established" in their field;
• lack of funding for proposed works that have been rejected by other funding bodies;
• lack of funding bodies and funding opportunities in the industry

The objectives of this trust are therefore:

• to provide financial support to Artists (as defined in the Trust Deed) by way of granting of production funds;
• to provide and develop opportunities for networking and mentoring amongst the Artists and corporate bodies within the industry; and
• to benefit the Wellington region through film and theatre work.

The trust is seeking sponsorship to enable the continued support of these artists who might not otherwise have the opportunity to successfully launch their careers in a financially viable way. Anyone interested in supporting EAT Wellington should contact Emma Carter events@eatwellington.org.nz or ph: 801 6470.