February 13, 2023

The Big Idea, 13 February 2023

The creative community has spoken up in their droves after Creative NZ’s latest Arts Grants round reached its application cap in one day – we examine the reaction on social media.

Not all record-breaking results in the creative community are ones to celebrate.

Record investment? Absolutely. Record attendance? Definitely.

Record speed of funding opportunities for struggling creatives to close? That’s about as unwelcome as Cyclone Gabrielle.

At 8am on Friday morning, it was announced that the latest Creative New Zealand (CNZ) Arts Grants round closed – not even 24 hours after it opened.

The process of capping the Arts Grants funding rounds at the first 250 completed submissions has been a fraught one for artists for some time, particularly given how time consuming many find the process.  In October 2022, there was outrage when the window closed after four days.

Now here we are in February 2023 – with a literal case of the Fast and the Furious. 

CNZ reaction

It must be noted, CNZ themselves have already acknowledged their current funding system isn’t working.  [Go to The Big Idea for the full story]