Creative Communities Scheme

Individuals or groups can apply for CCS funding.  (Individuals must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents).

If you have already received funding from CCS for a project, you must complete a report on that project before making another application, unless the project is still in progress.

To be eligible for funding through CCS your arts project must support at least one of the following:

Access and Participation:

Create opportunities for local communities to engage with, and participate in.

Examples of projects for Access and Participation include:

• Performances by community choirs, hip-hop groups, theatre companies or poets
• Workshops on printmaking, writing, dancing or other creative forms
• Exhibitions by local craft groups promoting weaving, pottery and carving
• Festivals featuring local artists
• Creation of a community film or a public artwork by a community
• Development of new tukutuku, whakairo or kowhaiwhai for a local marae
• Artist residencies involving local artists or communities
• Seminars for local artist development.

Diversity:

Support the diverse artistic cultural traditions of local communities

Examples of projects for Diversity include:

• Workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions in Maori or Pasifika heritage art forms
• Workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions by local migrant communities
• Arts projects bringing together groups from a range of different communities
• Workshops, rehearsals, performances, festivals or exhibitions by groups with experience of disability or mental illness.

Young people:

Enable young people (under 18 years)to engage with, and participate in the arts, eg:

Examples of projects for Young people include:

• A group of young people working with an artist to create a mural or street art
• A group of young people creating a film about an issue that is important to them
• Printing a collection of writing by young people
• Music workshops for young people
• An exhibition of visual art work by young people

• Materials for arts activities or programmes
• Venue or equipment hire
• Personnel and administrative costs for short-term projects
• Promotion and publicity of arts activities.

• ongoing administration and service costs (such as salaries) that aren’t related to a specific project
• travel for individuals or groups to attend events, presentations or shows outside the local area
• buying capital items or equipment, such as cameras, computers, instruments, costumes, lights or uniforms
• the costs of running fundraising activities
• entry fees for competitions, contests and exams
• prize money, awards and judges’ fees for competitions
• payment of royalties
• the paying off of accumulated debt or debt servicing
• buying existing artworks for collections held by, for example, councils, museums, galleries, community groups or individuals.

Please note: Where any of the above costs are included in a CCS application, the applicant will need to be able to cover these costs from project income other than CCS funding, eg ticket sales or fundraising.

For more information, please read the Application Guide. 

Creative Communities Scheme - Application Guide(PDF, 368KB)

Use of the Creative Communities Scheme logo in marketing material is required by successful applicants. This logo is available for downloading below. For instructions on how to use the logo, please visit the Creative New Zealand website.