New Arts and Heritage funding to support eight local initiatives

Kāpiti Coast District Council has approved funding for eight local arts and heritage initiatives from its two new development funds – the Arts Sustainability Fund and the Museum and Heritage Development Fund.

Libraries and Cultural Services Manager Ian Littleworth says the new funds enable Council to help local groups do aspirational things through the arts or telling stories of our heritage in interesting ways.

“These types of initiatives help put the Kāpiti Coast on the national cultural map, and we are looking forward to seeing how they grow and enhance our cultural offerings. We were particularly pleased to see increased collaboration with our mana whenua in the development of arts and heritage projects.”

The Arts Sustainability Fund was set up to support the development and long-term sustainability of arts initiatives and organisations in Kāpiti. The assessment panel for this fund has awarded grants to four recipients, representing a commitment of around $30,000 a year for the arts over the next three years.

“We’ve allocated funding to Kāpiti’s first mixed-gender barbershop chorus, a collaboration between Mahara Gallery and Te Wānanga o Raukawa with a focus on sharing traditional Māori taonga creation with the community, an annual mid-winter Ōtaki based winter festival that celebrates Matariki through the arts, and re-establishing a beloved community orchestra,” says Mr Littleworth.

The Museums and Heritage Development Fund is designed to help projects or activities that showcase the rich heritage of our district and build capacity and capability in the heritage sector. Grants were awarded to four recipients totalling $54,900. 

“We’re excited to be supporting the Friends of the Ōtaki Rotunda in their work with the Department of Conservation and Ngā Hapu to restore an important piece of our history, the Kāpiti US Marines Trust to create a unique US Marines trail linking eight existing heritage sites, the Ōtaki Museum to introduce technology that will enable more interactive participation of visitors, and Te Whare Taonga o Paekākāriki/Paekākāriki Station Precinct Trust on a number of projects to improve and enhance the presence of the Station Museum, Ngati Haumia ki Paekākāriki and Paekākāriki Village.”

For more information on available funding, visit kapiticoast.govt.nz/funding. 

The Arts Sustainability Fund grant recipients:

• Beachside Harmony:  Establishing Kāpiti’s first mixed-gender Barbershop Chorus as a vibrant and inclusive high standard chorus, aiming for excellence in singing at a community and national level. 
• Kia Emiemi: Through a strengthening collaborative relationship between Mahara Gallery and Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Kia Emiemi focuses on the Toi Whakarākai weaving and carving programmes, providing an internship programme, and sharing traditional Māori taonga creation with the community.
• Matariki Star Glaze Festival: Star Glaze will be an annual mid-winter Ōtaki-based art festival that celebrates Matariki through the arts, supports creative excellence, and provides a sustainable platform for Kāpiti creatives (ceramicists, potters, visual artists, weavers, sculptors, and photographers) to exhibit and sell their work.
• Raumati South Community Orchestra: The Community Orchestra will be re-established as an ongoing and celebrated part of Raumati South village life with an inclusive programme to learn popular songs, hold creative workshops, and to perform local musical events.

The Museums and Heritage Development Fund grant recipients:

• Friends of the Ōtaki Rotunda: Supporting the Friends in their work with the Department of Conservation and Ngā Hapu to restore the Ōtaki Children’s Health Camp Rotunda as a visitor destination and venue for community events.
• Kapiti US Marines Trust “Kapiti Marines Trail”: Creating a unique US Marines trail in Kapiti, linking eight existing heritage sites in Paekākāriki, Queen Elizabeth Park & Whareroa Farm. The trail will enable visitors to learn about the New Zealand/American partnership in the Pacific War and share a fascinating slice of our local and national history.
• Otaki Museum IT development: A one-off contribution to Ōtaki Museum’s project to upgrade its technology and increase the participation of visitors to the museum through more interactive displays.
• Te Whare Taonga o Paekākāriki/Paekākāriki Station Precinct Trust: Funding to development projects that will improve and enhance the presence of the Station Museum, Ngati Haumia ki Paekākāriki and Paekākāriki Village. This includes extending the Paekākāriki Arts Walk and History Trail, installing interpretation panels at Wainui Pa, creating an oral history of Paekākāriki residents and ex-residents, and working with Ngāti Haumia to document their history.