Budding young actors, film makers and musicians in the South Wairarapa received a boost from
Creative NZ this month with three grants awarded after being assessed by an independent panel of
arts specialists. Funding comes entirely from Creative NZ and is administered by South Wairarapa
District Council (SWDC).
The grants were awarded under the Creative Communities Scheme to:

• Free piano lessons in Featherston $2500 – Robbie Taylor, PhD in Cognitive Psychology and
  Featherston RSA treasurer. He will run free tuition for people of all ages using the grand
  piano in Featherston’s Anzac Hall.
• Greytown Little Theatre production $784 – awarded funds for its third main bill show this
  spring with the play Grand Horizons by American writer Bess Wohl.
• Wairarapa Film Festival $1000 – producer Jane Ross received funds for the Wairarapa Film
  Festival this spring, Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 October at Circus Cinema in Martinborough.

Wairarapa Film Festival Spring programme 2023: Award winning film maker Derrick Sims (above) with his
children Isla and Iden, on the red carpet at Circus Cinema. Derrick’s latest film, Through A Glass,
Lightly, will screen this year on Sunday 27 October at 3pm, at Circus Cinema alongside other local
short films. Photo by Beau Elton.

Nine applications were assessed in this funding round on three criteria: Access and participation;
diversity and appeal to tamariki, young people. Panel assessors included newcomers artist Sandra
Schmitt, former Creative NZ peer assessor Brian Wood and choir singer Louise Aitken.

“It’s great to see creatives in our community finding ways to engage with young people, enabling
them to set out on a journey that may lead to a career in arts. With such a rich and diverse
community, it is really important for tamariki who may not fit into communities like sports, to find
activities like piano, art or performance as a pathway for connection and expression,” says Lina
McManus, Grants & Funding Coordinator for SWDC.

The free piano lessons run by Robbie Taylor are open to people of all ages, as are the film talks at
this Wairarapa Film Festival’s spring programme.
“If we want a more lively music scene in the
Wairarapa, we need to start at the beginning and foster a passion for music. There are many free
online resources but, in my experience, these can only supplement lessons from an experienced
teacher. Anzac Hall houses a grand piano that is under utilised. The classes are open to anyone who
registers in any age group, although it is likely to appeal more to younger people,” says Taylor.

SWDC Grants & Funding Coordinator Lina McManus is keen to grow the Creative Communities Fund
to support local emerging artists and tamariki, young people, in their artistic expression. “We would
love to hear from philanthropists or organisations with funds to contribute to the arts, small or large,
to grow this fund.”

The second Creative Community Scheme funding round opens in February.
Find out more to apply for funds at: swdc.govt.nz/community/grants/