Kaitiakitanga: Futures through creativity, call for proposals

Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai | Nurture the seed and it will grow.

Expression of interest now closed.

Already this year, our communities have been faced with the effects of climate change: heavy rain, slips, severe flooding, evacuations and states of emergency. 

Climate change is here and we all have a part to play in making positive changes now, for the future. Creativity is a powerful tool in this space. It can help us to connect with one another, work together, find inspiration, imagine new possibilities, educate and share ideas, speak up and remember. It can help us to process, support our wellbeing, and combat fatigue and apathy. 

We know that creativity lives and thrives in Waikato, and our region is woven together by artists, performers, ringatoi, creatives, community activators (and more!) who create work in conversation with the social challenges we face. In 2020, Creative Waikato launched the Kotahitanga project, focused on sharing the message of unity to combat prejudice and division. 

Thanks to funding from Len Reynolds Trust and Trust Waikato, Creative Waikato are commissioning 20 Waikato creatives to create original work in response to climate change. This project is called Kaitiakitanga: futures through creativity. This time, the focus is on te taiao (and our place in–and of–it), guardianship, possibility, and our relationship to wai, whenua and whānau. 

We want to hear from emerging and established artists across our mighty Waikato region. The twenty artists will be chosen by a panel of local community activators and creatives. Ten emerging artists will be commissioned and paid $1,000, and ten established artists will be commissioned and paid $2,000. 

The commissioned works will be photographed, and the artists will feature in a short video about their work. These will be hosted online on the Kotahitanga online gallery, and shared and promoted through Creative Waikato channels to advocate for kaitiakitanga and creativity in Waikato and beyond. 

To find out more and express your interest, please check out the link below to the EOI form.  

Express interest here

And please, pass this on to any creatives in your life who are on the kaupapa: Kaitiakitanga: futures through creativity. 

• EOI submissions close:  July 5 

• Proposals selected and artists notified: July 16

• Works completed: August 31

If you have any other queries or concerns before making an Expression of Interest, please feel free to contact us via email: hello@creativewaikato.co.nz

FAQ’s

If you click on the questions below and they do not expand with an answer, try clearing your cache and then refreshing.

• Are you open to any medium/artform?

  The original commissioned work can be in any medium and artform. It just needs to be able to be presented and shared through a digital gallery space. This can include, but isn’t limited to: painting, drawing, poetry, photography, video, music, sculpture, design, craft, textiles, weaving, carving and more. The key thing is that it presents a creative vision for the future of our environment.

• Who has ownership of the finished artwork?

  The artist will remain the owner of the artwork. If selected, you agree to grant Creative Waikato, Len Reynolds Trust and Trust Waikato permission to share and feature your work. Anyone who uses the work will be asked to credit the creator.

• How will the artwork be exhibited, presented or displayed?

  The sharing of works may take a variety of formats. All works will be accessible to the public through a dedicated webpage on the Kotahitanga Gallery website.

• Am I an emerging artist or an established artist?
  

  Like any attempt to categorise, there is no clear cut or final definition of what makes an artist ‘emerging’ or ‘established’. These ideas change over time and depending on context. In this instance, we would like you to decide how you would like to identify, and which of these spaces feels most comfortable for you in this instance.

• Rangatahi and Tamariki

  If you are 18 or younger, you will need the consent of a legal guardian when you submit your expression of interest, and if selected, the consent of your legal guardian will be required again upon signing the commission agreement.

• AI

  This project is focused on showcasing artists’ voices as a way to inspire future pathways for us all to care about the environment. Because it is about commissioning artists, it is a requirement that AI is not used in the creation of the creative works. No AI submissions will be accepted.

• Climate Impacts of Work

  Projects should utilise recycled or repurposed materials where possible, and should limit any additional climate impact in the creation process.

• Do the works need to be completed by 31 August?

  Yes.

• Do I need to be GST registered?
  

  No, you don’t need to be GST registered. If you are not GST registered and are commissioned, we will help guide the process. This can include an invoice template that states you are responsible for your own tax and filling out whatever paperwork is required.

• Is there any other method of applying for this?

  No. The expression of interest process will be managed by filling out the Expression of Interest form which you can find here.

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