Toi Māori funding for Ōpōtiki

Ōpōtiki District Council has been successful in its application for Ngā Toi ā Rohe - Arts in the Regions Funding for a series of new Toi Māori as part of Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi.

This Creative NZ funding, aims to encourage investment in new arts activity outside New Zealand’s main centres. Council has been awarded $149,700.

Council Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie, said that the funding would go towards artworks for Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi.

“It is important to have arts funding set aside specifically to ensure that our spaces and places reflect our community and our history through art. We have a vibrant and unique artistic community here in the district and I know planning is already underway to develop this in our public art works.

“A planning group has come together this year to ensure that artwork is integral to the design. That means we have many voices in the room – cultural, artistic and architectural – to bring the community vision to life. The groups have been discussing internal and external pou, apex, panels, pare, lintels and even the frosting on glass.

“It is great to have this dedicated funding to share the costs of local works between Creative NZ and local ratepayers,” Ms Lawrie said.