Arts Access Aotearoa are partnering with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to deliver funding targeted at creative spaces as part of the Government’s new Te Tahua Whakahaumaru Creative Arts Recovery Employment (CARE) Fund described above. $18 million has been earmarked specifically for the Creative Spaces Initiative, a fund designed to increase participation and strengthen practice and sustainability in creative spaces across Aotearoa. Arts Access Aotearoa have appointed two specialist funding advisors to provide advice for those interested in making applications. Email them at fundingsupport@artsaccess.org.nz. Their role is to advisory assistance in the application process and delivering projects over the longer-term.

The fund (a first for the sector) addresses the findings published in the (2019) report  Understanding the Value of Creative Spaces .The report demonstrated that creative spaces offer valuable access to arts and cultural experiences and promote health and wellbeing amongst marginalised communities. However, a longstanding lack of funding has prevented them from reaching their potential as part of the cultural sector.