Unique fund for, by and with Asian artists announces latest grants

A raft of grants has been announced supporting the development of Asian artists from Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau. In this third roll-out of the Asian Artists’ Fund (AAF), $579,000 is being distributed amongst 17 successful projects.

Established in 2022, the AAF is a unique co-funding initiative created by Foundation North and Creative New Zealand (CNZ) using participatory grant-making principles. A co-design process with mid-career and senior Asian arts practitioners in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau designed this version of the Fund, also drawing from community feedback from previous rounds.

The Fund opened in June 2024 and received a high volume of applications. Applications were sought from early and mid-career artists, practitioners, and collectives of Asian descent who are based in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau (or whose project benefits those within this region).

Projects across four streams were awarded funding: Workshops or capability-building initiatives, Towards deeper coverage and critical dialogue of Aotearoa Asian artists and their work, An opportunity for experimentation/permission to fail and One-off artistic projects. An expansive range of art forms was supported including theatre, music, visual arts, community arts, literature and dance. (List of funded projects here)

Radically changing the creative landscape of Aotearoa

Artist Danielle Hao-Aickin, an Outreach Advisor for the Fund commented, “The Asian Artists Fund has been radical in changing the creative landscape of Aotearoa, and this has been witnessed in the blossoming of Asian artists that have broken the surface since the beginning of this initiative. While we were always there, these funding opportunities have allowed us to create amplified works that are significant enough to impact even more people.

As an outreach advisor this year, I got to engage with even more musicians of Asian descent than even I could imagine. Just when you think you know the whole industry, more amazing artists are revealed in a beautiful shared kaupapa. As I had kawhe with these individuals, it struck me how much we had in common, and how many of us are giving back to the community in different ways.”

Pan-Asian comedy on the international stage

Seeking to inspire Pan-Asian comedians and audiences to participate in and enjoy live, stand-up comedy, Jess Karamjeet’s PACSA (Laughs), aka the Pan-Asian Comedy School Aotearoa, was one of the successful projects in 2023 and 2024.

Nine participants took part in two six-week workshops and graduation shows to build up their comedy skills and confidence to perform, and to boost Asian representation in the stand-up comedy scene in Aotearoa. The experience culminated in three Asian Comedy Takeover shows to inspire the next generation of stand-ups, including taking to the stage at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. These new comedians were able to showcase their own cultures, confront colonialism, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and celebrate through laughter.

A bold new direction for fund design

This year, the AAF sought to respond to recommendations made in ‘Enter the Multiverse – Building a Stronger Sector for Our Asian Arts Practitioners’ (authored by Rosabel Tan, commissioned by Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi), and acknowledge the place of Asian peoples in Aotearoa in relation to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

This desire underscored the Fund, with its co-designers commenting, “Understanding the place of Asian New Zealanders goes hand in hand with understanding their roles and responsibilities as Tiriti partners – in this context, we define Tangata Tiriti as inclusive of all who call Aotearoa home.”

Audry McLaren, Head of Funding at Foundation North, praised the boldness of the 2024 AAF and commented on what has been achieved since its inception, “In 2022, Foundation North and Creative New Zealand established the Asian Artists' Fund as a co-funding initiative, and it has been making a real difference. Including grants approved this year, the AAF has awarded $1.66 million to 65 practitioners, which is truly remarkable. This programme is unique because it is based on participatory grant-making principles. Asian artists are involved in designing, assessing, and recommending funding. Outreach Advisors provided guidance to applicants, and we offered in-person funding information workshops and wānanga focused on deepening understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni. It's fantastic to see such meaningful support for and by artists in our community!”

Claire Murdoch, Senior Manager Arts Development Services at Creative New Zealand said “We really value our partnership with Foundation North that enables these extraordinary outcomes for Asian artists and groups. We are impressed at the community’s increasing involvement and ownership of the fund to realise their own creative opportunities.”