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Never has the saying “truth is stranger than fiction” rung more true.
BFD’s Believe it or Not.
The following lump sums of cash were paid out by Ardern’s government from the Arts Continuity Grant, a COVID-19 response fund which has already paid out $16 million in grants to a variety of short-term arts projects.
637 projects have already received taxpayer funding from this Grant. A selection of the most bizarre and frankly ridiculous Art projects found by the Taxpayer’s Union are listed below.
Eamonn Marra
To research and write the first draft of a novel about male affection in hypermasculine spaces.
AWARDED: $13,000
Fireplace Arts & Media
Towards the composition, recording and production of music inspired by the psychogeography of the West Coast.
AWARDED: $34,900
Julia Gray
To support the personnel costs and post-production editing for an art documentary based on Papua New Guinea tattoo practice and revival.
AWARDED: $27,500
Donovan Bixley
Towards one phase of illustrating a biography of Leonardo da Vinci.
AWARDED: $21,080
Alison Foster, Catherine Cooper
Towards writing a children’s picture book (text only) about sustainable community activist Helen Dew.
AWARDED: $3,200
Glitter Garden
To create and develop an online publication, arts learning resources and musical content based on children’s drag theatre show, The Glitter Garden.
AWARDED: $18,000
Jess Johnson
To create a new series of collaborative quilts with my mother, textile artist Cynthia Johnson.
AWARDED: $17,850
Kate Newby
Towards intensive artistic research and development.
AWARDED: $49,368
Kath Bee
Towards the composition and instrumental arrangement of 10 songs for children, from ideas given by children.
AWARDED: $24,600
Tamara Neilson-Tetzlaf
Towards a live event watch party and livechat with fans online.
AWARDED: $24,153
Tayi Tibble
Towards writing poetry that explores indigeneity and love in the time of climate change.
AWARDED: $17,798
Duncan Sarkies
Towards writing a novel about the collapse of democracy in an association of alpaca breeders.
AWARDED: $26,000
Kimberley Young
Towards a dance concept video showcasing the impact Coronavirus has had on the New Zealand Chinese community.
AWARDED: $24,500
Rosemarie Kirkup
Towards the development of a first draft of a play that explores the menstrual cycle.
AWARDED: $16,766
Nicole Duckworth
To record and livestream a performance from Fat Freddy’s Drop.
AWARDED: $44,007
Khali Philip-Barbara, Te Kahureremoa Taumata
Towards an Indigenised Hypno-soundscape to take you to the imagined worlds of our Korero Purakau.
AWARDED: $49,999
Connor Masseurs
Towards development of a movement technique that guides and empowers the participants in becoming specialists in their own body.
AWARDED: $4,530
Iain Gordon
Towards 3 x hour-long live-streamed electronic music performances with live visual animations, from a kitchen in Paekakariki.
AWARDED: $47,703
Mad Ave
Towards a wananga for Maori healing theatre practitioners.
AWARDED: $50,000
New Zealand Comedy Trust
To examine what changes need to be made to better support a more diverse and sustainable comedy industry in Aotearoa.
AWARDED: $49,780
Benedict Fernandez
Towards composing and recording ten original compositions inspired by emotions felt during the Covid-19 lockdown.
AWARDED: $8,885
Imogen Taylor
Towards development of a new body of work exploring modernism, feminism & queerness, with specific reference to the Otago region.
AWARDED: $30,089
Claire O’Loughlin
Towards revision and editing of a sailing memoir.
AWARDED: $7,200
Jared Kane
Towards a Maori, queer, young adult novel adaptation of Hamlet based on my innovative unproduced screenplay ‘Hamarete’.
AWARDED: $21,000
Indigenous Design and Innovation Aotearoa
Towards designing new Maori typefaces for print and digital.
AWARDED: $22,110
Peter Daubé
Towards the writing, arranging and preproduction of music that forms a song-cycle from the suburban labyrinth.
AWARDED: $21,800
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