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In recognising the value of arts and sports events to communiities, Auckland Council has recently approved 16 applications totalling $197,500 in grant allocations for the 2019/2020 Regional Event Fund.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff noted the events funded by the council help make the Auckland community an interesting and vibrant place to live adding “Arts, sporting and cultural events bring communities together and make our city a great place to be in.”

Auckland Council’s Parks, Events, Community and Arts (PACE) Committee Chair Councillor Alf Filipaina, was particularly pleased with the broad scope of events approved for funding this round and advised “we have taken a coordinated approach to the provision of funding for these events. Of the 16 events we have funded, eight are sports-related and eight relate to arts and culture. There is a great mix of events coming up in our city.

“Our focus for events is connecting; people to each other and to places. Funding for regional events is important to support Aucklanders to connect with each other and to their local places through a range of sporting, cultural and arts opportunities. The people of Tāmaki Makaurau are blessed with the provision of great community-led events all year, and I am pleased to say, this round of events will be no exception.”

When assessing the applications for regional event funding, consideration was given to things like the event budget, plans, organiser experience, accessibility, previous event outcomes, and whether the event connected with key Auckland occasions such as Matariki, or Auckland Anniversary weekend and whether the applicant had received significant other funding from council for the same event.

Interim Manager, He Oranga Poutama ki Tāmaki Makaurau Karla Matua says that receiving funding for the Iwi of Origin event means the organisation is now able to host an event that brings whānau, hāpu, iwi together to represent their collective whakapapa through sport and recreation.

Matua adds “The Iwi of Origin event is important because it brings Māori living in urban Auckland together to participate, celebrant and reconnect with their whakapapa and wider whanau.

“Receiving council funding for our event allows us to collaborate with Māori sport organisations and to resource the event to a level that serves the Māori community throughout Tāmaki Makurau.”

Rod Will, Director of the InterACT Disability Arts Festival stressed the importance of the festival as giving recognition to the 20% of the population who identify as being disabled noting "the Disability Arts Festival event is important because participants are known for what they can do, not what they can not; their skills are showcased in a way that presents them in a valuing manner, and they are further supported with hands-on opportunities and structured workshops.

"If we did not receive council funding the momentum the InterACT Festival has for schools, community services and disabled people to produce artwork and develop and rehearse their performances in dance, drama and music for audiences would be lost. This funding means that Interacting Disability Theatre can continue to deliver the largest disability and community arts festival in Aotearoa, now in the tenth year at the Corban Estate Arts Centre."

Image top: Luke Fraser from Te Atatu onstage at InterACT 2019. Courtesy of Rod Wills, Interacting Disability Theatre; and image above Iwi of Origin.

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