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Creative New Zealand, the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, invested $33.7 million in the arts for the last financial year â an increase of $800,000 on the previous year, according to its Annual Report for the 2009/10.

Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright explained âthe support of the New Zealand public, through the Government and the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, allowed us to invest more money in grants and initiatives this year than ever before.

"We can also observe that the creativity of New Zealandâs artists, performers and arts organisations is not bound by global financial cycles."

Figures provided by arts organisations which Creative New Zealand funds recurrently have also shown that New Zealanders are supporting the arts. Overall attendance had increased to 656,500 up from 641,000 in the previous year.

Results
Six contestable funding rounds were completed during the year; 454 grants were awarded through the Contestable Funding programme; 522 projects were completed; 11 bursaries, scholarships and residencies were awarded; 17 awards were presented; 2,418 grants were made to support community arts activities through the Creative Communities Scheme; 31 capability-building programmes were delivered to the arts sector; and 73 international producers and festival directors were hosted in New Zealand.

Partnerships
Wainwright added "little of what Creative New Zealand does is achieved in isolation and the difficult economic climate has emphasised how we gain by working with others to make the best use of resources."

One of Creative New Zealand's most important partnerships is with local government through the Creative Communities Scheme. In the last financial year 73 local authorities which allocated $2.8 million ($2.6 million in 2008/09) to support New Zealanders participation in the arts at a local level. Creative New Zealand, in association with Pasifika Festival, hosted the first national Pacific arts development forum for more than a decade. ARTSpeak Pasifika in Auckland brought together Pasifika artists from throughout the country and across a range of artforms and career stages to share their knowledge and expertise.

Research
In 2009 Creative New Zealand completed two major research projects into the health of Pacific and Maori heritage arts. They will guide Creative New Zealand and others as strategies are developed to preserve the heritage arts that underpin the uniqueness of New Zealand's diverse communities.

To download a copy of the Creative New Zealand Annual Report go to www.creativenz.govt.nz/resources/publications_presentations_and_reports

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