18 May 2020

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Virtually Ōtautahi – a new Christchurch City Council programme to inspire and support online creativity – is offering grants of up to $5000 to members of the city’s arts community.

Developed by the Council’s Arts and Events team, Virtually Ōtautahi will share unique, educational, entertaining and inspiring content from the city’s creative sector online.

A range of grants – from $250 to $5000 – is available to support those contributing to online engagement through innovative content.

Council Events and Arts Manager Lucy Blackmore says that youth-friendly projects or content that captures Māori and Pacific arts and culture will be welcome, along with other fresh concepts.

“With events and gatherings at a minimum, we wanted to look at new and innovative ways to connect with the Christchurch public, as well as providing some support to the local arts and events industry which has been hit hard,” Ms Blackmore says.

“Creative projects can lift well-being and inspire a community to thrive, supporting people in a time of transformation.

“We want to support and showcase education, creativity, and arts and culture in our region to help re-engage our Christchurch community as we reopen following the lockdown.”

Project submissions can come from a range of creative fields, including film, animation, photography, music, theatre, dance, literature and design.

“We welcome any innovative, inspirational idea that can engage and inspire Christchurch residents,” she says.

Ten grants of up to $500 are available for single projects with new content while a further 10 grants of up to $250 are on offer for single projects featuring updated material or the completion of existing work. A series of projects can benefit from a grant of up to $5000.

Virtually Ōtautahi will share the projects online through YouTube and social media.

Applications close at 5pm on Monday, 25 May.

A second Virtually Ōtautahi creative programme – Christchurch is lit – is planned for July, with a series of lighting installations illuminating the city for a month.