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A fund to promote indigenous collaborations is being credited for giving Maori artists a chance to expand their horizons with challenging new work.
Creative New Zealand is calling for applications for its International Indigenous Artform Exchange Fund, which this year has $60,000 to spend on two or three projects.
Spokesperson Ana Sciascia says a wide range of arts is eligible.
Last year Northland clay artist Colleen Urlich led a group to work with Aboriginal artists in Central Queensland, Derek Lardelli worked with Native American North West Coast artists on the revival of tribal skin marking practices, and Tawata Productions developed a work for the Weesageechak Festival.
"They headed over to Toronto and worked with Canada's Native Earth Performing Arts Indigenous Theatre Company. In that project it was about creating play writing workshops. So it's about creating new work and focussing on that creation stage" she says.
Ana Sciascia says the fund was set up last year, but it came from a strong push by Maori artists to get support for international collaborations.
Applications close on May 14.
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