Is Invercargill lacking in culture? 

Manatū Taonga (Ministry for Culture and Heritage) has today launched a pilot scheme to place 'cultural activators' in eight communities around New Zealand, including Invercargill. 

They're places where "there is considered to be barriers to access and participation in the arts", says Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni.

The person will be hosted by an cultural sector organisation in the city, which will receive $180,000 in funding a year to cover salary, overheads and project costs. 

The Ministry is now accepting applications from host organisations.  

Sepuloni says the pilot "underlines the Government’s commitment to help the arts and cultural sector to adapt, survive and thrive.”

"The Cultural Activators will be established cultural sector practitioners and hosted by local organisations. 

"They’ll focus on collaborating with communities to tell their stories, build their creative skills, and connect them with opportunities in the wider cultural sector.

"Culture and creativity are experiences which bring us together and enhance our daily lives, contributing around $17.5 billion to New Zealand’s GDP. 

"That’s why we’re taking a targeted approach to investing in and unlocking creativity in communities where there is considered to be barriers to access and participation in the arts."

Cultural Activators will be hosted in the Far North, Māngere-Otahuhu, Kawerau, Gisborne, Wairoa, South Waikato, Buller, and Invercargill. 

Two of the roles will focus on Māori and one will focus on Pacific peoples, but they're not in Invercargill. 

"As established cultural sector practitioners, cultural activators will understand their community’s cultural needs and will be well placed to generate interest and participation in cultural activities and mentor emerging creatives in their community.

"The Cultural Activators Pilot will run for one year and will be evaluated to measure its success in increasing access and participation in cultural activities in the selected communities. 

"The evaluation will inform decisions about any continuation or expansion of the pilot,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

The Cultural Activators Pilot is the third funding opportunity in the $70 million CARE Fund to launch so far. 

It follows the Creative Spaces initiative launched in February and the Cultural Installations and Events initiative launched earlier this month.

For information on criteria and the application process, visit the Ministry's website.