An alliance between Creative New Zealand and the Department of Conservation has spawned the Wild Creations artist-in-residence programme. In its third year, Wild Creations gives all artists (yes, writers too) a chance to spend six weeks at a NZ National Park of their choice in the hope that it will encourage the lucky participants to create art ‘inspired by New Zealand’s unique places, people, stories and natural environment.’

Winners of the 2004 programme were Fiona Pardington (photographer) who is currently taking up a residency at Kingston Central Otago, Jordan Reyne (musician) who’s going to the West Coast in December, and Rebekah Wild (performer and puppeteer) who’s off to the Egmont National Park Franz Josef Glacier area. Twenty-two locations around the country include two new ones this year: Rakiura (Stewart Island) and Great Barrier Island.

Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Elizabeth Kerr says “The residencies have captured people’s imaginations and reflect the way in which New Zealand artists are inspired by our natural landscapes and history. As with last year, we will be looking for proposals from artists to create work in direct response to the site they have chosen.”

DOC will host you (presumably not in a tramping hut or bivvy under a cabbage tree) and Creative New Zealand provides a stipend of $5000, plus up to $1000 for travel and materials, to each artist. Nice!

Interested creative types have until Tuesday 31 August to submit their written proposals; the selected artists will be notified by the end of November. You will need to be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident who is a professional practising artist with a track record.

For all further info, contact Anne McLean at DOC (amclean@doc.govt.nz or phone 04-471 3182) or Grace Hoet at Creative New Zealand (graceh@creativenz.govt.nz or phone 04-498 0702).