Expressions of Interest open for the Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency
Tāmaki Paenga Hira: Tui tui hono tangata, whenua me te moana.
Auckland War Memorial Museum: Connecting through sharing stories of people, lands and seas.
Auckland Museum is a much-loved culture and heritage organisation at the heart of Auckland's identity, committed to outstanding management of its world-class collections, developing and sharing engaging content through its galleries, exhibition, events, educational programmes and the permanent and volunteer staff who tell the Museum's stories. We are Auckland's home of commemoration as well as the country’s oldest research institution and a major tourist destination.
In celebration of the new Pacific plan Matafatafa Aho (A new Dawn) for 2024-2029, Tāmaki Paenga Hira is excited to announce its new Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency programme on an annual basis for the next three years 2025-2027 in partnership with Creative NZ. We are thrilled to invite Pacific artists to seize a remarkable opportunity to create fresh new artwork inspired from a dynamic three-month journey starting in March 2025.
This initiative supports the development of new work inspired by our Museum’s Documentary Heritage collections. These collections are diverse in both format and time-period, consisting of manuscript, ephemera, oral history, photographic and works on paper from the 18th century to today.
The heart of the Documentary Heritage collections beats strongest in the stories of Māori and the Pacific, the history of the greater Auckland region, and experiences in global conflicts and explorations.
Whether your passion lies in crafting a powerful play, weaving together a compelling poetry collection, penning a mesmerising short story, producing powerful visual art, scripting an impactful film, or developing an unforgettable performance, we want to support your creativity.
Step into the past and let it inspire your future. Explore the rich documentary heritage collections and uncover untold stories, people, and places to enrich your artistic journey. Apply now and take part in this unique creative opportunity.
The Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency would not be possible without Creative NZ support. We are excited to be working in partnership to bring new opportunities in connection to history and culture for our Pacific artists in Aotearoa.
The conditions for the residency are as follows. The resident artist is/will:
- be of Pacific descent and (preferably) based in Auckland
- be a Pacific artist with at least 5 years’ experience in the industry, with proven artistic experience in any artform or genre
- guided by the Museum’s strategic plans, including He Korahi Māori; the Pacific Teu le Va, Matafatafa Aho;
- engage with, to inform a new artwork through an engagement with the Pacific items in the documentary heritage collection
- conduct the 12-week residency between March-June 2025
- receive an artist fee amounting to $19,200 total (covers all expenses)
- receive $6,950 for artist materials and travel
- receive support by the Documentary Heritage Pacific Associate Curator
- receive IT, desk and library support including access to collections
- launch a new Pacific artwork, based on the residency, between June-November 2025
- receive support for the public launch of the final artistic outcome at the Museum between June-November 2025
Applications closing date: Sunday, 2 March 2025
Please confirm your Expression of Interest by filling in this online application Google form and attaching your CV and a one-page cover letter: https://forms.gle/Nx9XbYxGJzqGzmsr8
Any questions at this time may be directed to: wieremia@aucklandmuseum.com
Auckland Museum Plans for your reference:
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/your-museum/about/the-path-to-2029
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/your-museum/about/governance/planning-documents/he-korahi-maori
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/getmedia/c1aaceb9-ab54-429c-b237-4c61fc38cd9d/Matafatafa-Aho-Pacific-Delivery-Plan.pdf
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/your-museum/about/governance/pacific-advisory-group
He Oranga Tangata ka ao
Enriching lives: Inspiring discoveries
