Earle Creativity Trust increases funding pool for 2017

A trust aimed at supporting arts and science projects in Manawatu has boosted the grant money on offer for the latest round of funding.

Applicants for this year’s Earle Creativity Trust grants are being sought in the fields of music and history and literature, with $100,000 available in total or $50,000 for each section.

Trustees Mary and Dick Earle said they were happy to be offering a $40,000 increase from last year, hoping it would be a helping hand for locals.

‘‘The trust is set up to encourage creative outcomes in our region and invites applications from local people who have great innovative ideas but have met a bit of a block and need some extra resourcing to move them along.’’

The Earle Trust has been in operation for four years and during that time grants totalling over a quarter of a million dollars have been given out to develop various projects.

Previous projects include Helen Lehndorf’s bookwrite to the Centre, Virginia and Warren Warbrick’s musical play Haunt Wind Stories and the Kete Series - a trio of poetry books by Tim Upperton, Leonel Alvarado and the late Joy Green.

The Earles have a background in the food technology and biotechnology industries, and accumulated their wealth over many years of work.

They now wish to share and use that wealth for innovation in the arts, and science in Manawatu and Rangitikei.

The Earles said they were both very passionate about ‘‘creating a pathway for new and innovative things to happen’’.

The Trust funding works in an annual rotation with visual arts and science and technology coming up for funding in 2018.

Applications for grants are now open and for more information go to http://www.earletrust.org.nz/