New arts fund to give creative community a helping hand

Dame Bronwen Holdsworth DNZM, a long-time supporter of the arts, has helped establish an Arts Fund at The Sunrise Foundation.

Dame Brownen, a musician herself, believes vibrancy and diversity of the arts is a vital component in enhancing the cultural, social and economic life of our community.

"Creativity is an integral part of every aspect of our lives, through all stages of education, culture and technology. I want to support the talent in our region who are contributing to the wealth and diversity of our magnificent artistic and cultural traditions."

Creativity takes many forms - visual art, literary art and performing arts such as music, theatre, dance, spoken word and film.

Joe Martin, Sunrise Trustee, points out there are two significant differences between donating to Sunrise than to other charities. He says that "with many charities you can't be sure how much of your donation is going to be used on overheads, or whether your donation will get swallowed up by their head office in Auckland or Wellington, with little or no benefit to the cause in Gisborne."

"Thanks to the generous support of Eastland Community Trust, JN Williams Memorial Trust and Clark Charitable Trust, Sunrise's administration costs are covered for five years, after that no more than 1% of donated funds can be used to cover overheads."

Joe added that "Sunrise is a local charity so all the money donated by generous locals stays here for the beneift of Gisborne causes only."

"People who are passionate about the arts can make a donation to the Arts Fund at Sunrise certain in the knowledge their donation will only be used to support the arts in our region."

Glenda Stokes, Sunrise Executive Officer, says even though a large proportion of the community either participate in the arts, or enjoy watching in the audience, it is an area that is traditionally underfunded. "I'm excited to work with Dame Bronwen and our community to grow the Arts Fund at Sunrise and see our creative community enjoying more financial support in the future."

Dame Bronwen hopes lovers of the art will join her and help to build a significant Arts Fund.

"If you believe, like I do, that a love of and involvement in the arts feeds the soul and sparks the imagination, this is your opportunity to support a thriving arts scene in our region for generations to come. Every donation, no matter how small or large, will help."

All donations to the Arts Fund at Sunrise will be invested, protected and grown each year in line with inflation. The surplus investment income will be available as grants to the arts community in the Gisborne District, meaning every donation made will keep supporting the arts in our region forever.

Donate now to the Arts Fund

Read more about the Arts Fund at Sunrise