Two street art projects designed to add life and colour to Ashburton are among projects to receive funding from the national Creative Communities Scheme.

Seven groups were granted just over $13,000 for various projects in the district.

Triangle precinct developer Justin Skilling was granted $5000 for a large mural, similar to others in the area that he has commissioned from internationally recognised artist Wongi Wilson.

He is keen to promote the Triangle for its street art and cultural appeal and says the existing murals have been well received and well photographed. More murals would further enhance the area and town.

Some $2300 was granted for an art programme to paint EA Networks’ roadside cabinets. EA Networks and Ashburton District Council will be partners in the programme, which is similar to the Chorus cabinet art programme.

It has been found that cabinets that have been painted with murals do not generally get tagged as much as non-painted cabinets. Two suitable cabinets have already been identified at Hinds and Rakaia, and artists will be invited to create and submit designs, which will be chosen by a panel including Mayor Neil Brown.

The artists will be paid a fee for painting the cabinet and have their material costs reimbursed.

A community art project at the Staveley Campsite was granted $2000 for the first phase of a project to create site specific art and forest sculptures, helping people reconnect with nature and encouraging them to be interested in the native forest that surrounds the camp.

The CanInspire Charitable Trust was granted $2087 to help run seven CanBead workshops. The workshops are free for people experiencing illness, trauma or personal loss and people are taught basic jewellery and beading skills to make a necklace, bracelet, earrings or other beaded craft.

Other grants included $500 to Arts Canterbury for an annual booklet promoting galleries and artists, $390 to the Ashburton Writers’ Group to run a short story competition for children and adults, $740 to Kristen Dunne to run creative art classes for the general public, and $1650 to Rakuto Kurano to include an Ashburton venue in a national violin quartet tour in July.

An Ashburton assessment committee decided the successful grant recipients last week and another round of Creative Communities Scheme funding applications will open on 1 August 2022. Go to our grants and funding page for more information.