ARTS EXCELLENCE
and
HIGH ACHIEVER AWARDS, Wellington

The Arts Excellence and High Achiever Awards is funded by The Dame Malvina Major Foundation, and administered by The Dame Malvina Major Foundation's Wellington Regional Committee.

These Awards are for young New Zealanders of outstanding ability and real development potential in the performing arts who are preparing for a professional career.

The intention of the scheme is not to fully fund an individual but through partnership funding to provide an Award to assist the applicant.

Awards will only be made for the following:

• Tuition in all aspects of the performing arts, e.g. for Coaching, Workshop and
• Master class fees. A subsidy towards travel and/or accommodation costs may be considered.

At the completion of the project, recipients must submit a full report of the project and verification from at least one of the referees that the project has been undertaken and completed satisfactorily.

APPLICATION

 Download the 2011 application form

Application forms are also available from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, Wellington Regional Committee, c/o 17B Vasanta Ave, Ngaio, Wellington 6035.

Applications close at 5 p.m. Friday 7th October 2011.

It is intended that applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by the end of October.

The Dame Malvina Major Foundation decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

CRITERIA

Applicants need to have resided in or had a substantial proportion of their training and artistic development within the Wellington region.

Applicants need to be New Zealand citizens, but not necessarily resident in either the Wellington Region or in New Zealand at the time of applying.

Detailed evidence of the applicant's achievements to date is to be supplied along with written support of two acknowledged specialists/practitioners in the applicant's field of the performing arts.

It is expected that the project for which the Award is given will commence within twelve months of the final selection and will be completed within twelve months.

An important condition of the Wellington funding is that applicants provide a final report confirming the completion of the project and covering attendance, achievement and evaluation. This should be forwarded within one month of completion of the Awards project.

Programme Arts Excellence, High Achiever Awards

	Aivale Cole, recipient of an Arts Excellence Award in 2008, wins the Lexus Song Quest, April 2009

Jointly funded since 2002 by the Christchurch Regional Committee and The Canterbury Community Trust and administered by the Christchurch Regional Committee, these awards assist young New Zealanders of outstanding ability and real development potential in the performing arts in preparing for a career.

Applicants must have had a substantial portion of their training and artistic development within the region covered by The Canterbury Community Trust i.e. Canterbury (north of the Rakaia River), Nelson and Marlborough.

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens, but not necessarily resident in either The Canterbury Community Trust's region or in New Zealand at the time of applying.

$195,000 has been awarded in the past eight years.

Applications close annually on 30 June.

For further information and how to apply: The Dame Malvina Major Foundation, P.O.Box 2324, Christchurch 8140 , or email wardtessa1@hotmail.com

Past recipients:

ARTS EXCELLENCE

2009:	Tasman Davids (ballet), Barrett Ford Hocking (trumpet), Benjamin Le Heux (conducting), Holly Annabella Leslie (double bass), Tony Lin (piano), Gemma Elizabeth New (conducting), Byron Isaac Phillip Newton (euphonium and trombone)
2008:	Benjamin Caukwell (voice), Aivale Cole (voice), Luke Di Somma (composition & musical theatre direction), Barrett Hocking (performance trumpet), Grant Sinclair (classical trombone)
2007:	Ben Morrison (violin), Jun Bouterey-Ishido (piano), Amanda Winfield (voice), Rachelle Pike (voice)
2006:	Jun Bouterey-Ishido (piano); Christopher Bryant (dance); James Donaldson (cello), Alexandra Lomeiko (violin)
2005:	Sarah Buchan (violin), James Armitage (voice), James Donaldson (cello), Anastasiya Filippochkina (violin), Francis Yapp (cello)
2004:	James Armitage (voice), Sarah Buchan (violin), Michael Story (jazz, double bass), Joanne Yi (piano)
2003:	Sarah Buchan (violin), Euan Harvey (french horn), Kirsten Simpson (piano), Raewyn Winter (flute)
2002:	Matthew Allison (trombone), Michael Stewart (organ and conducting), Carolyn Wu (piano)

HIGH ACHIEVER AWARDS

2009:	Anna Argyle (voice), Luke Di Somma (musical theatre), Bryony Gibson-Cornish (voice and viola), Andrew Grenon (voice), Jamie Ling (voice), Polly Ott (voice), Rachelle Pike (voice), Estelita Louise Rae (violin and quartet performance)
2008:	Juliet Ayre (violin performance), Camilla Besley (classical ballet), Tasman Davids (classical ballet), Tony Lin (piano),  Alexandra Lomeiko (violin), Richard Thai (clarinet; jazz saxophone)
2007:	Milesa Cepe (drama & music), Evans Chuang (piano), Luke Di Somma (composition & direction),  Nadia Edwards (highland dancing), Jeremy Harris(jazz saxophone), Tony Lin (piano & composition), Daryl Linton (ballroom & Latin dancing), Jessica Thompson (ballroom & Latin dancing)
2006:	Evans Chuang (piano); Ben Le Heux (conducting)
2005:	Emily Brown (musical theatre), Evans Chuang (piano), Kimberley Woods (speech and drama)
2004:	Alys Cordeaux (voice), Michael Joel (opera, conducting), Zeb Wulff (piano)
2003:	Stephanie Bain (voice), Roanna Cooper (percussion), Luke Di Somma (flute, music directing), Sophie Gray (voice and drama)
2002:	Iselta Allison (violin), Karen McLean (voice), Sarah Masters (clarinet), Sarah Van Boekhout (speech and drama), Raewyn Winter (flute)

Information about Aivale Cole

Soprano Aivale Cole joined the elite ranks of New Zealand opera singers this evening when she won the 2009 Lexus Song Quest at the competition's finals concert in the Auckland Town Hall on 22 April.

Aivale triumphed tonight after being a finalist in Lexus Song Quest in 2007.

She impressed competition judge Siegfried Jerusalem with her performances of John Carter's Peter Go Ring dem Bells in the Lieder section, accompanied by pianist Terence Dennis; and Strauss' Es Gibt ein Reich from Ariadne auf Naxos and Verdi's Ritorna Vincitor (Aida) in the Orchestral section accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Aivale says she is ecstatic to win. "This was my last opportunity to be in the contest so I knew I had to give it everything. I'm absolutely thrilled."

Judge Siegfried Jerusalem had high praise for all six finalists and was impressed by the "very high standard of competition, but Aivale Cole was technically and musically ahead. The way she presented and performed was very nearly perfect.

"I have no doubt she has a wonderful career ahead of her."

She made her debut with the Western Australian Opera in the title role of Aida late last year. She graduated from the Australian Opera Studio with Honours and was awarded the Dux Prize in 2005.

Aivale also holds a Bachelor in Performance Art degree from NASDA in Christchurch and a Diploma in Performance Art - Opera from the University of Auckland. She won the 2006 Lockwood Aria and has been a finalist in the Sydney McDonald's Aria.

Aivale has sung a wide range of operatic roles and featured in a number of new works including Classical Polynesia in the NZ International Arts Festival and Ifoga in the Christchurch Arts Festival.

She recorded a solo piece with the NZSO for the soundtrack of Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. She has also toured New Zealand with jazz singer Malcolm McNeill and worked as an actress in theatre.

As winner, Aivale receives a cash prize of $10,000 and a Study Scholarship of $15,000 plus a return economy international airfare. Cash prizes ($8000 for second place and $5000 for third place) and scholarships were awarded to the runners-up and the other three finalists were each awarded $3,500.