2024 Canon Oceania Grants

This kura offers full immersion in te reo Māori nurturing young minds to feel confident in their Māori identity and heritage. They empower tamariki to combine te reo Māori and technology to make films. To spark passion and develop future career pathway opportunities within the creative arts sector, they’re empowering tamariki to combine te reo Māori and technology to make films. They also plan to host a film festival to showcase and celebrate student made films from local Māori kura across Auckland.

“Ko Te Aho Matua te tāhūhū o tōku whare, ko ngā tikanga ngā heke, ko te whānau ngā poupou, ko te reo Māori te tuāpapa, ko au te poutokomanawa. He mihi taioreore tēnei ki a koutou o Canon. Nō mātou te maringa nui kia whai wāhi atu ki tēnei taonga Kua tukuna ki a mātou. E mihi hoki ana ki ngā whānau i kaha pōti kia puta tō mātou ihu. Nā tēnei taonga ka whai wheako ngā tauira Māori ki te ao hangarau me ōna āhuatanga maha, ka mutu ko te hiahia kia harapahia whānuitia tēnei kaupapa hei kaupapa matua i roto i ngā hōtaka ako o tēnā kura Māori, o tēnā wahanga Māori.”

Robert Mika, Teacher

Heartfelt NZ is a volunteer organisation of professional photographers dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families who have experienced stillbirth or have children with serious or life-threatening illness. Due to the in-kind nature of this service many volunteers face travel delays due to their work and the location of their photography equipment – a delay that can be difficult for vulnerable families. The Heartfelt NZ team want to store a permanent photography kit in an affiliated hospital to ensure their volunteers can provide the best support and experience for families.

“Heartfelt is dedicated to supporting families in crisis, in a caring and compassionate manner. Sixty-five photographers across New Zealand freely give their time, in a family's darkest hours, to honour and capture the memories, details and love for families to keep. The work of a Heartfelt photographer is unique, demanding, challenging, confronting, and profoundly rewarding. This Canon Grant will allow us to have a camera kit available for urgent sessions when our photographers don't have the turnaround time to get to their camera kit & back to the hospital.”

Emma MacDonald, New Zealand Representative for Heartfelt

The Seed Pod is a social enterprise dedicated to inspiring tamariki, rangatahi and the wider community to have a deeper connection to nature through innovative education resources and artistic storytelling. The organisation aims to spark curiosity and create positive environmental action through innovative learning experiences, one being free education resources called the ‘Learning Pods.’ This initiative offers an engaging and interactive experience to inspire future generations to foster environmental kaitiakitanga (guardianship).

“Winning the Canon Oceania Grants Education Category 2024 means the world to us, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of our community, whose votes made this win possible. This Grant will not only help us tell more powerful stories through our work, but to also strengthen our connection with the people and nature that inspire us every day. We’re so thankful to have this opportunity to continue growing together, making a real impact for the environment, and fostering a deeper connection to nature for current and future generations.”

Sian Crowley, Founder of The Seed Pod

Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi is a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring the mauri (lifeforce) of the island in partnership with local Māori iwi and Department of Conservation. As a pest-free open sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi is considered a world-leader of change. The Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi want to inspire the next generations of conservationists, by creating engaging ecological, cultural, and historical learning opportunities for the thousands of annual visitors to the island.

“The Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi are honoured and delighted to be the recipients of the 2024 Canon Oceania Environment Grant. This conservation treasure island means so much to many, including our community of mahi aroha volunteers, visiting schools from the Growing Minds Programme, wildlife-enthusiasts, adventurers, explorers, scientifi c researchers, and visitors from across the globe. Thank you, Canon, for supporting an internationally recognised beacon of community-led conservation. This Grant will be used for the island's education and advocacy programme and will support the installation of informative display boards across the island's beloved walking tracks.”

Dr. Ian Alexander, Chair of Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi