An endowment fund has been established with the specific purpose of creating opportunities for young Whakatane residents who show promise and achievment in a wide variety of artistic disciplines.

This fund will enable young people already involved in their chosen field to develop and enhance their abilities, in the creative arts, language and literature, music, composition and musical performance, theatre and dance, painting, photography and sculpture, film making, fashion design and drama.

Arts Whakatane saw an endowment fund with the Eastern Bay Community Foundation as a way of protecting existing funds to provide financial support to young people for many years to come, as well as encouraging arts patrons in the district to contribute to a permanent legacy for the success of our youth in a 'difficult to fund' arena.