For 40 years, the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts has inspired over six million people and brought more than 22,000 artists to the stage, helping shape Wellington into a vibrant cultural capital - one people are proud to call home and others are drawn to visit.
As costs rise and competition for funding intensifies, the Festival faces a growing funding gap that puts its future at risk. By including a gift in your will, you can make a lasting difference - helping support artists, inspire audiences, and safeguard Festival activity for future generations.
Your gift to the Festival’s Foundation will play a direct role in sustaining Festival activity over time. Invested as part of a permanent endowment, it will generate a reliable income stream to support future Festival activity.
There are many meaningful ways to leave a legacy gift, and we would be delighted to discuss these with you. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a valuable contribution.
If you’d like to support the Festival’s future activity while seeing the impact of your generosity in your lifetime, a Giving While Living gift may be a better fit. We’d be delighted to discuss the possibilities with you.
Why consider leaving a gift to the Festival in your will?
- You care about a vibrant arts sector and want to make a meaningful, lasting contribution to its future
- You have supported the Festival as a Patron/Kairangi, ticket buyer or Culture Clubber, and would like that connection to continue beyond your lifetime
- You value the Festival as a charitable organisation and wish to share in its future through a gift from your estate
- You recognise the Festival’s contribution to Aotearoa’s arts landscape and want to help ensure it continues to thrive for generations to come
In Their Own Words
Discover what inspired these supporters to include the Festival in their will.
C, Wellington, retired:
“I have been blessed by the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts’ variety of exciting, thoughtful, and delightful experiences over many years. Exploring programmes across so many different art forms has been an education in itself. I’ve watched contemporary dancers perform routines that would have challenged Olympic gymnasts.
The Festival is more than performances inside theatres and concert halls. It gives people the opportunity to experience world-renowned and leading local artists, often at little or no cost. Wellington's wonderful harbour, Council gardens and surrounding bush-clad hills have provided the perfect backdrop for outdoor shows for all the family.
As an older person without dependents, I have chosen to leave a gift in my will to support the Festival’s future activity. I understand the significant costs involved in presenting a festival of this scale, and I hope my contribution, alongside those of other supporters, will help ensure the Festival continues to inspire audiences for many years to come. If you have valued the Festival throughout your lifetime, you may be inclined to do the same.”
D and A - newly retired:
“Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts has a wonderful track record of constantly presenting the best of what Aotearoa and the world has to offer. The Festival has been a constant in our lives for its entire 40 years; we have been enriched by it and would like future generations to have the same opportunity. The Arts desperately needs support, and we see our endowment as an investment that will allow others to experience the same joy, inspiration and stimulation that we have.”
A, Arts Worker:
“Over my lifetime, events at the Festival and Tāwhiri have shaped me as a person, how I see the world, and have challenged and inspired me. By leaving a gift in my will, I’m aiming to give confidence and support to the organisation that what they do matters, for others to encounter the same depth of creativity, generosity of spirit, and sense of possibility that the Festival has given me.”
We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss legacy giving further, please contact: giving@tawhiri.nz or call +64 (0) 4 473 0149
FAQs
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What is a bequest?
A bequest is a gift made in your will. By leaving a bequest to the Festival’s Foundation, you help sustain Festival activity, support artists, and ensure access to inspiring cultural experiences for future audiences. Bequests can also be made in honour of a loved one.
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How can I support the Festival through my will?
You can nominate a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or a gift of shares or other assets.
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How will my gift be used?
All legacy gifts are invested in the Festival’s Foundation endowment fund, helping sustain Festival activity, support artists, and ensure access to inspiring cultural experiences for future audiences.
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Is there a minimum amount?
No. Gifts of any size can make a lasting impact on Festival activity.
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What if my intention is a substantial gift, can I specify how I wish it to be utilised?
It is recommended that you discuss your wishes not only with your family and lawyer, but also with the Foundation and the Festival so that your wishes can be better understood.
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What is the best wording to use?
To enable your bequest to be able to be applied broadly for the benefit of the Festival, including in conjunction with other bequests and other Foundation funding, it is recommended that the bequest is worded as follows:
“I give (a percentage of my estate, a nominated amount, and/or shares) to the Wellington International Arts Foundation (NZBN 9429043185498), or any successor organisation, to be used at the Foundation trustees’ discretion to solely support the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts (NZBN 9429042784258), or any successor organisation as determined by the Foundation.”
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What does a notified bequest mean?
If you’re considering leaving a gift in your will, it can be helpful to notify the Festival and the Foundation and whether you would prefer to be acknowledged or remain anonymous. When the time comes, your gift will be used to support Festival activity via the Festival’s Foundation and be recognised in line with your wishes.