In partnership with The FAME Trust (Fund for Acting and Musical Endeavours) and PANNZ (Performing Arts Network of New Zealand), the Acorn Foundation is delighted to announce the inaugural winner of a significant new prize for Aotearoa’s exceptional live performance artists.
Renowned dancer and performer Rodney Bell (Ngāti Maniapoto) was awarded the first FAME Mid-Career Award on 28 February 2022, at the 2022 PANNZ Arts Market.
Rodney Bell is internationally renowned for his performances of physically integrated dance, a form of dance which celebrates people with different abilities and physicalities. Rodney has been dancing professionally since 1994 after becoming paraplegic in 1991 due to a motorcycle accident. Since his accident, Rodney has toured the world representing Aotearoa in the world of physically integrated dance – most recently completing a NZ-wide tour of his pioneering work, Meremere.
A wholehearted thank you. We are all affected by something and I thank you for affecting me with this award. It’s going to allow me to affect others throughout Aotearoa and whoever else I can outside of our waters to enhance their mana through performing arts.” – Rodney Bell
This is the first of the FAME Mid-Career Awards, which will provide three established and inspiring mid-career artists with a one-off award of $15,000. The prize money is to support activities like touring overseas or within Aotearoa, collaborating with other arts organisations, or carrying out further study and/or development. As one of the largest prize grants made available to the performing arts community, Acorn is privileged to facilitate these awards – made possible by the generosity of the Tauranga-based FAME Trust.
