At certain points of the year people in the New Zealand art community brace themselves for a flurry of requests from artists for references to support their applications for grants and places in residency programmes. The requirement for references isn't new, but many artists are saying it's becoming harder to get them - partly because the pool of people who are called upon to write references is relatively small and partly because many in the pool feel they are only able to write a one or two for each round. It's not a problem for those asked to write them because they can say no, but it is for artists who say it's hard enough getting applications together without the added difficulty of tracking down high-profile referees willing to write glowing letters of support.
A quick look at a few funding/residency programmes points up the problem. Creative New Zealand requires up to three referees for grant applications (two were required in the 80s) and it's not uncommon for some referees to be asked to write several letters of support for each CNZ funding round. Applicants for the ISCP, Kunstlerhaus Bethanien and McCahon House residencies are also required to submit three letters of support, and in the case of the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship one of the three referees should hold a university position.
Perhaps it's time for funding agencies and those who administer residency programmes to review their reference requirements and consider ways to make the application process easier for artists.
