Freemasons Foundation

30/09/2026

Freemasons Foundation’s ongoing support has helped provide the successful delivery of the three-day Schools Programme Hōtaka Kura. The 2026 Festival had record attendance of 90,000 and featured 250 writers and speakers.

Put the 2027 dates in your diary now!
11 - 16 May

Read more on our website
https://www.freemasonsfoundation.org.nz/post/auckland-writer-s-festival-and-pukapuka-adventures

The Freemasons Foundation provides financial support to registered charities, supporting organisations, artists, scientists, young minds and innovators to improve the communities we live in.

02/09/2026

Freemasons Foundation’s ongoing support has helped provide the successful delivery of the three-day Schools Programme Hōtaka Kura. The 2026 Festival had record attendance of 90,000 and featured 250 writers and speakers.

Put the 2027 dates in your diary now!
11 - 16 May

Read more on our website https://www.freemasonsfoundation.org.nz/post/auckland-writer-s-festival-and-pukapuka-adventures

31/08/2026

Freemasons Foundation again supported Chamber Music New Zealand’s annual Chamber Music Contest - which continues to grow year on year, providing an opportunity for young musicians around the country to perform together, connect with other musicians and develop their skills through its unique coaching programme.

For a full list of winners, read our full story on our website https://www.freemasonsfoundation.org.nz/post/a-wonderful-opportunity-for-young-musicians-throughout-aotearoa

The Freemasons Foundation provides financial support to registered charities, supporting organisations, artists, scientists, young minds and innovators to improve the communities we live in.

28/08/2026

It’s the Twelfth Night of Much Ado about Romeo & Juliet! Where forty-six exceptional young actors and student directors will engage with the Bard and each other to present fresh takes on Shakespeare’s works with three 40 minutes of scenes from Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet.

The performances will take place on:
2nd Oct, 7pm at Tawhiri Warehouse in Newtown, Wellington
3 Oct, 7.30pm at VUW Memorial Theatre in Kelburn.

The Freemasons Foundation is proud to be supporting these rangatahi for their future careers. Read more on our website https://www.freemasonsfoundation.org.nz/post/shakespeare-globe-centre-nz-invigorating-shakespeare-2026

The Freemasons Foundation provides financial support to registered charities, supporting organisations, artists, scientists, young minds and innovators to improve the communities we live in.

25/08/2026

Freemasons Foundation proudly supports this year's production of The Pearl Fishers. It is performed by a cast of internationally acclaimed opera talent from Aotearoa, alongside the Freemasons Foundation New Zealand Opera Chorus, the Auckland Philharmonia and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

AUCKLAND - Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
23 & 25 September 2026 - 7:30pm
27 September 2026 - 2:30pm

Christchurch - Isaac Theatre Royal
14 & 16 October 2026 - 7:30pm
18 October 2026 - 2:30pm

Read more on our website https://www.freemasonsfoundation.org.nz/post/the-pearl-fishers

The Freemasons Foundation provides financial support to registered charities, supporting organisations, artists, scientists, young minds and innovators to improve the communities we live in.

29/07/2026

Congratulations to Dr Alireza Sharifzadeh-Kermani on receiving funding from the Freemasons Foundation and The Selwyn Foundation to advance the Clean Brain Project.

Ali will be coming on as a Mātai Medical Research Institute Fellow to build on many years of collaboration between Mātai Medical Research Institute and the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, bringing together complementary expertise in MRI, computational modelling and brain biomechanics to better understand brain health.

Did you know your brain has its own waste-clearance system? When this system slows down, waste can build up and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The Clean Brain Project combines state-of-the-art MRI with advanced computational modelling to study fluid pathways in the brain. By improving our understanding of how the brain clears waste, the team aims to develop new ways to detect neurodegenerative diseases earlier, when there is the greatest opportunity for intervention.

The Freemasons Foundation provides financial support to registered charities, supporting organisations, artists, scientists, young minds and innovators to improve the communities we live in.

27/07/2026

We are so proud to support the Auckland Theatre Company and the wonderful productions they offer our community.

24/06/2026

Charlotte Macdonald is the winner of 2026 Ernest Scott Prize for her book, Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire. Garrison World addresses the formative dynamics that shaped societies across the British Empire - including what became Australia and New Zealand.

The Foundation congratulates Charlotte on her award and is proud to have supported the distribution by the publisher, BWB, of the book into school libraries throughout New Zealand.

Read more here:

Charlotte Macdonald The University of Melbourne has announced Charlotte Macdonald as the winner of the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize. Her book, Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire, published by Bridget Williams Books, 2025, was selected from 56 other publications.

22/06/2026

New Zealand’s largest chamber music contest of its kind is back, with preliminary district rounds starting in June. This year, there are more than 1500 students comprising 407 groups taking part, and also 22 original student compositions submitted for the Original Composition category of the contest.

Read more here: https://www.freemasonsfoundation.org.nz/post/2026-nzct-chamber-music-contest

20/06/2026

With 5,275 native plants recorded in the first week of the season, it has been a great start to 2026 and Trees For Survival’s 1 million trees campaign. Freemasons Foundation is proud to support Trees For Survival.

Read more here:

With 5,275 native plants recorded in the first week of the season, it has been a great start to 2026 and Trees For Survival’s 1 million trees campaign.