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Home | Resources > Newsletter | Synergy - September 19, 2006
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Synergy September 19, 2006 -- Volume 17 Number 9 IN THIS ISSUE: Guest editorialA word from the editor 1. Public consultations on 2007 budget underway 2. Artists' Legal Outreach now offering summary advice clinics 3. Panel established to review activities eligible for federal fitness tax credit 4. Renovation of CBC’s Vancouver broadcast centre makes way for cultural space 5. Canadian trade mission heading to Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art Show 6. New resource for artists working in the United States 7. Stats Can study on entertainment spending 8. Tax credit for public transit passes 9. 2010 Legacies website to connect volunteers and event organizers 10. New listserv for developing cultural indicators 11. “Power of art” report released 12. 2006-07 Alternative Distribution Program guidelines from Telefilm Canada 13. Member news 14. Calls, grants and awards 15. Kudos 16. Media spin 17. Endquote Guest editorial: Marianne Lepa - Editor, Arts News Canada The Calgary arts community is being pushed out of their spaces by a swelling population of people from elsewhere who have been attracted to the prosperity of the province. According to an August 17 article in the Calgary entertainment magazine FFWD Weekly, real estate prices in the city are skyrocketing and arts organizations are finding themselves facing double and triple rent increases. The New Gallery, a Calgary artist-run gallery, is being forced out of its downtown space to make room for two new office towers. "We could end up in a very sort of desolate space that is nowhere near the downtown and nowhere near a community and would make it very difficult for people to locate us," says TNG programming director Sigrid Mahr in the article. She's worried that the real estate market and the huge need for office space will turn downtown Calgary into a "wasteland". After seeing artists and independent galleries forced out of Toronto's Queen Street West area when it became “the next big thing” a few years ago, I was troubled by the fact that the artistic community – the very reason the area became trendy – was forced to make way for the style-hungry. I was bothered that real estate developers, chain retail shops and restaurateurs were making money hand over fist on the artistic community who saw none of the rewards of being fashionable. But it gave me an idea. Since it seems that people with money to spend are anxious to rub shoulders with the artistic community, and since most cities now figure their Bohemian Index as an economic indicator, why not find a way to ensure that artists are not driven out of the communities they create? It wouldn't be that difficult. Let's say a city, like Calgary, designates a part of town – preferably an area rich with heritage buildings – as an artistic community. Developers and other businesses would be welcome on the condition that they leave space for the artists and arts organizations to remain. Non-artistic businesses and residents would pay an additional tax to live or operate within this area and that tax goes to subsidize the rent on studios, living quarters, gallery and office space for the artistic. Under such a plan the architectural heritage of a city is preserved and it also maintains the cultural life so important to our urban spaces. Not only will cities preserve their artistic component, they will also help to enrich the lives of our artists. Marianne Lepa
Thank you to Marianne Lepa, editor of Arts News Canada, for contributing the above editorial to this issue of Synergy. Her thoughts began with Calgary, but Vancouver and our many artistic neighborhoods could easily be substituted in there. I know that for many artists in the city, this issue is all-too-familiar. As just one example, consider the Downtown Eastside, its increasing gentrification and its high concentration of artists and culture spaces. Imagine what an idea like Marianne's could do there.
For those organizations that receive Synergy into a general email inbox, please consider passing the newsletter along to members of your board of directors and informing them that they can also subscribe by emailing info@allianceforarts.com. We often hear from cultural board members that they do not receive sector news in a timely fashion and therefore miss taking action on pertinent items. Thank you, Laurie Guy
The provincial Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services is currently holding a 2007 budget consultation process. The committee, made up of MLA's from both parties, is traveling around BC in order to hear from interested individuals and organizations about their fiscal priorities for the 2007 budget. The Vancouver hearing will be held this Wednesday, September 20th, from 9 am to 6 pm at the Chinese Cultural Centre (50 E. Pender Street). A hearing in Surrey will take place on September 27. On behalf of the Vancouver arts community, including the Alliance for Arts and Culture, Richard Prokopanko will be making a presentation to the committee at the September 20th hearing. His presentation has been prepared in partnership with the Alliance and with the provincial coalition, Arts Future BC (of which the Alliance is a founding member). It will outline the case for increased provincial investment in the arts and cultural sector through the BC Arts Council in the 2007-2009 budgets. An audience of supporters is needed for his twenty-minute presentation, which will take place at 12:20 pm in the Dr. Lam Hall at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Please take this opportunity to support the arts and cultural sector.
Written submissions can also be sent by letter, fax or e-mail and through an online form until Friday, October 20.
For further hearing locations and additional information, visit www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations, call the Office of the Clerk of Committees at 1-877-428-8337 or e-mail FinanceCommittee@leg.bc.ca 2. Artists’ Legal Outreach now offering summary advice clinics
The Alliance for Arts and Culture is pleased to announce that the Artists' Legal Outreach (ALO) is kicking off with free weekly summary advice clinics. The (ALO) is a pilot project of the Alliance and will provide artists in all disciplines with access to summary legal advice, online legal resources and dialogues on arts-related issues on a monthly basis.
3. Panel established to review activities eligible for federal fitness tax credit Discussion is ongoing about the $500 tax credit for parents to offset registration fees for activities that “meaningfully contribute” to their children’s fitness. The tax credit is set to come into effect on January 1, 2007 and parents across the country are asking what activities will constitute a meaningful contribution. Official mention of arts and cultural activities in particular have been rare, leaving those with children involved in activities such as dance classes wondering if the tax credit will apply. The federal government formed a three-member panel at the end of July to review the definition of physical activity and provide advice on whether eligible programs must include supervision or instruction from a coach. Persons wishing to submit views to the panel should do so as soon as possible to fitnesscredit-creditconditionphysique@fin.gc.ca The panel is to report to the finance minister in early October. 4. Renovation of CBC’s Vancouver broadcast centre makes way for cultural space The landmark CBC/Radio-Canada broadcast centre at Georgia and Hamilton Streets in downtown Vancouver is about to undergo a major renovation. The existing concrete structure has been in service for 32 years and by the fall of 2009 will become a “new vibrant urban environment, strategically located in Vancouver’s performance district,” and “will artfully integrate CBC/Radio-Canada’s own Production Centre and community access spaces.” The renovation plan includes a new state-of-the-art production centre for CBC/Radio-Canada, a multi-use plaza, a public promenade, a landscaped courtyard and water garden, a 4,000 square foot community performance studio and outdoor stage facing Hamilton Street and 8,500 square feet of office space, located on the main floor of the existing building, that will be awarded on a rent-free, cost-recovery basis to non-profit cultural organizations. For more information visit CBC online.
5. Canadian trade mission heading to Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art Show Canadian artists and gallery owners looking to the U.S. market take note! The Canadian Consulate General in Chicago is planning its annual trade mission to the November 2006 Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art Show (www.sofaexpo.com) in the same city. Last year, 45 Canadians – including artists, gallery owners and provincial art councils - participated in the event and learned about exporting as well as had the chance to meet with industry experts. The trade mission aims to increase exposure of Canadian artists and their work and broaden the Canadian arts community’s presence in the U.S. Midwest. Registrations for the trade mission are booked on a first-come, first-served basis with the deadline for registration on October 18, 2006. For more information go to www.chicago.gc.ca and click on “Trade and Investment” or contact Ann Rosen at 312-327-3624 or ann.rosen@international.gc.ca.
6. New resource for artists working in the United States To address the challenges faced by international artists working in the United States, the American Symphony Orchestra League and Association of Performing Arts Presenters have consulted with nationally-recognized experts to create Artists from Abroad, an up-to-date online resource for foreign guest artists, their managers and performing arts organizations. Immigration attorney Jonathan Ginsburg and tax experts Albert Schibani and Peter Kotsatos have authored guidance featured on this site, and forms and web links are provided to steer through the process of engaging guest artists reliably, efficiently and lawfully. Changes will be made regularly to reflect new rules and procedural changes at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State, and Internal Revenue Service. Visit www.artistsfromabroad.org.
7. Stats Can study on entertainment spending Statistics Canada has released a study which examines changes over the five-year period in household spending on entertainment services. The findings are based primarily on Survey of Household Spending (SHS) data from 1998 and 2003. Among the findings: ● The average household spent $273 on entertainment services outside the home in 2003, a 31% increase from 1998. Of the $273 that households spent on entertainment services, over two-thirds was spent attending movies ($106 per household) and live performing arts ($85). The remainder went to paying to see live sporting events and visiting heritage institutions, on which households spent an average of $46 and $36, respectively. ● The average Canadian household spent $85 to attend live performing arts events in 2003. Spending varied by region with Ontario households spending the most ($105) and households in the four Maritime provinces spending the least. ● The highest income quintile made up nearly half of the consumer market even though it comprised only one-fifth of Canada's households. Although spending on live performing arts rose most rapidly from 1998 to 2003 for low income households, these households still spent only $20 attending such events, on average, in 2003. In contrast, highest income households spent an average of $204. ● The average household spent 29% more on performing arts in 2003 than it did in 1998. This helped to boost the performing arts industry's operating profit margin from 3.5% to 7.1% from 2000 to 2003. ● The average Canadian household spent just $36 in 2003 visiting heritage institutions, considerably less than what they spent attending movies, performing arts or sporting events. Heritage institutions include museums, non-commercial art galleries, historic sites, zoos and botanical gardens. ● On average, households in Nova Scotia and British Columbia increased their spending at heritage institutions by 15% and 14%, respectively, the fastest rates in the country. Read more about the survey results here.
8. Tax credit for public transit passes Beginning on July 1, 2006, the Government of Canada began offering individuals a non-refundable tax credit to cover the cost of public transit passes. The tax credit for public transit passes is a non-refundable tax credit for the cost of buying a monthly (or longer duration) pass for commuting on buses, streetcars, subways, commuter trains and local ferries. The tax credit for public transit passes can be claimed on 2006 income tax returns for the amounts paid for travel that occur after June 30, 2006. At a minimum, expired monthly transit passes for months after June 2006 will be required to support claims. The full amount paid for a public transit pass can be claimed, or for the cost of passes for multiple transit systems. The tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit, which means that the amount claimed is multiplied by the lowest personal income tax rate for the year (15.25 per cent in 2006) and is then deducted from tax otherwise payable. More information can be found here.
9. New 2010 Legacies website to connect volunteers and event organizers 2010 Legacies Now has developed VolWeb.ca, an online registration system to connect volunteers and event organizers across BC to support events from local festivals to international sporting tournaments. VolWeb.ca allows volunteers to: access valuable resources, newsletters, educational opportunities and volunteer centres in the community; build volunteer resumes and track volunteer hours and communicate directly with event organizers and volunteer centers. VolWeb.ca provides volunteer organizations with: the ability to access important resources, tools and templates to help support volunteer programs; communicate with colleagues thru live web-meetings or online discussion boards; directly recruit volunteers; gain profile and raise awareness of volunteerism in the community.
10. New listserv for developing cultural indicators The Creative City Network of Canada's Centre of Expertise on Culture and Communities has launched a listserv for sharing information and updates, posing questions and discussing issues on Cultural Indicators. The open listserv will serve as a common communications link among the wide range of individuals and organizations with an interest in this area, including municipalities, other governments and agencies, academics, and other organizations and individuals. Listserv messages will be archived automatically, and accessible to subscribers. If you are interested in joining the Indicators-L listserv, please send an email to Eileen Gillette with your contact information at eileen@creativecity.ca. The Creative City Network of Canada's Centre of Expertise on Culture and Communities conducts research and brings together academia and practice in three areas: culture as the fourth pillar of community sustainability; cultural infrastructure planning and the impacts of cultural infrastructure and activity in Canadian cities and communities. The third research area will examine the measurability of these impacts and explore the development of policy-relevant indicators of cultural development in communities. The Centre is a project of the Creative City Network of Canada and the School of Communication through CPROST, supported by Infrastructure Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage. 11. New report available on the “power of art” Read the report online.
12. 2006-07 Alternative Distribution Program guidelines from Telefilm Canada Telefilm Canada's 2006-07 Alternative Distribution Program (ADP) guidelines have been revised and are now easily accessible on Telefilm's website. The ADP was implemented to provide financing to organizations that use alternate distribution methods to the traditional theatrical distributor-exhibitor model in promoting and releasing Canadian films. The spirit and ultimate goal of the ADP is to increase circulation and audience awareness of Canadian feature films. For more information visit Telefilm Canada online. The Emily Carr Institute has appointed Maria Lantin as director of the new $5-million Intersections Digital Studio, which is scheduled to open September 2006. Ms. Lantin arrives at Emily Carr from the Banff Centre’s Advanced Research and Technology Lab. Three students from Vancouver's Goh Ballet Academy left for Hong Kong August 23 to compete in the Genée International Ballet Competition on August 25, under the auspices of the London-based Royal Academy of Dance. Kostyantyn Keshyshev, James Stout, and Fei Fei Ye all hope to follow in the steps of Goh student Céline Gittens, who last year became the first Canadian to win a gold medal in the competition's 74-year history. Kevin Kerr has been appointed the playwright in residence for the 2006-07 season at the Playhouse Theatre Company. Mr. Kerr has won several Jessie awards and has also won a Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama. During his tenure at the Playhouse, he will write a new play commissioned by the theatre. The Contemporary Art Gallery has received support from the Vancouver Foundation to assist in the growth of an Operating Endowment Fund. Funding is being given through the Medici Program as part of the Foundation’s BC Arts Renaissance Fund. The Contemporary Art Gallery is the recipient of a 3-year grant that will enable the implementation of an endowment development program, as well as the integration of communications and marketing activities. Vancouver Office of Cultural Affairs deadlines: Opportunities Grants – Monday, September 18 More information can be found at www.vancouver.ca/culture or by calling 604-871-6434.
This program is open to any small museum, gallery or related institution for the purpose of undertaking a special preservation or conservation project, with a budget between $500 and $1000. Application deadline: October 15, 2006. The artist in residence program supports artists working with communities on issues of joint interest or concern. Artists from all disciplines are invited to submit proposals. Application packages can be picked up at Britannia Community Services Centre (1661 Napier Street), at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre (3161 Ontario Street), the Roundhouse Community Centre (corner of Davie and Pacific Streets) and at the Park Board office (2099 Beach Avenue). Application deadline: October 31, 2006. For more information visit the Park Board online. 2006 Visual Arts Development Awards The 2006 Visual Arts Development Awards (VADA) included a number of Vancouver-area artists. The awards provide opportunities for British Columbia’s emerging and mid-career visual artists and artisans. VADA is a Vancouver Foundation initiative, administered in partnership with the Contemporary Art Gallery, offering assistance for non-institutional exploration in new techniques or processes to individuals from all cultures who are working in traditional or contemporary media or techniques. The 2006 recipients include: Eliza Au of Richmond, Babak Golkar of West Vancouver and Robert Chaplin, Kirsten Chursinoff, Vanessa Kwan, Laura Madera, Gareth Moore and Heather Passmore, all of Vancouver.
Arts Notes: Locals instrumental in fest success The sixth annual Festival Vancouver came to a close last Saturday (August 19), and its program director, George Laverock, says early estimates of attendance for the event's 13 days hover around 23,000, a figure that matches last year's. One of the highlights was Italian orchestra Academia Montis Regalis, whose two performances last week created as much drama behind the scenes as on-stage. Read more. The Vancouver Sun September 6, 2006 By John Mackie Most major music companies have fought digital downloading of music since day one. But Vancouver's Nettwerk Music has taken another tack, working with many Internet music services as a way of publicizing their artists. Tuesday, Nettwerk took another bold step into the digital world by inking a deal with Mercora, a Silicon Valley-based company that bills itself as "the world's largest social radio network." Read more. The Georgia Straight September 7, 2006 By Brian Lynch
NEWS FROM AWAY… Mining inspires art Copper and Fire will once more come together in Britannia Beach this weekend, as the B.C. Mining Museum celebrates mining and the visual arts with technique demonstrations and an art sale of work that highlights its history. The Copper and Fire Event features 15 B.C. artists, including several from the Sea to Sky corridor who honour the tradition of mining by using copper and fire to create their pieces. Read more.
"Art isn't really about trees and cows and madonnas. It's about reality and reflecting that reality back to us.” -- Christina Ritchie, Director, The Contemporary Art Gallery Our thanks The Alliance for Arts and Culture gratefully acknowledges the support from the following: City of Vancouver, Service Canada, the British Columbia Arts Council and the British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch. Comments? Send a message to: SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE You can subscribe to receive Synergy by emailing info@allianceforarts.com with the “Synergy Subscribe” in the subject line. To remove your name from this email list, please email info@allianceforarts.com with “Synergy Un-Subscribe” in the subject line. We do not rent, exchange, sell or give this email list to any other organization. Unless specifically stated, any part of this newsletter may be reproduced with appropriate credit given to the Alliance for Arts and Culture. If you have any questions about your privacy, please call 604-681-3535 or email privacy@allianceforarts.com. Last Updated:
Copyright © Alliance for Arts and Culture, 2006 |
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