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Home | Resources > Newsletter | Synergy - April 2007
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Synergy April 2007 -- Volume 18 Number 3 IN THIS ISSUE: A word from the editor1. Planning process underway for Cultural Tourism Strategy 2. City reviews funding approach for grants 3. Contract awarded for cultural grants program review 4. Vancouver approves funding for Juno Awards 5. Alliance roundtable discussions 6. Workshops in May: Media relations, copyright and grant writing 7. Canadian Arts Coalition response to Canada Council grants 8. Public arts news from the City of Vancouver 9. New online network for emerging arts professionals 10. Research and literature 11. Artist calls and opportunities 12. Member news 13. Media spin 14. Endquote April has been a busy month at City Hall for arts and culture initiatives. A number of arts-related items came before council (more information below) and on April 23 a Creative City Conversation packed the Vancouver Playhouse to capacity. The day was part of a City undertaking to create a new 10-year, long-term plan for arts and culture in Vancouver. We’re told that presentations and information from the day will be available online at some point so the Alliance will make sure to broadcast that link when it becomes available. Although the Conversation day has passed, there is still an opportunity to be part of the process by completing the Creative City Survey, available online at http://vancouver.ca/creativecity/survey.htm until May 15. According to the Creative City Task Force website, the thoughts/opinions/ideas/feedback gathered during the process will be used by the Task Force in their planning discussions, and may be part of the Task Force report to city council that is expected in the fall of 2007. On the Alliance calendar, we’ve planned a series of roundtables that will be held in May and June as an opportunity for disciplines to gather and meet with our new Executive Director, Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles, and share your ideas, issues and concerns with us. We also have three workshops coming up in May – a crash course in media relations, a copyright workshop put on by the Artists’ Legal Outreach Program and an introduction to grant writing. More information on all these events can be found below. Here’s to spring and the approaching days of summer, Laurie Guy On April 3, Vancouver City Council approved the planning process, outlined in the report Cultural Tourism Strategy – Planning Process (click here to read), for the development of a Cultural Tourism Strategy to be presented to city council in the fall of 2007 at a cost of $65,000. The approved process includes the creation of a temporary Cultural Planner I position at an estimated cost of $45,000 with the source of funds to be Cultural Tourism Strategy planning funds, budgeted in the 2007 contingency reserve. Council also approved an additional allocation of $300,000 per year for four years starting in 2008 in order to leverage support from other funders, agencies and organizations towards the implementation of the Cultural Tourism Strategy. The source of funds will be a $300,000 increase to the 2008 through 2011 operating budgets. City staff were also directed to review and report back in the fall with potential funding implementation partners and in particular, potential funding support for the City’s 125th anniversary celebrations through the federal government’s Cultural Capitals of Canada program. 2. City reviews funding approach for grants On April 3, Vancouver City Council unamiously supported a motion brought forward by Councillor Elizabeth Ball that will have city staff report back to council in three months with plans to develop a collaborative, comprehensive, streamlined and multi-year funding approach for grants that will include: • Consultation with Corporate Services (Budgets/Finance) and Law to review the city’s legislative framework and budgetary process; 3. Contract awarded for cultural grants program review
At the April 17 Vancouver City Council meeting, Ference Weicker & Company were awarded the contract to provide consulting services for a comprehensive review of the city’s current arts and cultural grants and support programs administered through the Office of Cultural Affairs, at an estimated cost of $75,000 plus GST, with funding to be provided by the 2007 cultural budget. 4. Vancouver approves funding for Juno Awards On April 15 Vancouver’s Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets unanimously approved a motion that council endorse the Pacific Music Industry Association’s bid to host the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver and that council approve a grant of $350,000 for the Pacific Music Industry Association (PMIA), subject to PMIA securing matching funds from other sources. The grant funds will be allocated in three installments - $100,000 in 2007, $150,000 in 2008 and $100,000 in 2009 with the source of funds to be the contingency reserve in 2007 and an increase to the operating budget in 2008 and 2009. 5. Alliance roundtable discussions The Alliance will be hosting a series of informal roundtables for arts organizations and working artists in all disciplines during the months of May and June. Loosely organized by discipline, the roundtables are an opportunity to share your advocacy and service priorities, your thoughts on the Alliance, your view on the issues faced by the cultural sector and how the Alliance can address those issues. The meetings are open to both members and non-members of the Alliance. For more information and dates, please click here.
6. Workshops in May: Media relations grant writing and copyright The Alliance is hosting three professional development workshops in May: A crash course in media relations on the 12th, a copyright forum for visual artists on the 14th and an introduction to grant writing on May 17th. For further details, please click here.
7. Canadian Arts Coalition response to Canada Council grants: The Canadian Arts Coalition is pleased that, working with special onetime funding, the Canada Council for the Arts has been able to support artists and arts organizations across the country. This funding allotment was $20 million in the fiscal year 200607 and raised to $30 million in the fiscal year 200708. Eight hundred and fifty eight arts organizations submitted applications, with only 561 receiving supplementary grants. Application requests totalled $95.6 million – nearly three times the amount available for supplementary funding. Not all applications were successful, and most that were did not receive the full amount requested. Moreover, only those arts organizations already receiving Canada Council funding were able to access the supplementary funds, excluding other eligible professional organizations which are still blocked from accessing grants due to the overall shortfall in the government’s investment in the arts. “The Coalition is concerned that the public’s demonstrated desire for access to new and inventive creative works cannot be satisfied by the limited funds to which the Canada Council currently has access. The funding available to the Canada Council is neither sustained nor adequate,” commented Micheline McKay, CoChair of the Coalition and Executive Director of Opera.ca. “Last month, the federal government tabled a budget that did not extend support of the arts by making this onetime allotment of funds to the Canada Council permanent. Permanent additional support was a recommendation advanced by the Coalition and supported by the Standing Committee on Finance which consists of MPs of all parties.” The Coalition has called on the federal government to make this $30 million increase to the Canada Council budget permanent and, over time, to invest in stable, longterm funding that increases the Canada Council’s budget by an additional $100 million annually. A full list of grants awarded through the Supplementary Operating Funds Initiative, as well as additional information about the distribution of the new Canada Council funding, are available on the Canada Council web site at www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/. 8. Public art news from the City of Vancouver The Public Art Program is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of its three components: Community Public Art, Civic Public Art and Private Development. The intended result is a plan for the program that will include a new vision-developed with the local community-and new implementation strategies that address program structure, funding, and administration. Projects already underway will continue their development; however, no new projects will be initiated before fall, 2007. Those interested in the Community Public Art Program should monitor this website. For more information visit http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/culturalservices/newsletter/april07/story5.htm.
9. New online network for emerging arts professionals The Emerging Arts Professional Network is a new online community network, podcast, blog magazine, discussion forum (coming soon) and career resource for Canadian arts professionals. The blog-magazine will be dedicated to articles written by arts professionals across the country. Each month will feature a new Mentor of the Month and the discussion forum is on it's way to provide another outlet to share ideas and communicate. Visit the EAP at http://www.eapnetwork.ca/blog/archives/welcome/ EAP is looking for writers with all levels of experience and insight, is seeking more article submissions for a monthly blog magazine and also seeking emerging arts professionals from across Canada to interview seasoned arts leaders. See www.eapnetwork.ca/pages/submit/ or contact Blair Francey editor@eapnetwork.ca for more details. In September 2006, the National Arts Centre held the second in its series of three roundtables on healing and the arts. The roundtable addressed the interconnections between the arts and mental health. A report, The Roundtable on Mental Health and the Arts, provides an overview of the day’s dialogue, including information on some of the exciting research being undertaken in Canada in this field. The report can be viewed online at http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/allaboutthenac/publications/corporate/roundtable_2006_e.pdf Economic Contribution of the Culture Sector to Canada’s Provinces A Statistics Canada report that provides a descriptive analysis of the economic contribution of the culture sector to the Canadian economy. Culture sector output and employment levels are measured for each province, for the years 1996 to 2003. The results of the study demonstrate that, on average, the culture sector accounted for 3.8% of national output and 4% of national employment, over the period under investigation. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia were among the largest contributors to the culture sector in Canada, accounting for more than three quarters of total output and employment. Read the report online at www.statcan.ca/english/research/81-595-MIE/81-595-MIE2006037.pdf 11. Artist calls and opportunities Call for Expressions of Interest for Non-Profit Social/Cultural Uses for the Amenity Space at Cathedral Place, 639 Hornby Street 9th Annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition RBC seeks emerging Canadian artists for the ninth annual Canadian Painting Competition. Winners will be announced in September, with the national winner receiving $25,000, and two honourable mentions each receiving $15,000. The competition discovers and recognizes the skill and talent of Canada 's emerging artists and provides the artists with increased visibility for their work and national exposure. City of Vancouver 2007 Book Award The City of Vancouver is now accepting submissions for the 2007 Book Award. Books of any genre that demonstrate excellence and contribute to an appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s history, unique character or its residents are eligible to apply for the $2,000 award. The winning book must also exhibit excellence in content, illustration, design, and/or format. The deadline line for entries is May 23, 2007. Entry forms may be downloaded from the Office of Cultural Affairs page on the City's web site at vancouver.ca/bookaward. Upcoming City of Vancouver grant deadlines Project Grant Deadline: Monday, May 14, 2007 For more information visit http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/oca/ Urban Ink Productions has announced the appointment of Diane Roberts to the position of Artistic Director. She will take over the company from founder and outgoing Artistic Director, Marie Clements, effective May 25, 2007. Diane Roberts is an accomplished theatre director, dramaturge, playwright and administrator. Marie Clements will be leaving Urban Ink to pursue her solo career as a playwright, screenwriter, director, producer and performer. The UBC School of Music will welcome Dr. Richard Kurth as director of the school starting on July 1, 2007. Current director, Professor Jesse Read, has led the school for two five-year terms, with a one-year leave between terms. Cash for cultural festivals at centre of funding flap Federal Tories are denying a "boondoggle" over a summer sponsorship program for local arts and culture festivals announced in the March budget. The program became the centre of controversyon Thursday, when NDP MP Charlie Angus found a memo to Conservative MPs from Heritage Minister Bev Oda inviting them to suggest festivals in their ridings for sponsorship. Read more... Tory ridings get first crack at millions in arts, culture funding Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda scrambled to defuse questions yesterday about whether she created a "backdoor process" to funnel $30 million into arts and culture festivals in ridings held by Conservative MPs. In a questionnaire distributed last week to members of her party's Alberta wing, Oda asked MPs to provide input on developing a new program to fund local arts and heritage festivals. Read more... Letter reveals new Tory program Heritage Minister Bev Oda asked Conservative MPs to suggest which events should get money from a new sponsorship program even before rules for the $30-million plan have been established. In an April 18 note to Tory MPs, Ms. Oda insisted that the program will be run diligently, with "clear funding criteria" to establish which cultural events will get money. Read more... Atwood says Tories out to 'squash the arts'CBC.ca April 24, 2007 Canadian author Margaret Atwood has torn a strip off the current Conservative government over its arts policies.The Tories are out to "squash the arts into the dust," she said in Montreal just ahead of the opening of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival. She was deeply critical of the Harper government's cuts to the arts, especially the literary arts. Read more.. State of the arts When you think "Montreal," a kind of "Montreal feeling" comes to mind. The same kind of thing happens when you think of "New York" or "London" or "Paris," even if you've never been to those places. There is just something that is "so New York," or "so Paris." But is there anything you can point to and say, "That is so Vancouver!" We reluctantly have to say no. Read more... News from away... Ontario inches towards status of the artist policies After over a decade of promises by three consecutive governments, the provincial government of Ontario has made some very modest proposals to address status of the artist issues in the province, joining Québec and Saskatchewan as the third provincial government to address status of the artist issues in legislation or policy. Read more... On the Governor-General's blog, Madame Jean writes:
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:
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