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Home | Resources > Newsletter | Synergy - August 14, 2003
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August 14, 2003 -- Volume 14 Number 12 Synergy, the electronic newsletter
Later in this issue we recognize the passing of artist Jerry Pethick. On July 30 we were also saddened by the untimely death of Jessica Fraser, executive director of the Toronto Theatre Alliance. Jessica was an unfailing supporter of the performing arts in Canada, first as an actress and most recently as an administrator.
Lori Baxter, IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Government spending on culture: Statistics Canada Editor: Allison Markin 1. Government spending on culture: Statistics Canada In its August 1 issue of The Daily, Statistics Canada reports that government spending on cultural activities and institutions rose in 2000-01, for the third straight year. According to StatsCan, all three levels of government spent just over $6.3 billion on "everything from operating government departments related to culture, to financial assistance to artists and organizations in the culture sector." In 2000-01, this marked an increase of six percent, compared to an increase of 2.4 percent in 1999-2000. Prior to 1998, spending decreased for three consecutive years. Spending increased the most among Canada's municipalities, at $1.7 billion; the federal government spent $3.0 billion and the provinces and territories, $2.1 billion. The Daily states that during the 1990s, the municipal share of total government spending on culture increased while the federal share declined. On a per capita basis, federal spending during the reporting period (2000-01) was highest in the Northwest Territories at $753 per capita, followed by Yukon at $414 and Nunavut at $228. Federal spending was the lowest in BC, at $39 per capita. Federal cultural spending represented 1.7 percent of the federal budget in 2000-01, when it reached "a record high" of $3 billion. Federal spending on operations and capital projects by departments and agencies, including the CBC and CRTC, increased 5.7 percent, but represented a lower share of the total federal cultural budget than in previous years. Grants, contributions and other transfers to artists and cultural organizations totalled $576.6 million in 2000-01, up 2.4 percent from the previous year. Federal grants and contributions for many cultural activities fell during this time period, but grants to literary arts were up 27.2 percent to $132.2 million, due in large part to the $26.5 million in federal aid given to the then newly-established Canada Magazine Fund. In contrast to the federal government, provinces and territories disbursed 63 percent of their cultural budgets in grants and contributions. Artists, organizations and institutions received $1.3 billion in 2000-01, while $774.2 million went to operating needs and capital projects, accounting for 37 percent of the provincial and territorial cultural budgets. Municipal cultural spending grew, as it has over most of the past 15 years, and was dominated by spending on libraries. However, municipal cultural spending dropped in Newfoundland and Labrador, BC, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The results are based on a census of all 29 federal and 180 provincial/territorial departments and agencies with culture-related expenses and includes results for the financial year from April 1, 2000 to March 31, 2001. The three main categories of spending are operating expenditures, capital expenditures and grants and contributions. To order the full report on government expenditures on culture, visit: http://www.statcan.ca/english/IPS/Data/87F0001XDB.htm For general information or to order special or standard tables, contact StatsCan Client Services at cult.tourstats@statcan.ca
Hill Strategies Research, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage, is making the Arts Research Monitor available free of charge in 2003-04. The Monitor provides summaries of relevant arts research projects that will help in researching communications, program and advocacy planning. If you would like to receive the Arts Research Monitor, send an email to: info@hillstrategies.com. Meanwhile in the first issue, the Monitor summarized a number of reports, including: For the Greater Good: A Framework for Advancing State Arts Education Partnerships Creative Connections: An Arts in Education Policy Consultation Paper Skills and Training in the Non-Profit Sector The University of British Columbia recently announced two additions to its creative writing program: workshop courses on writing lyrics for pop songs, musical theatre and opera. Introductory and advanced courses will be available in writing lyrics, libretti and songs, marking the first time a Canadian university has offered such classes. "The whole philosophy of the creative writing program, which makes us unique in the world, is our belief in the importance of training writers in multiple genres," says program chair Peggy Thompson. Designed for prospective songwriters, musicians and libretto writers, the workshops will address all aspects of words as they relate to and interplay with music. Each course will have 12 students, from music or writing backgrounds, chosen on the strength of their portfolios. More info can be found at: http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcreports/2003/03aug07/songwriting.html or http://www.creativewriting.ubc.ca/ Abridged from UBC Reports. The Georgia Straight recently reported the passing of sculptor and multimedia artist Jerry Pethick, who succumbed to brain cancer in July at his home on Hornby Island. A prominent artist, Pethick was known for his clever use of recycled materials such as bottles and light bulbs, as well as his large-scale modernist sculptures, crafted from wood and metal, and his experiments with optical effects. His pieces sit in the collections of major museums including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. According to The Georgia Straight, the Pantages Preservation Society is warning that the Pantages Theatre on East Hastings is at risk of being sold or demolished due to a lack of support from Vancouver's city council. The city recently turned down the Society's request for $60,000 which was earmarked to go towards a massive renovation of the venue. Society director Dana Barnaby told the Straight that cultural affairs staff recommended council deny the group's application to the federal and provincial government's joint infrastructure program; without the ability to apply to that body for funding of $1.5 million to cover part of the restoration, Barnaby says the Society will give up its fight to garner support from city hall. Office of Cultural Affairs staff, in a report on the project, said, among other things, that they were concerned that the group had not yet completed, to the satisfaction of Heritage and Building Inspection, roof repairs, dehumidification and other measures to prevent deterioration, all measures funded by a municipal grant in 2002. According to a Swedish study, attendance at cultural events, reading, and taking an active role in music can help you live longer. The study concludes that attendance at cultural events may have a "positive influence on survival" due to the intellectual stimulation provided by exposing oneself to culture. To read the whole study, visit: http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/313/7072/1577?view=full&pmid=8990990
The Financial News & Daily Record of Jacksonville, Florida, recently published an article on the healing properties of art and music. A nurse practitioner at an area nursing home conducted a study demonstrating the quantitative effects of a program called Body and Soul: The Art of Healing, in which nursing home patients are exposed to art and music on a weekly basis. A similar study conducted in London in 2001 showed that access to the arts is beneficial for a person's health and well-being, and a hospice study in 2001 showed that patients revealed significantly positive results on the effect of a single session of music in controlling pain. Patients in the Jacksonville study received weekly visits from members of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and from artists selected by a local museum. Subjects also took part in monthly sessions during which a solo musician played while the patients painted. To read the full article, visit: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=39068 New member of Order of Canada Congratulations to artist Simon Charlie, a master carver and member of the Coast Salish First Nation, on being named a Member of the Order of Canada. His totem poles and masks are featured in the Royal BC Museum in Victoria as well as in the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Kudos to Roger Cole on being named the new senior conductor and artistic director of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. An accomplished musician, Cole is principal oboist of both the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the CBC Radio Orchestra and teaches at UBC and the Vancouver Academy of Music. Headlines Theatre's 2003 production, Don't Say a Word, has been nominated in the Community Group category for the Red Cross Power of Humanity Award, which recognizes individuals, groups and corporations in the Lower Mainland who demonstrate their humanity by responding to a local social need. Congratulations to the winners of CBC Television and BC Film's Signature Shorts Screenwriting Competition for emerging writers. Judges had to choose from 300 writers who wrote screenplays and made films based on the theme of 'Redemption'. Michelle Adams won for Heart of Flesh, the story of a 13-year-old girl who believes burying her first bikini will spare her from a boring childhood; Ita Margalit won for Sarah's Room, which showcases the power struggles between mothers and daughters; and David Taylor won for Rugged Rich & the Ona Ona, the story of a 'soft urbanite' who goes to extreme lengths to impress his outdoorsy girlfriend. The final short films will be broadcast on CBC this fall. For fans of the film The Yellow Submarine, which marked the 35th anniversary of its London premiere in July, Dr. Bob Hieronimus, author of Inside Yellow Submarine, recently interviewed the film's animators Tom Halley and Norm Drew, founder of the Vancouver Film School. The interview can be found at http://21stcenturyradio.com. Click on 'Listen Live + Audio Archive', then 'Audio Archives of 21st Century Radio'. 2003 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramists: the deadline for applications is August 29 at 5pm. Info can be found at www.canadianclayandglass.ca/Awards.htm 2004 Pacific Contact: Mainstage showcase applications are now available online. The deadline is October 15. Visit: www.bctouring.org ArtScan 2004: The application deadline for this three-day event, taking place in the spring, is October 31. Visit: http://www.artstarts.com/artscan/artistinfo.html
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