[BCMA MBEN] Federal Investment in Arts & Culture
Jim Harding
JHarding@MuseumsAssn.bc.ca
Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:30:09 -0800
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[The following article was supplied by the CMA's clipping service regardin=
g today's federal
budget announcement...]</span></font>
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<b>Where the arts money will flow</b></span></font>
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James Bradshaw, The Globe and Mail, Tuesday, January 27, 2009</span></font=
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The cash infusion for arts and culture expected in today's announcement of=
the
federal budget will be placed squarely on infrastructure, festivals and tr=
aining.</span></font>
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On the weekend, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore said $160-million w=
ill be
designated to the sector over the next two years, and did not rule out the=
possibility
that there could be more in store in today's announcement. Deirdra McCrack=
en,
Moore's communications director, confirmed that the entire $160-million wo=
uld be
over and above existing funding, and is not a re-announcement of any money=
already
pledged.</span></font>
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Several arts executives said yesterday that such a windfall shows that the=
Conservatives are becoming more aware of the economic clout the sector hol=
ds, after
$44.8-million in cuts to arts funding last year cost the party votes come =
election time.
Alain Pineau, the executive director of the Canadian Conference of the Art=
s, said he
is still concerned about the effect of cutting programs such as PromArt, b=
ut if arts
and culture do indeed receive $160-million in additional funds today, &quo=
t;we can only
rejoice."</span></font>
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Here's how the $160-million is expected to break down:</span></font>
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<b>$100-million</b></span></font>
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The amount, over two years, to be funnelled into the Arts Presentation Can=
ada
program and the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program, wh=
ich
support arts festivals across the country.</span></font>
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What existed before: A $30-million annual budget instituted by previous he=
ritage
minister Josée Verner in 2007, with no sunset date.</span></font>
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Who could benefit: Large entities such as Luminato, Just for Laughs, the C=
ultural
Olympiad, the Montreal and Ottawa Jazz Festivals, Magnetic North Theatre F=
estival,
as well as a host of smaller outfits across the country.</span></font>
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<b>$60-million</b></span></font>
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The amount to be added to the Cultural Spaces Canada program, over two yea=
rs.
Cultural Spaces supports construction, renovation and improved accessibili=
ty for arts
and heritage structures.</span></font>
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What existed before: An annual budget of about $27-million, which currentl=
y exists
in tandem with the cultural component of the $8.8-billion Building Canada =
Fund for
new infrastructure projects.</span></font>
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Who could benefit: The Royal Conservatory of Music, the Art Gallery of Alb=
erta,
Saskatoon's Mendel Art Gallery, the Banff Centre, the Mont-real Museum of =
Fine
Arts and The Toronto International Film Festival Group all have projection=
the go.</span></font>
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<b>More to come?</b></span></font>
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Moore hinted this weekend at a possible increase in funding for the Nation=
al Arts
Training Contribution Program, which funds the training "of artists w=
ith high
potential through institutions that offer training of the highest calibre.=
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What existed before: A $16-million annual budget.</span></font>
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Who could benefit: The National Ballet School, the National Theatre School=
of
Canada, the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Banff Centre. Those progra=
ms that
lost money when the Conservatives cancelled the National Training Program =
in the
Film and Video Sector could also see some relief.</span></font>
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<b>$0</b></span></font>
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So far, there has been no mention of money for international touring or pr=
omotions
despite slews of submissions from arts organizations calling for programs =
to fill the
void left by the cancellation of the PromArt and Trade Routes programs.</s=
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_______________________________</span></font>
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Jim Harding, ED</span></font>
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BC Museums Association</span></font>
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(250) 356-5694</span></font>
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