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<p class="MsoNormal">February 7<sup>th</sup>, 2018<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Friends of Arts & Culture,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope all is well with you<span style="color:#1F497D">.</span> I wanted to connect and let you know about a new pilot program we’ve just launched: the
<a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=B137A85CC4F94D4EACA64DF9550EC68F">
Community Resilience Through Arts and Culture fund</a>. Reflecting on the sector feedback we’ve heard regarding the need for more accessible, targeted arts and culture funding for smaller BC communities, particularly those experiencing hardship, we have designed
a small pilot program that provides <u>low-barrier arts and culture funding</u> to support community engagement through the arts.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Community Resilience Through Arts and Culture program supports arts and cultural events, initiatives and projects by and for local communities. Our focus for this program is communities experiencing hardship, historic oppression, or
other challenges that would benefit from the power of arts and culture to promote healing, resilience, and connection. The program is targeted at smaller communities outside of Metro Vancouver Regional District and the Capital Regional District (Gulf Islands
exempted), specifically non-profits, municipalities/regional districts, First Nations Band Councils and Native Friendship Centres. Indigenous communities and communities that have experienced hardship (economic or natural disaster, social crisis or other challenges)
may be given funding priority. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The grants will range between $2,500 - $15,000 to support cultural events, festivals and community celebrations as well as arts and culture projects, programs or workshops, funding up to 75% of project costs. We’re looking to take the lead
from communities based on what they feel they could benefit from the most. The intake period is
<span style="background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow">open from now until March 2<sup>nd</sup></span> and funding will be distributed by March 31<sup>st</sup>. It can be spent any time before April 1, 2019. Interested applicants can access more information and
the application form here: <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/arts-culture/arts-and-culture-initiatives/community-resilience">
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/arts-culture/arts-and-culture-initiatives/community-resilience</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, we are excited to tell you that we are also accepting oral or recorded submissions in order to be culturally inclusive and as barrier-free as possible.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Feel free to circulate this to your networks or post in any upcoming newsletters, keeping in mind the VERY tight turnaround. If you have any questions or feedback, let me know! We’re really looking forward to learning a lot from this program
and it is an exciting new direction for us. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Monique Lacerte, BA, MACD Sonja Cunningham<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">TA/ Senior Policy Analyst & Partnership Officer Senior Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">778.698.3532 778.698.3519<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><a href="mailto:Monique.lacerte@gov.bc.ca">Monique.lacerte@gov.bc.ca</a>
<a href="mailto:Sonja.Cunningham@gov.bc.ca">Sonja.Cunningham@gov.bc.ca</a> </span>
</b><b><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Arts and Cultural Development Branch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">2<sup>nd</sup> Floor, 800 Johnson St.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Victoria BC V8W 1N3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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