News Release
BC ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES $9.1 MILLION IN ARTS GRANTS
VICTORIA – The Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA, today congratulated those artists, organizations and students who have received BC Arts Council grants and scholarships totalling $9,098,945.
“The arts help make families stronger, enhance our communities and are a key economic driver in this province,” Chong said. “Government is proud to support the BC Arts Council and recognizes the vital role the council plays in developing and enhancing our arts and cultural communities.”
The announcement follows Chong’s commitment in July to provide the council with $16.831 million in program funding, maintaining support for arts and cultural activities.
“Throughout the years of economic uncertainty, the Province has worked to stabilize the Council’s budget, and again has provided the council with funds to address priorities identified in its 2009-2013 Strategic Plan,” said council board chair Stan Hamilton. “Thanks to the support of the Province, we are able to continue to offer B.C.’s creative sector funding programs that address a range of opportunities and disciplines.”
This current round of funding – the first of the fiscal year – is being shared by organizations and individual artists in theatre, dance, music, arts training and literary arts. The funding is also supporting First Nations arts and cultural programs, co-op placements, professional development for individual artists and student scholarships.
As always, council grants were distributed based on recommendations made through the independent peer review process.
The BC Arts Council is an independent agency with the legislative mandate to fund the arts across the province and to consult with the arts and cultural community to develop cultural policy and a long-term strategy for the development of the creative sector.
For a full listing of recipients, click here.