Village Gamer

Via Canadian Heritage & Official Languages:  Youth, artists, festivals, and arts training organizations are thriving in Vancouver, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada. Support for a total of 40 projects was announced today by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. Minister Moore made the announcement at the Vancouver Playhouse in downtown Vancouver alongside leaders of Vancouver’s arts and cultural community.

“With Canada’s economic recovery still fragile, we are focused on creating jobs and economic growth throughout British Columbia,” said Minister Moore. Supporting Canadian culture means supporting Canada’s economy. Arts and culture bring communities together and contribute to the economic strength of cities. We are proud to support our artists and arts organizations, because investing in the arts is central to strengthening communities in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia.”

The funding announced today will support a range of projects that create cultural experiences, strengthen communities, and bring people together. Projects benefitting from today’s announcement include the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, the DanceHouse performance series, Vancouver Takes the Stage, the Vancouver Early Music Festival, and the Bard On The Beach Theatre Society.

“We are very excited about the opportunity that the Government of Canada has provided to the youth of Vancouver,” said Lucille Pacey, President of Arts Umbrella. The Act One: Youth project will provide the opportunity for youth to work with seasoned Canadian artists in the community and to take those lessons into the classrooms in a leadership role.”

The Government of Canada has provided total funding of $4,779,527 under six programs of the Department of Canadian Heritage: the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program, the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the Canada Cultural Investment Fund, the Canada Arts Training Fund and theYouth Take Charge program.

Today’s announcement includes the following Vancouver-area projects:

Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage

The Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program provides Canadians with more opportunities to take part in activities that present local arts and culture and celebrate local history and heritage.

• A.I.A. Arts In Action Society – In the House Festival; $5,500
• Celebrate Vancouver’s 125^th Advisory Committee – Vancouver Takes the Stage (Vancouver Celebrates 125); $109,200
• Collingwood Neighbourhood House Society – Collingwood Days Festival; $24,500
• First United Church – First United Church 125^th Anniversary; $8,400
• Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver – Festival Ha’Rikud 2011 Celebrating Love/Ahava; $12,500
• Hellenic Community of Vancouver – Greek Heritage Month/Greek Day; $16,400
• New Westminster Hyack Festival Association – Hyack Festival; $31,100
• North Vancouver Community Arts Council – Art in the Garden Tour; $2,600
• Richmond Arts Coalition – 8^th Annual Richmond Maritime Festival; $92,000
• Richmond Museum Society – Doors Open Richmond 2011; $6,700
• Scandinavian Community Centre Society – Midsummer Festival; $9,000
• Seabird Island Band – 42^nd Annual First Nations Festival; $18,900
• Think City Society – Think City Tours; $7,900
• Valerie Dudoward Foundation – Teach Me the Ways / Vancouver Aboriginal Heritage and Arts Festival; $4,300
• Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration – City of Bhangra 2011; $16,200
• Vancouver Korean Dance Society – Soaring: The 15^th Annual Korean Dance Festival; $6,500

Canada Arts Presentation Fund

The Canada Arts Presentation Fund gives Canadians increased access to the variety and richness of Canada’s culture through professional arts festivals, presentations of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.

• Centre Culturel Francophone de Vancouver – 22^nd Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver and 2011–2012 season; $40,000 (2011–2012)
• Coastal Jazz and Blues Society – Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Winterruption, and Concert Season; $300,000 (2011–2012)
• Rosario Ancer Flamenco Arts Society – Vancouver International Flamenco Festival; $18,000 (2011–2012)
• Seismic Shift Arts Society – DanceHouse; $80,000 (2011–2012)
• Powell Street Festival Society – 2011 and 2012 Festival and Season; $28,000 (2011–2012) and $28,000 (2012–2013)
• PuSh International Performing Arts Festival Society – PuSh International Performing Arts Festival; $220,000 (2011–2012) and $220,000 (2012–2013)
• Vancouver Society for Early Music – Vancouver Early Music Festival 2011 and 2012 and The Early Music Vancouver Winter Concert Season 2010–2011 and 2011–2012; $93,000 (2011–2012) and $93,000 (2012–2013)
• Western Front Society – Western Front New Music 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 programs; $20,000 (2011–2012) and $20,000 (2012–2013)

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund

The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.

• Presentation House Cultural Society – Theatre lighting equipment upgrade; $48,170
• Bard On The Beach Theatre Society – New Mainstage and Studio Stage Theatres; $1,050,337 (2011–2012) and $149,663 (2012–2013)

Canada Arts Training Fund

The Canada Arts Training Fund supports non-profit organizations that offer training to Canadians aspiring to a national or international professional career in the arts.

• Mandala Arts and Culture Society – Training in the Arts; $40,000 (2011–2012)
• Full Circle: First Nations Performance Society – Training in the Arts; $155,000 (2011–2012) and $155,000 (2012–2013)

Canada Cultural Investment Fund (Strategic Initiatives Component)

The Canada Cultural Investment Fund’s Strategic Initiatives component provides funding for initiatives supported by multiple partners and impacting multiple organizations. Supported projects help arts and heritage organizations build and diversify their revenue streams, and strengthen their management capacities/business competencies.

• Assembly of Bristish Columbia Arts Councils – Development, delivery, and expansion of a special projects program in capacity and sustainability; $157,200 (2010–2011)
• The Playhouse Theatre Centre of British Columbia – Next Generation Arts Leadership; $28,000 (2010–2011)

Canada Cultural Investment Fund (Endowment Incentives Component)

The Endowment Incentives component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund provides funding to match donations from the private sector to arts organizations’ endowment fund. This year, the Government of Canada is providing 71 cents for every dollar donated by the private sector.

• Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Foundation – Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Society; $388,961
• Vancouver Foundation – Chor Leoni Men’s Choir; $21,883
• Vancouver Foundation –Vancouver International Dance Festival Society; $4,258
• Vancouver Foundation – Vancouver Society for Early Music; $7,182
• Vancouver Foundation – VDC Dance Centre Society; $46,291
• Vancouver Foundation – West Vancouver Arts Centre Trust; $71,108
• Vancouver Foundation – Théâtre la Seizième; $9,091
• Vancouver Opera Foundation – Vancouver Opera Association; $342,888
• Vancouver Symphony Foundation – Vancouver Symphony Society; $434,899

Youth Take Charge Program

The Youth Take Charge program supports youth-led projects and is getting young Canadians involved in a range of activities designed to strengthen their knowledge and attachment to Canada.

• Children’s Arts Umbrella Association – Act One:Youth; $137,896