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Heritage Canada Press Release ...

Federal Funding for Festivals to Support Arts And Heritage, Build Stronger Communities

HALIFAX, September 12, 2007 - The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, today announced how the Government will implement the $30 million in new funding per year provided for in the 2007 Budget to support local arts and heritage activities that involve Canadians in their communities through activities that express, celebrate, and preserve local culture.

In addition to initially funding the creation of the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program, $30 million annually will enhance funding for Arts Presentation Canada and help fund historical community anniversaries infrastructure.

"I am delighted that this funding is ongoing and that it will benefit both local events and professional arts festivals. With financial support available for activities and events starting this winter, organizers and volunteers who are dedicated to expressing, celebrating, and preserving local culture through arts and heritage activities will be able to further enrich community life and increase community participation," said Minister Verner. "Canada's New Government is committed to building stronger communities and to providing opportunities for all Canadians to celebrate Canadian arts and heritage."

The Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program will provide support for both local arts and heritage festivals that feature local artists and artisans or local heritage, as well as major historical anniversaries of local importance. Applications are now available for local arts and heritage festivals and community historical anniversaries occurring in winter 2008. Details for funding of community historical anniversaries infrastructure costs will be available at a later date.

Supplementary funding for Arts Presentation Canada (APC) will provide additional support for professional arts festivals that encourage community engagement. The APC program seeks to give Canadians more access to direct experiences of the diversity and richness of Canada's culture through professional arts festivals, presentations of live professional performances, and other arts experiences.

The budget for these initiatives will be expanded progressively, operating at full capacity by 2009-2010.

For more information about these new initiatives and how to apply for funding to the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage and Arts Presentation Canada programs, please visit the Canadian Heritage website at http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/festivals_e.cfm.

Information:
Richard Walker
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages
819 994-5978

Donald Boulanger
A/Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819 994-9101

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BACKGROUNDER

WHY SUPPORT LOCAL ARTS AND HERITAGE?
All across Canada, hundreds of communities organize arts and heritage events-such as festivals and commemorative activities-that enrich local culture and give Canadians an opportunity to engage and participate in their communities.

Budget 2007 provided $30 million in financial support for activities and projects that involve Canadians in their communities through the performing and visual arts and in activities that express, celebrate, and preserve local culture. Supporting these arts and heritage events will also increase opportunities for local artists and artisans and increase Canadians' exposure to local heritage.

Of the $30 million in funding, $18 million will be allocated on an ongoing basis for the new Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program. Additional resources of $7.4 million per year will be provided on an ongoing basis to Arts Presentation Canada. The remaining $4.6 million in funding will be available for infrastructure costs related to community anniversaries that commemorate and celebrate the anniversary (100th or more, in multiples of 25 years) of a locally significant historical event or person. Further details of eligible infrastructure costs will be available at a later date.

The budget for these initiatives will be expanded progressively, operating at full capacity by 2009-2010.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES THROUGH ARTS AND HERITAGE PROGRAM
The new Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program will foster stronger citizen engagement in communities across Canada through the organization and delivery of events that feature local performing and visual arts and that express, celebrate, and preserve local heritage.

Funding in the amount of $18 million per year will be available to eligible organizations through two different components.

Local Arts and Heritage Festivals will provide funding for local community events and activities that feature the public presentation of local artists and/or local heritage.

Community Historical Anniversaries Programming will provide funding for local community events and activities that commemorate the 100th or greater (in multiples of 25 years) anniversary of a local historically significant event or person.

Eligible organizations include local non-profit incorporated organizations, groups that are not legally incorporated, and Band Councils, Tribal Councils, and other Aboriginal governments and equivalent organizations.

Application Deadlines
Some grants and contributions funding is available this fiscal year for local arts and heritage festivals and community historical anniversaries occurring in winter 2008.

The application deadlines for Local Arts and Heritage Festivals are:

• October 31, 2007 for projects taking place between January 1 and May 31, 2008.
• January 14, 2008 for projects taking place between June 1 and December 31, 2008.

The application deadlines for Community Historical Anniversaries Programming are as follows:

• If the project is taking place early in 2008 (e.g. starting as early as January 1), the deadline is October 31, 2007. This deadline is for projects taking place between January 1 and December 31, 2008.
• If the project will take place later in 2008 (e.g. starting June 1 or later), the deadline is January 14, 2008. This deadline is for projects taking place between June 1 and December 31, 2008.

For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage site at http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/festivals_e.cfm.

ARTS PRESENTATION CANADA PROGRAM
Arts Presentation Canada (APC) enhances the vitality of the cultural scene and provides Canadians with opportunities to participate in professional arts activities that occur in local communities.

Enhanced resources for APC in the amount of $7.4 million will be available on an ongoing basis, starting in 2008-2009, for professional arts festivals that make a significant and demonstrable commitment to community engagement activities. Arts festivals play an important role in the cultural sector by introducing new artists and artistic practices from Canada and elsewhere.

The APC program will provide financial support to professional arts festivals up to 25 percent of eligible expenses, or a maximum of $50,000 in the case of grants and $500,000 in the case of contributions. In exceptional circumstances, support of up to $1,000,000 may be available for festivals with total eligible expenses over $5,000,000. Eligible expenses are defined in the current program guidelines, which can be found on the APC website.

Community engagement is a concept that is already well-entrenched in the objectives, current guidelines, and assessment criteria for the APC program. The enhanced funding will be available for professional arts festivals, which include community-engagement activities, as of April 1, 2008 (for the fiscal year 2008-2009). These activities include, but are not limited to:

• programming that combines and complements paid admission events with free or low cost events
• programming that engages local artists
• programming that extends outreach to other communities
• Organizations that have already submitted their application for 2008-2009 will be invited to revisit their local community engagement plans in light of the availability of additional funding.

In 2006-2007, over 610 professional arts presenting organizations in Canada received assistance from APC. Funding recipients predominantly present music, dance, and theatre and comprise a mix of season presenters, festivals, and presenter support organizations. Professional arts festivals represent the majority of APC recipients.

APC funds activities in over 200 distinct communities in all provinces and territories. More than a third of the festivals supported by APC are in communities with populations under 50,000, and close to 85 percent of all APC clients are in communities with populations under 200,000. Nearly 80 percent of all APC clients currently receive funding of less than $50,000.