Anticipating a loss of provincial gaming-grant funding, a Vancouver theatre company is prepared to scale back plans to perform for young audiences in rural B.C.

Ivan Habel, general manager of Green Thumb Theatre, said the nonprofit group has previously received $36,500 in annual grant funding to support its provincewide tours.

But Habel said he has heard unofficial word that Green Thumb's application for the money will not be approved this year, because the B.C. government has revised its view on arts-and-culture-grant eligibility.

Only programs that involve active youth participation will have access to the $11.5 million in arts and culture funding available in 2010, according to the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, which handles the applications.

Groups that only have youth as their audience are hearing that they are no longer eligible.

Habel criticized the government's position, explaining that Green Thumb caters to students.

“In-school arts-and-culture programs should certainly be eligible, whether they're professional or community-based,” he told the Straight. “I think it's unfortunate that they've narrowed the definition as far as they have, and I think that it's going to have a lasting and negative effect on the community overall in terms of arts programming for youth—not just the work that we do, but on many levels.”

According to Habel, Green Thumb visits an average of 70 B.C. communities every year. While the anticipated loss of funding will have a limited effect on the troupe's activity in Metro Vancouver, it will mean less touring in other parts of the province, he said.

Habel remains optimistic that the troupe could still receive some gaming funding for a program with performances by high-school students.