The province is launching an International Presence pilot project to help fund B.C. artists to tour Canada, the U.S., and Europe--and Vancouver dance troupes, theatre companies, and galleries are getting the majority of the boost.

Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Peter Fassbender made the announcement yesterday at the headquarters of Ballet BC--a company that has been granted $100,000 of the money for its pending tour to Birmingham, U.K. (where it headlines the International Dance Festival Birmingham), New York City's Joyce Theatre, and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

In total, the government is granting $237,574 as part of its Creative Economy Strategy to International Presence, with the money going to 18 B.C. projects.

Among other local dance recipients, Company 605 is getting $3,000 to travel to three major festivals in Germany and Crystal Pite's Kidd Pivot and Electric Company Theatre are receiving $16,250 to put toward the tour of their Betroffenheit through Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The funding comes at a time of unprecedented international and national buzz about local dance troupes, which are making a strong showing at Ottawa's Canada Dance Festival June 4 to 11.

Amid theatre companies, Theatre Replacement receives $16,500 to take its Town Criers to four festivals in Canada, Iceland, and Ireland; Green Thumb Theatre takes $6,750 for its North American tour of Celestial Being.

The Contemporary Art Gallery gets $12,000 to put toward a solo exhibition of new and recent work by Liz Magor in France, Italy, and Germany, and the National Gallery of Canada receives $50,000 in support for Vancouver artist Geoffrey Farmer showing at the Venice Biennale in 2017.

“Presenting made-in-B.C. art on the world stage helps to increase international exposure of our creative sector," Fassbender said in a statement to press. "These artistic ambassadors raise our province’s global profile as a great place to live, work, play and invest, strengthening B.C.’s creative economy. B.C.’s artists make us proud at home and abroad. Congratulations to all of the recipients.”

The news comes as touring, long neglected, finally receives a boost at the federal level as well. The former Conservative government cancelled the Trade Routes program that provided grants for tours and funded embassy activities to introduce artists to the world at large. In March, a new program was announced in the Liberal budget to spend $35 million through the Ministry of Canadian Heritage over two years to sponsor more touring with an eye to Canada's 150th birthday in 2017.

Meanwhile, the International Presence project will be up for review in a few months.

A full list of recipients is here.