Login / RegisterGovernment funding for B.C. Arts Council holds steady at $16.8 million
The B.C. government is maintaining the level of annual funding for the B.C. Arts Council, a provincial agency that provides grant money to artists and cultural groups.
The B.C. Arts Council will receive $16.8 million for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development announced August 13.
The same amount of provincial funding was provided to the agency for the previous year.
"Arts and culture help build healthy communities across British Columbia,” culture minister Ida Chong said in a news release. “Cultural activities support jobs, attract tourist revenue and create inclusive local events that promote community pride."
Stan Hamilton, chair of the B.C. Arts Council’s government-appointed board, welcomed the funding.
“This funding is essential to ensuring the long-term health of B.C.'s creative sector,” Hamilton said in the release. “It enables council to continue providing a high level of service to our clients.”
“With these resources, council can take the strategic steps to ensure the arts in this province will grow and thrive over the long term," Hamilton said.
The 2012-2013 funding for the arts council includes $7.93 million from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development; $2.15 million from the BC150 Cultural Fund; and $6.75 million from the 2010 Sport and Arts Legacy fund.
Established in 1995, the publicly funded B.C. Arts Council spearheads a peer-review process to assess grant-funding applications.
The organization provides funding to individual artists like writers, actors, and musicians and also to groups like local arts councils, museums, and large cultural festivals.
