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A grant program is being launched in Metro Vancouver that could help smaller arts and culture groups access hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding.
The national organization Business for the Arts today (June 22) announced it will bring its artsVest initiative to the region for 2012-2013.
The program aims to stimulate investment in the sector by offering grant funding to arts and culture groups who then seek businesses willing to match the amounts.
Training workshops are also provided through the program on how to secure sponsorship.
“This investment in Vancouver’s cultural community will generate funding relationships between an estimated 55 businesses and 25 arts and culture organizations, generating approximately $450,000 in new investment for the cultural sector,” Business for the Arts spokesperson Laura Adlers said during today’s announcement.
To participate in the program, Metro Vancouver arts and culture groups must have at least one part-time staff person and an annual budget of less than $1.5 million, Adlers said.
Business for the Arts will be offering a total of $175,000 in matching incentive grant funding for 2012-2013.
Individual arts and culture groups will be able to apply for amounts ranging from $1,000 to $15,000.
The federal government is providing $150,000 for the matching incentive grant funding while Business for the Arts is providing $25,000, Adlers said.
Meanwhile, the B.C. government is providing $150,000 to help Business for the Arts administer the program in Metro Vancouver, she said.
“The program will be a tremendous asset for the city of Vancouver,” said David Aisenstat, a Business for the Arts board member and president and CEO of the Keg Steakhouse and Bar.
“We anticipate an overwhelming response from the arts and business communities,” he said.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and Tourism Vancouver CEO Rick Antonson also welcomed the announcement.
“From a cultural tourism point of view…we see immense benefit from a strong, vibrant cultural industry,” Antonson said.
“It is a reason for people to come and visit,” he said. “It is a reason for them to extend their length of stay and it’s a reason for them to return—all important parts of our marketing and inviting the world to come and visit and spend time in Vancouver.”
Mary McNeil, a B.C. Liberal cabinet minister, said the province is providing the $150,000 for the program from the 2010 Sports and Arts Legacy funding.
Established in 1974, Business for the Arts is a national organization of business leaders working to support the arts.
The national artsVest program, which launched in 2002, is also running in Calgary, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Ontario.
The program is expected to generate around $6 million in financial support for the cultural sector from 2011 to 2013.
The deadline for Metro Vancouver arts and culture groups to apply for funding is July 31.
