News Release Archive
EDUCATION/CULTURE--ACADIAN ARTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ------------------------------------------------------------ Funding for the Acadian Community Arts Development Program was announced today by Education and Culture Minister John MacEachern. The aim of the program is to encourage and enable Acadians to explore the arts as a way of expressing their culture and heritage. "This program is about developing the arts at the community level," said Education and Culture Minister John MacEachern. "By encouraging Acadians to express themselves through the arts, we hope to foster a better appreciation for the arts and cultural heritage of this community in Nova Scotia and beyond." The funding will be used to enable established Acadian artists to share their talents and technical skills with the community through workshops, cultural exchanges and other activities. These artists may also receive funding to further develop their talents and to promote Acadian arts and culture. The initiative is the first major funding for the development of Acadian arts and culture in the province. The program, funded through a federal/provincial agreement, will receive $100,000 in the first year and up to $400,000 over the remaining four years of the program. Rather than fund one major project, the program aims to support numerous smaller initiatives. Artists and communities may receive up to $2,000 to develop new initiatives at the regional level and up to $3,000 for provincial events. Existing cultural groups or events may apply to the program to receive up to $1,000 for regional activities and $2,000 for province-wide events. For many years, Acadian artists felt they had to perform in English or present their work in Anglophone centres in order to be recognized, the minister said. The program addresses this, as well as the fact that Acadians have not had the same opportunities as their Anglophone colleagues to develop their culture and heritage, he said. "This is a major boost for the Acadian community ... we hope this program will build confidence and inspire Acadians to share their rich cultural heritage through the arts." The program is a joint effort of the provincial Department of Education and Culture and the federal Department of Canadian Heritage. -30- Contact: Alain Comeau 902-424-3422 trp Nov. 17, 1995