Province Invests Millions in Cultural Organizations

TOURISM/CULTURE--Province Invests Millions in Cultural Organizations

Forty-nine cultural organizations received a boost from the province today, June 12, as Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture, announced $2.5 million in cultural investments. The funding will support the culture sector and contribute to its growth.

Mr. MacDonald made the announcement at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth.

"The organizations receiving support today are essential to the growth of arts and culture in this province," said Mr. MacDonald. "They create vibrant, relevant programs that produce a rich cultural environment for all Nova Scotians. We are proud of these organizations and facilities because they contribute to a sense of who we are and they share our cultural experiences with people from here and around the world."

The money comes from the department's new Anchor Organizations Program announced in the summer of 2001 and provides operating funds for core cultural organizations and facilities throughout the province.

With the help of this year's investment dollars, these cultural organizations will pour an estimated $18 million back into the province during the next year. Successful applicants had to meet specific criteria, including proof of effective operations, the ability to generate their own resources and to offer programs that meet their mandate and the ability to deliver programs and services to the culture sector.

"We welcome this contribution to cultural development," said Henry Bishop, director of the Black Cultural Centre. "Support like this is important to preserving our black Nova Scotian heritage." The centre received $247,000 under Anchor Organizations for its ongoing programs.

Organizations across the province are receiving support, with eight in Cape Breton, 14 in southern Nova Scotia, four in northern Nova Scotia, five in the Halifax Regional Municipality and 18 that are provincial in scope. These organizations and facilities throughout the province provide key infrastructure and leadership for the cultural sector.

"They support community and artistic development along with industry growth," said Mr. MacDonald. "The economic spin-offs and social benefits of these organizations to the cultural life of the province are immense."

The business of culture has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors in this province, with an estimated value of $808 million. Moreover, it's estimated that culture creates more than 29,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Overall, the province is investing more than $5 million in cultural programming. Additional provincial resources support cultural tourism and cultural heritage activities throughout the province.

NOTE: The following is a list, by region, of the 49 successful applicants for the Anchor Organizations Program 2002:

South

• The Alliance of Kings Artists, a regional arts council, will receive $5,000.
• The Annapolis Regional Community Arts Council will invest their $7,500 in continuing arts council activities.
• A $160,000 investment in the Atlantic Theatre Festival will help them continue their popular summer offerings.
• The regional arts council that serves the Clare/Church Point area, Conseil des Arts de la Baie, will receive $3,000 to continue their programs.
• The Digby and Area Arts Council will receive $3,000 to continue their programs, including the Maud Lewis Folk Festival.
• The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival will use its $3,500 investment to continue its popular folk music festival.
• Mermaid Theatre will receive $77,000 to continue their world- renowned puppet theatre performances.
• Musique St. Bernard, which presents choral and classical music concerts in the southern region, will benefit from $3,300 in funding.
• The Shelburne County Regional Arts Council will receive $7,500 to continue their services.
• The Yarmouth Arts Council will enjoy a $3,500 investment.
• The Astor Theatre, a live-performance venue in Liverpool, will receive $12,060.
• Chester Theatre will receive $23,192 for operations and maintenance of its performance venue.
• King's Theatre in Annapolis Royal will receive $18,554.
• In Yarmouth, the multidisciplinary arts centre Th'YARC will receive $22,730.

North

• The Anne Murray Centre will spend its $35,000 on operations for its popular attraction of Ann Murray artifacts and memorabilia.
• The Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council receives $6,000 for its activities.
• The Northumberland Arts Council will receive $4,000 for their services and activities.
• The deCoste Centre will receive $25,049 to support its live performance programs in Pictou.

Cape Breton

• The regional arts council, Artscape Breton, will receive $7,500.
• The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design will use its $50,000 investment to continue to support cultural and business development in local craft and design.
• Regional arts council, Conseil des Arts de Cheticamp, will invest its $6,000 to provide programs.
• The Gaelic College will receive an investment of $220,000 for its ongoing activities which preserve the language and craft of the unique Cape Breton Gaelic culture.
• The Inverness Arts Council will spend its $7,500 on their work in local arts and culture programs.
• The Louisbourg Playhouse will receive $2,750 for continuing operations of their live performance theatre.
• The Savoy Theatre, a live-performance venue in Glace Bay, will receive $22,730.
• The Strathspey Place Association, which provides a venue for training, performances and production for Celtic performance, will receive $10,000.

Halifax Regional Municipality

• The Atlantic Fringe Festival will receive $7,900 to continue its annual summer festival of new Nova Scotian writers and directors.
• An investment of $10,800 will go to Jazzeast for their ongoing promotion and delivery of jazz.
• Neptune Theatre, the principal year-long live-performance venue in the province, will receive $255,000.
• The Word on the Street Association will receive $4,000 for its ongoing support of literary work, which culminates in the annual Word on the Street Festival.
• The only concert hall in Nova Scotia, the Dalhousie Arts Centre, will receive $120,000.

Provincial

• The Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia, which provides support and programs to established and aspiring writers, will receive $61,000.
• Theatre Nova Scotia, an umbrella organization for the province's theatre companies, will receive $61,000.
• The Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association will receive $2,000.
• The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, in Dartmouth, will receive $247,000 for its ongoing programs.
• The Council of Nova Scotia Archives will receive $13,600.
• An investment of $141,600 will go to the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia, which supports eight provincial cultural organizations.
• Dance Nova Scotia, an umbrella group for the province's dance organizations, will receive $61,000.
• Design in Business, an umbrella group for designers, will receive $22,500.
• The Federation of Nova Scotia Heritage will receive $61,000 for its continuing work with the province's heritage organizations.
• An investment of $61,000 will go to the Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia.
• The Music Association of Nova Scotia will receive $40,000. Musique Royale, which presents early-music concerts, will receive $2,500.
• The Nova Scotia Choral Foundation will receive $61,000 for its ongoing work with the provinces choral organizations.
• The Nova Scotia Cultural Network, which provides training and human resources for cultural organizations, will receive $20,000.
• The Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council will receive $61,000.
• The Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre will receive $1,600 for their development workshops for emerging Nova Scotian playwrights.
• Symphony Nova Scotia will receive a $414,000 investment for their continued programs as a classical orchestra.
• An investment of $61,000 will go to Visual Arts Nova Scotia, the umbrella organization for visual artists.