Cultural Activities Receive Support

Another 26 cultural activities are getting a financial boost from the provincial government. Theatre workshops and music festivals are some of the latest cultural activities to receive support.

The Guysborough County Youth Fiddlers Association, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, Munro Crafters Guild, the City of Lakes Chorus and Theatre Nova Scotia are just five of the culture organizations receiving over $80,000 in support through the Department of Tourism and Culture's Cultural Activities Program.

Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald delivered the news to recipients and other members of the cultural community today, Oct. 21, at the Chedabucto Place Education Centre in Guysborough County.

"Nova Scotia's culture scene is vibrant and diverse and directly contributes to our quality of life and well-being," said Mr. MacDonald. "Our continued support of this vital sector is helping to build a more prosperous Nova Scotia."

The organizations receiving support are located throughout the province. In Cape Breton seven organizations will receive a total of $12,715. In the southern region four organizations will receive a total of $11,535, while two in the northern region will receive $3,700 and seven in Halifax Regional Municipality will receive $25,750. Another six organizations will receive $29,850 for activities that are provincial in scope. The province contributes up to 50 per cent towards each activity's total costs.

The Guysborough County Youth Fiddlers Association is one of two projects receiving support in the northern region of the province. The association will receive $1,200 for a music workshop.

"These dollars will prove to be an invaluable form of assistance as we work to promote and maintain cultural Celtic traditions in this area of the province," said Eddie Rodgers, instructor for the Guysborough County Youth Fiddlers Association. The association performs at community events across Eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton and provides fiddle lessons for children aged five to 16 years.

In Cape Breton, $900 will be used for a rug-hooking workshop.

"Our group was very glad to receive this boost," said Joyce Trenholm, co-ordinator of the rug-hooking section of the Munro Crafters Guild. "We are just a small group that started out on our own. This kind of support helps us to grow and continue to revive a traditional art form." The 10-week workshop begins Nov. 5 and will be led by Maggie Miller from the Cape Breton School of Crafts.

In Halifax, the City of Lakes Chorus will receive $5,000 in assistance to attend an international competition in Lake Placid, New York.

"We are proud to represent Nova Scotia at such an international event," said Ian Ferguson, promotions co-ordinator for the chorus. The 40-member barber-shop chorus will leave Nova Scotia on Thursday, Oct. 24, for New York, where they will meet over 20 competitors from across North America.

The department's Cultural Activities Program provides support to community-level performances, festivals, workshops and cultural projects. Community organizations have four opportunities each year to apply for assistance, with the next deadline set for Nov. 15.

A full description of the fund and an application form are available on the Department of Tourism and Culture Division Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/dtc/culture.html, or by calling the Culture Division office at 902-424-4442.

NOTE: The following is a complete list of projects receiving support under the Cultural Activities Program for the Aug. 15 deadline.

Northern Region

• Piobaireachd Society of Antigonish will use $2,500 for its Silver Medal Series Workshop.
• Guysborough County Young Fiddlers Association received $1,200 for a music workshop.

Southern Region

• Mersey Band Society of Queens County will use $725 for a band camp workshop.
• Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, in Kings County, received $5000 for its Summerarts youth program.
• Potluck Spinners and Weavers Society of Kings County received $800 for its second annual Maritime Spinning Retreat workshop.
• Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, based in Canning, Kings Co., received $5,000 for First Nations Youth theatre workshops.

Cape Breton

• Conseil des Arts de Cheticamp will use its $2,000 for Formation 2003 workshops.
• The Glendale Gaelic and Historical Society received $275 for a workshop called Gaelic Fusion.
• Theatre Sans Detours, based in Inverness Co., will use $3,000 towards the costs of its puppet show touring project.
• Waycobah First Nation received $5,000 for its Waycobah Pow Wow event.
• Inverness County Council of the Arts will use $340 towards costs associated with hosting a professional development workshop and a retail business workshop.
• Louisbourg Playhouse Society received $1,200 for its fall performing arts series.
• Munro Crafters Guild in Boularderie will use its $900 for a rug hooking workshop.

Halifax Regional Municipality

• Halifax Camerata Singers will use $2,675 for their Music for Advent and Christmas concert.
• Conseil communitaire du Grand Havre received $5,000 for activities during Semaine de la Francophonie 2003.
• The Multicultural Arts Resource Centre received $2,575 for its Spring 2003 Symposium.
• City of Lakes Chorus will use $5,000 to attend the Northeastern District Fall Convention/Competition.
• Mount Saint Vincent University received $2,500 for the Working Title Writing Project.
• Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival will use $5,000 for its 2003 Music Festival.
• Terence Bay and Area C@p Site will use its $3,000 for a digital histories project.

Provincial

• Theatre Nova Scotia received $5,000 for its fall workshop series.
• Union of Nova Scotia Indians received $5,000 for the Treaty Days Cultural Showcase.
• Visual Arts Nova Scotia will use its $4,850 for the VANS Web site renewal and e-studio directory.
• Conseil culturel Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse received $5,000 for the Gala de la Chanson event.
• The Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia received $5,000 for Nova Scotia Music Week.
• Nova Scotia Choral Federation will use $5,000 for the Suase! International Children's Choir Festival.