Volunteers Sought for Arts and Culture

TOURISM/CULTURE--Volunteers Sought for Arts and Culture Partnership Council

The provincial government is looking for artists, culture-sector leaders and others to join the new Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council.

The volunteer board will advise and make recommendations to the Minister of Tourism and Culture on the planning, design and delivery of arts and culture programs in Nova Scotia.

"We're looking for Nova Scotians who have a deep commitment to the arts and culture in this province," said Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald. "The new council will be involved in high-level strategic planning and will have a direct influence on programs and the amount of support they receive."

The council will be based on partnership and accountability. It will be guided by principles of artistic autonomy and independent assessment with respect to artistic merit.

It will be composed of 13 sector leaders and two government representatives. A culture-sector-led selection committee will recommend volunteers to the minister and will work to strike a balance between arts and cultural industry representatives and between artists and arts organization representatives; to address regional and cultural diversity and the necessity to have a wide range of experience among council members; and to represent a diversity of culture sub-sectors.

A recent report, prepared by a culture-sector team appointed in April, recommended a partnership approach for the new council. The full report and applications forms are available on the department's Web site, at www.gov.ns.ca/dtc/culture_council.html .

The deadline for applications is Dec. 20.

Since the closure of the former arts council in March, $270,000 more has been allocated to six funding programs for arts and culture.

In the past three years, new culture programs have been created in the department. They focus on export growth and community cultural development. The department currently invests more than $5 million a year in cultural programming, with additional provincial resources supporting cultural tourism and cultural- heritage activities throughout the province.

The culture sector has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors in Nova Scotia, with an estimated value of $808 million. The sector supports more than 29,000 direct and indirect jobs.