More Provincial Support for Cultural Activities

Nova Scotia artists and producers will soon be developing new talents and launching shows with the help of investments from the provincial government.

Sixty projects in communities throughout the province will receive $191,505 from the Department of Tourism and Culture's Cultural Activities Program. The projects include an international drum festival, theatre, music and media arts workshops and the International Gathering of the Clans.

"The variety and diversity of these events reflects the vibrant nature of our cultural scene and represents who we are as a province," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "The continued growth in these festivals and events taking place each year also helps to build a more prosperous Nova Scotia."

In the Cape Breton region, 13 organizations will receive $37,400, while eight in the Halifax Regional Municipality will receive $27,300. In the northern region, 13 organizations will receive $49,510 and 21 in the southern region will receive $57,595. Another five organizations will receive $19,700 for activities that are provincial in scope. The province contributes up to 50 per cent towards each activity's total costs.

In Halifax Regional Municipality, the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery will receive $1,560 for Art Express, a visual arts workshop series for youth. In partnership with the Keshen Goodman Public Library in Clayton Park, local youth have a chance to work with young professional artists in an environment that integrates the resources of a library. This is a first for both partners and they hope the pilot project will continue.

"We're thrilled with the provincial assistance for this new initiative," said Ingrid Jenkins, director of the Art Gallery. "This project, aimed at youth, is spearheading our new direction in public programming."

Communn Feis Am Baile Beag, New Glasgow, will receive $1,400 for a Ceilidh by the Sea concert to be held Sunday, May 25, at the DeCoste Entertainment Centre in Pictou. The concert is a celebration of Gaelic music, stories and song. Information on Gaelic events and organizations in Nova Scotia will also be available.

"Funding from the department has helped make the concert a reality," said Betty Lord, president of Feis Am Baile Beag.

The Bear River First Nation will receive $4,735 to help with researching and developing The People's Story, a play and a multi-media presentation to be shown at the Bear River First Nation Heritage and Culture Centre, public schools and at other events.

"This funding allows us the opportunity to formally write down and record the stories and memories of the elders and preserve them for future generations," said Hal Theriault, co-ordinator of the heritage and culture centre.

Theatre Nova Scotia's Robert Merritt Theatre Awards, the only provincial professional theatre awards program in Canada, received $4,000. Now in its fourth year, the awards represent the incredible growth that has taken place in the province's theatre industry over the past 20 years.

"This funding is instrumental in allowing us to promote Nova Scotia theatre artists," said Chris Shore, general manager of Theatre Nova Scotia. "The awards are representative of a growing talent pool of artists in this province."

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.

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 on Thursday, May 15.

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

NOTE: The following is a complete list of projects receiving support under the most recent deadlines for the Cultural Activities Program:

Cape Breton Region

• Baddeck Quilt Guild, St. Ann's, $4,000, to assist with the Christmas in September Quilters' Retreat
• Cape Breton Artists Association, across Cape Breton, $3,000, to assist with costs to conduct the Celtic Colors Visual Arts workshop series
• Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, Sydney, $2,665, to assist with costs to conduct Culture and Heritage Youth Day Camps
• Cape Breton International Drum Festival, Glace Bay, $5,000, to assist with costs for the 2003 Cape Breton International Drum Festival
• Celebration of the Arts Society, North Sydney, $5,000, to assist with costs to produce a year-long series of music performances in North Sydney
• Comunn Feis an Eilein, Christmas Island, $5,000, to assist with costs for the 2003 Gaelic Concert Series
• Comunn Feis an Eilein, Christmas Island, $5,000, to assist with costs for the annual Feis an Eilean
• Glen Breagh Quilt-Craft Guild, Glendale, $550, to assist with costs for Feis Braighe na H'Aibhne festival of arts, culture and music
• Glendale Gaelic and Historical Society, Glendale, $340, to assist with costs for Gaelic language instruction and cultural studies
• Inverness County Council of the Arts, Inverness, $245, to assist with costs for staff training at the Preparing for the Sale workshop series
• La Societe Saint-Pierre, Cheticamp, $1,550, to assist with costs for the annual Festival de l'Escouette
• Le Conseil des arts de Cheticamp, Cheticamp, $3,000, to assist with costs to produce le Conseil des arts presente 2003
• Port Hawkesbury Highland Dance Association, Port Hawkesbury, $2,050, to assist with costs to conduct the 28th annual Port Hawkesbury Highland Dance Competition

Halifax Regional Municipality

• City of Lakes Chorus, Dartmouth, $3,000, to assist with costs for the Harmony Youth Festival workshops
• Eastern Front Theatre, Dartmouth, $5,000, to assist with costs for the Bicentennial High School Playmaking Residency
• JazzEast, Halifax, $2,500, to assist with costs for the Visiting Artists Workshop Program
• Khyber Digital Media Society, Halifax, $5,000, to assist with costs for a series of media arts workshops
• Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre, Halifax, $5,000, to assist with project costs for the Pawei' Nation Theatre Company
• Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, Halifax, $1,560, to assist with costs for Art Express, a visual arts workshop series for youth
• Suddenly Listen Music, Halifax, $740, to assist with costs to conduct the Suddenly Listen/JazzEast new music workshops
• The Korean Heritage School, Halifax, $4,500, to assist with costs to offer instruction in Korean language and cultural expression

Northern Region

• Antigonish Highland Society, Antigonish, $5,000, to assist with costs for Ancient Scottish Heavy Events at the 2003 Antigonish Highland Games
• Bay of Islands Centre Association, Moser River, $4,000, to assist with costs for the 2003 Stone Soup Festival and Eastern Shore Talent Showcase
• Comunn Feis Am Baile Beag, New Glasgow, $1,400, to assist with costs for the Ceilidh by the Sea concert
• Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre, Antigonish, $5,000, to assist with costs for the All Ages, All Stages 2003 summer drama program
• First Baptist Girls' Choir, Truro, $1,390, to assist with costs for Choir Vocal Training Workshops
• Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council, Antigonish, New Glasgow, Sherbrooke, $5,000, to assist with costs for the 2003 Gathering of the Arts
• New Glasgow River Front Jubilee Society, New Glasgow, $5,000, to assist with costs to produce the Carnival of Cultures Music Festival
• Pictou District Honour Choir, New Glasgow, $3,475, to assist with costs to produce Juvenata - A Celebration of Youth and Song
• Pictou Regional Development Commission, New Glasgow, $5,000, to assist with costs for a project titled Creating Links Through Shared Traditions, a project of the Pictou County Image Committee
• Ship's Company Theatre, Parrsboro, $4,000, to assist with costs for commemorative events to mark Ship's Company Theatre's 20th season
• Tantramar Theatre Society, Amherst, $5,000, to assist with costs to produce the 2003 Tantramar Theatre Society Summer Festival
• Tatamagouche Centre, Tatamagouche, $2,245, to assist with costs to conduct the Community of Writers workshop and retreat
• Theatre Antigonish, Antigonish, $3,000, to assist with costs to produce the 2003 Theatre Antigonish One-Act Play Festival

Southern Region

• Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, Annapolis Royal, $5,000, to assist with costs for Annapolis Arts Festival XX - Celebrate the Arts
• Bear River First Nation, Bear River, $4,735, to assist with costs to research and develop The People's Story, a multimedia performance
• Black Loyalist Heritage Society, Shelburne, $5,000, to assist costs to hire a market consultant for its gift shop and undertake board development initiatives
• Centre Stage, Kentville, $300, to assist with costs for an acting workshop
• Chester Theatre Council Society, Lunenburg, $1,460, to assist costs for the Threepenny Opera community workshop series
• Chester Theatre Council, Chester, $2,500, to assist with costs for the Threepenny Opera mentorship program
• Digby and Area Theatre Society, Digby, $485, to assist with costs to conduct a community theatre directing workshop
• Kings Theatre Society, Annapolis Royal, $4,000, to assist with costs for West of Jazz East concert series
• Kings Chorale Children's Chorus, Kentville, $5,000, to assist with costs for the choir to attend Unisong 2003 in Ottawa
• La Societe historique acadienne, Pubnico, $700, to assist with costs for a series of guided historical tours in Pubnico
• La Societe historique acadienne, Pubnico, $650, to assist with costs to conduct a series of public lectures on Pubnico's history
• La Societe historique acadienne, Pubnico, $800, to assist with costs to conduct a braided rug-making workshop
• Lunenburg County Historical Society, LaHave, $3,450, to assist with costs for Art Happening 2003, a series of youth arts camps
• Lunenburg Heritage Society, Lunenburg, $3,000, to assist with costs to produce an art story quilt telling the story of Lunenburg's architectural heritage
• Mahone Bay Centre Society, Mahone Bay, $2,700, to assist with costs for the Arts on the Second Floor workshop series
• Musique 400 Society, Annapolis Royal, $2,900, to assist with costs to conduct an Early Music Workshop
• Musique 400 Society, Annapolis Royal, $2,500, to assist with costs to send two representatives to the Amherst Early Music School for training
• Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, Canning, $5,000, to assist with costs to produce ArtsFest: Home and Away, a community arts festival
• Societe Promotion Grand-Pre, Grand Pre, $3,000, to assist with costs to conduct the annual Grand Pre Acadian Days celebrations
• South Shore Arts Centre, Bridgewater, $2,415, to assist with costs for the Spring Lighthouse Show, a community visual arts exhibit
• Southwest Nova Music Festival, Digby, $2,000, to assist costs for the 2003 Festival

Provincial Projects

• Dance Nova Scotia, Halifax, $3,200, to assist with costs for a planning session titled Stepping into the Future: Re-visioning DANS for Dance
• Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage, Amherst, $5,000, to assist with costs for the 2003 provincial heritage conference
• Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia, provincewide, $4,500, to assist with costs to co-ordinate and promote the 2003 International Gathering of the Clans
• Theatre Nova Scotia, Dartmouth, $4,000, to assist with costs for the 2003 Robert Merritt Theatare Awards
• Theatre Nova Scotia, Sydney, $3,000, to assist with costs to produce the Provincial One-Act Play Festival in Sydney