The Canada Council for the Arts reported an increased level of support to Canadian professional artists and arts organizations as well as the charting of new strategic directions in its 2007-08 Annual Report released today.
“The ultimate goal of the Canada Council for the Arts is that Canada have a rich and vigorous creative life that stimulates the imagination and gives Canadians the means to share their spirit with one another and the world,” Council Director Robert Sirman said in his annual message. “The past year – the Council’s 50th – saw significant progress in moving this vision forward, and reinforced its potential to do even more in the years to come.”
In 2007-08, the Canada Council awarded more than $164 million in funding to individual artists and arts organizations in some 680 communities across Canada. This is the largest amount of funding awarded by the Council since its creation in 1957 and was the result of an increase to the Council’s parliamentary appropriation of $30 million for 2007-08 and for future years.
“This investment by the people of Canada through their government recognizes the important national role played by the Council,” noted former Chair Karen Kain in her message. “It is a mark of confidence in the Council’s expertise and capacity to deliver strategic support to artists and arts organizations in every region of the country, and of the impact and value that this support offers to all Canadians.”
Over $151 million was awarded in the form of grants, as well as $3.5 million in prizes and fellowships and $9.1 million in payments to writers, translators and illustrators under the Public Lending Right program, which compensates authors for the availability of their books in Canadian public libraries.
The report describes a number of initiatives undertaken by the Council including an extensive consultation which led to the development of a 2008-11 Strategic Plan and an Organizational Design Review to strengthen its capacity to support the arts and implement change by strengthening its structure, staffing and services.
The Annual Report also reports on several statistics including the following:
2,369 grants were awarded to 2,156 individual artists, while 4,597 grants went to 2,329 arts organizations, including theatre, dance and opera companies, orchestras, art galleries and artist‑run centres, film cooperatives and book publishers.
771 artists and arts professionals from 189 different Canadian communities sat on Canada Council peer assessment committees, which evaluate grant applications.
More than 15,993 Canadian authors received payments through the Public Lending Right Commission – an increase of 500 authors over last year.
205 Canadian artists and scholars received Canada Council prizes or fellowships.
133 community celebrations of its 50th anniversary.
More than 1,200 literary readings in 121 communities took place thanks to Canada Council funding.
The annual investment by the Canada Council in the arts was $5.54 per Canadian in 2007-08.
http://www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2008/ht128701973307054932.htm