Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director, Office of Cultural Affairs

SUBJECT:

2001 Arts Partners in Organizational Development Grant Allocation

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS


COUNCIL POLICY

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report recommends approval of the City's contribution to the Arts POD program for 8 cultural organizations based in Vancouver and approval of a grant for a collaborative organizational development project.

BACKGROUND

Arts Partners in Organizational Development

This program was initiated in 1989 as a jointly funded partnership of the Vancouver Foundation, United Way, Department of the Secretary of State and the City of Vancouver to help arts and community non-profit groups deal with common organizational problems and thus to function more effectively.

The program continues to be a jointly funded partnership. In 1997 the arts component of the program (Arts POD) grew to include the BC Arts Council alongside the City, the Vancouver Foundation and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Capital Regional District (Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Saanich) has committed $10,000 and will join the program in the 2002 cycle

Arts POD is administered by the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team (VAST), whose specialty is organizational development work in the arts sector. Staff note that the Government of Canada is establishing a national arts stabilization program in recognition of the value of organizational development work in the sector. The program should be in place in 2002, and, accompanied by the work VAST is doing, will enhance the organizational development resources available to Vancouver arts groups.

DISCUSSION

A. ARTS POD requests

Requests are assessed on the basis of eligible activities and costs, documented need, clear activity plan and long term benefits to the organization as a whole. Copies of the 2001 Arts POD brochure describing the program, including eligibility and evaluation criteria, are attached as Appendix A.

Although the program is province-wide, City funds are allocated only to Vancouver-based organizations, while the other funders contribute both to Vancouver groups and non-Vancouver groups. The contributions to the Arts POD funding partnership are set out below:

Arts POD funding partners:

City of Vancouver $ 15,000
Vancouver Foundation 25,000
B.C. Arts Council 25,000
Dept. Canadian Heritage 25,000
TOTAL $ 90,000

Of the 34 grant requests received for all of BC, 13 came from Vancouver organizations who requested a total of $ 58,000. City funds are used only for organizations active in Vancouver, with additional support being provided from the other funding partners.

The following Vancouver cultural organizations are recommended for Arts POD grants. Where organizational assessments are indicated, these will be managed by the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team, and involve an outside consultant usually working for a flat fee.

TABLE 1
ORGANIZATION PURPOSE Requested Approved City share

Contemporary Art Gallery

Assessment, reviewing needs in light of new staff, new Board, and new gallery space

$2,000

$2,000

$1,000

Modern Baroque Opera Society

Assessment of priorities, Board and staff roles, as company grows artistically

$2,000

$2,000

$1,000

Centre A - Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

Assessment of the capacity to sustain current programs while
planning for a new facility

$2,000

$2,000

$1,000

Pacific Theatre Society

Assessment, reviewing goals & operations with Board and staff.

$2,000

$2,000

$1,000

Electric Theatre Company

Assessment to guide the growth of this collectively-led company

$2,000

$2,000

$1,000

Cdn. Institute of the Arts for Young Audiences:
Children's Festival

Creation of a new strategic plan, parallelling new artistic leadership and renewal of the Board.

$7,500

$7,500

$3,800

Western Theatre Conspiracy Society

Assessment of the company's
operations and potential for growth.

$3,000

$2,000

$1,000

Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Strategic Plan, emphasizing financial sustainability, follows on previous assessment work.

$10,000

$10,000

$5,200

TOTAL

  

$30,500

$29,500

$15,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Requests from the following were not recommended:

Vancouver Life Drawing Society $ 2,000
New Performance Works Society 2,000
Vancouver Maritime Museum 8,000
Uzume Taiko Drum Company 8,000
Vancouver Tap Dance Society 3,000

B. Collaborative Organizational Development Project Request

The Vancouver Playhouse Company, in conjunction with six other arts organizations (Green Thumb Theatre for Young People, the Electric Company, Pi Theatre, Ballet BC, the Vancouver Opera, and Vancouver East Cultural Centre) has asked for a $6,000 grant to assist with the planning and development stages of an organizational development and sustainability initiative for Vancouver-based non-profit arts organizations. Based on a model that has been effective in Toronto and several other North American cities, the initiative will include planning strategies, organizational structures, resource development, and effective approaches for connecting work with audiences. In its implementation stage the program will not be limited to the core planning group of seven, and will involve a range of professional arts organizations. Staff recommend approval of a $6,000 grant for the development phase of the project, source of funds to be the Organizational Development component of the 2001 Cultural Grants budget.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The budget for the Organizational Development component of the 2001 Cultural Grant budget is $ 25,000, with $ 15,000 designated for Arts POD grants and $ 10,000 for other organizational development initiatives, including arts administration training and collaborative projects. Approval of the recommendations in this report will leave an unallocated balance of $ 4,000 .

CONCLUSION

Office of Cultural Affairs staff recommend approval of an Arts Partners in Organizational Development grant of $ 15,000 to the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team for subsequent distribution to 8 cultural organizations as indicated in Table 1, and a grant to the Vancouver Playhouse Society for a collaborative organizational development project.

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