ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: January 3, 2002
Author/Local: AN/6007

RTS No. 2460

CC File No. 2300

Council: January 15, 2002

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:	2001 Baxter Grants Information Report

INFORMATION

The General Manager of Community Services submits the foregoing for Council's INFORMATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

Under a longstanding agreement with the City, the Vancouver Foundation provides funds every year from its Donald Alexander Baxter Fund towards special Civic Theatre rent grants for cultural organizations that do not perform in the Civic Theatres on a regular basis. The Office of Cultural Affairs administers these grants on behalf of the Foundation.

In accordance with Council's decision of February 7, 1991, Baxter grants are approved and disbursed at the discretion of the Directors of Cultural Affairs and Finance, in consultation with the Vancouver Foundation. The Office of Cultural Affairs provides City Council with an annual summary of Baxter Grant allocations.

PURPOSE

This report summarizes the Baxter theatre rental grants approved in 2001, including two that will take place in 2002.

BACKGROUND

The Donald Alexander Baxter Fund program was established in 1984 to help non-profit performing arts organizations with the costs of renting the three Civic Theatres: the Orpheum, the Vancouver Playhouse and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The program is intended for Vancouver-based professional and community groups trying to raise their publicprofiles, expand their audiences, and develop their artistic capacity.

The amount of the annual payment from the Foundation is determined by the terms of Mr. Baxter's will and by the income the fund generates. Baxter grants cover some or all of a recipient's theatre rental fee, but not rehearsals or any additional costs. They are limited to a maximum of three grants in any given five-year period. Competitions and events whose main purpose is fundraising for the applicant or a third party do not qualify.

DISCUSSION

The Vancouver Foundation contributed $32,000 to the City's Baxter account for 2001, bringing the total funds available for the past year to $39,136. As summarized in Table 1, nine non-profit organizations received rental grants amounting to $31,595 towards 12 performances in the Playhouse or Orpheum theatres.

Table 1 - 2001 Baxter Grants

Organization	Grants	Perform. Dates	Uses - Theatre
Can. Vocal & Perf. Arts Society	$4,260	Feb. 8 & Apr. 6/01	2 - Playhouse
World of Children's Choirs	$5,000	Mar. 20/01	1 - Orpheum
Chinese Cultural Centre	$4,260	Mar. 23 & 24/01	2 - Playhouse
Lorita Leung Dance	$2,130	June 23/01	1 - Playhouse
Children's Arts Umbrella	$2,130	Apr. 12/01	1 - Playhouse
Holy Body Tatoo Society	$4,260	Aug. 3&4/01	2 - Playhouse
Van. Tap Dance Society	$1,665	Sept. 3/01	1 - Playhouse
Children's Festival	$6,225	Jan. 27/02	1 - Orpheum
Vancouver City Singers	$1,665	June 9/02	1 - Playhouse
TOTAL	$31,595		12

CONCLUSION

Since 1984 the Donald Alexander Baxter theatre rental grant program has funded 62 professional and amateur performing arts organizations, mostly for music and dance activities. In 2001, the program helped nine organizations with the presentation of five music and seven dance performances in the Vancouver Playhouse and Orpheum theatres.

Staff note that six of the eight grant recipients during the past year were first-time applicants, an indication of the growth and development in Vancouver's performing arts community andof its continued interest in presenting work in the centrally located and well-equipped Civic Theatres. Over the years, the City of Vancouver 's own Theatre Rental Grant program has been able to provide ongoing rental grant assistance to a number of arts organizations that have established themselves as regular users of the Civic Theatres with help from the Baxter Fund program.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver