Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date:
June 23, 2003
Author:
Alice Niwinski
Phone No.:
604.871.6007
RTS No.:
3457
CC File No.:
2051
Meeting Date:
July 22, 2003
TO:
Vancouver City Council
FROM:
Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:
2003 Diversity Initiatives Grants: First Deadline
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve five Diversity Initiatives grants totalling $28,000, source of funds to be the 2003 Cultural Grants budget:
Firehall Arts Centre $5,000
Full Circle First Nations Performance Society $6,000
Mandala Arts and Culture Society $5,000
Neworld Theatre Society $7,000
Western Front Society $5,000GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
This report presents staff recommendations for five Diversity Initiatives grant requests.
BACKGROUND
Five applications were received for the June 2, 2003 deadline of the Diversity Initiatives program, which supports artistic development in distinct communities. The requests related to the following two components of the program:
· Artistic leadership training assists with the costs of experiential training (internships, mentorships or apprenticeships) for artists from distinct communities in the areas of curation, artistic direction and artistic production.
· Artistic development projects for projects contributing to the artistic development of a professionally led arts group from one or more distinct communities. Projects must include new creation or interpretation.
The budget for the Diversity Initiatives category of the 2003 Cultural Grant budget is $50,000. There are two annual deadlines, in June and October.
DISCUSSION
A staff committee reviewed the five applications received for the first of two Diversity Initiatives deadlines scheduled for 2003, which include four artistic leadership training and one developmental project. These reviews included interviews with the applicants. Staff recommendations are listed in Table 1, and discussed in more detail under individual headings.
Table 1
Recommendations
2003 Diversity Initiatives Grants: 1st Deadline
Organization
Requested
Recommended
Firehall Arts Centre
$10,000
$5,000
Full Circle
$6,200
$6,000
Mandala Arts Cultural Soc.
$10,000
$5,000
Neworld Theatre
$10,000
$7,000
Western Front
$13,000
$5,000
TOTAL
$49,200
$28,000
Firehall Arts Centre
The Centre is requesting funding towards a seven-month artistic direction/production mentorship for theatre artist Adrienne Wong, whose interests and experience extend to dance and multidisciplinary work. As an organization that presents and produces dance, theatre and multidisciplinary artists working in many different cultural traditions, the Firehall can offer Ms. Wong a unique range of learning experiences. She will also be able to learn from the organizational development initiatives that the Firehall plans to undertake in the coming year, including strategic planning, analysis of operations, and the development of a marketing plan. Staff note that several years ago, as an emerging artist, Ms. Wong received assistance from the Diversity Initiatives program for an internship with Rumble Theatre that helped her gain the skill to produce and direct plays. The scope, and areas of training for the current training initiative with the Firehall will be different and will build on her existing skills. A grant of $5,000 is recommended for this second artistic leadership training initiative involving Ms. Wong.
Full Circle First Nations Performance Society
The company is recognized nationally for producing work that utilizes a full range of modern performance techniques while successfully reflecting the cultural practices of the aboriginal community. An artistic development project grant of $6,000 is recommended to assist Full Circle to build on previous activities by developing a community play entitled The Rez. This grant would be for the initial phase, beginning with delivery of workshops that connect youth with elders, and leading to initial dramatized sketches where stories or themes from these encounters are tried out in music, dance, theatre and multimedia formats. Future development will be based on community feedback and the increasing involvement of aboriginal artists, designers and directors as the work is shaped. While the project's outcome will be a professionally supported, full production, the timing depends on the results of the process now being launched.
Mandala Arts
The organization has requested support for a mentorship for bharata natyam artist Anusha Fernando. This initiative will provide Ms. Fernando with the skills needed to take on a leadership position within the society, which creates, presents and teaches the classical Indian dance form of bharata natyam throughout Vancouver. The one-year mentorship will be provided by Mandala's artistic director and its management consultant. While some components of this carefully considered mentorship will include training in artistic technique, which is not eligible for funding under this grant program, other components will involve experiential learning in presenting and producing performances, strategic planning, board development and other skills needed to lead an arts organization. A grant of $5,000 is recommended.
Neworld Theatre
The company is proposing a year-long apprenticeship for Maryam Ghaeni, a young theatre artist, who will work under the guidance of artistic producer Camyar Chai. The proposal articulates a well-conceived training plan that balances direct training with experiential learning, clearly defines its objectives, and provides for a flexible schedule reflecting the realities of working in an arts organization. The company's aim is to help Ms. Ghaeni acquire the basic skills needed to run a theatre company operating as a not-for-profit society, which range from planning a season to grant writing. The artistic producer of Neworld has informally mentored various individuals in recent years, but this will be the first time that an apprenticeship program is being formally established in the company. A grant of $7,000 is recommended.
Western FrontWestern Front has requested a $13,000 grant towards a ten-month curatorial apprenticeship with its music and exhibition curators for musician Vera Gamboa. This initiative will provide hands-on training in artistic production and arts management, particularly in the area of new music, through two outreach initiatives that will present and promote the work of local emerging musicians and composers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Other activities planned for the apprenticeship will provide learning opportunities in the areas of budgeting and marketing. Noting that some components of the apprenticeship are outside the scope of the Diversity grant program, and that the marketing component has already received funding from Canada Council, staff recommend a grant of $5,000. It anticipated that this training will introduce a skilled new artistic music producer into the cultural sector, with expertise in, and knowledge of Vancouver's diverse music community.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Council approved a budget of $50,000 for the Diversity Initiatives category of the 2003 Cultural Grants budget. Approval of the five grants totalling $28,000 as recommended in this report will leave an unallocated budget of $22,000 for the program's second deadline in October 2003.
CONCLUSION
The Diversity Initiatives recommendations in this report address applications made for the first of two annual deadlines. An average of nine grants has been provided annually through the program since its inception in the Fall of 1998.
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