Vancouver City Council

CITY OF VANCOUVER

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date:

March 8, 2004

Author:

Alice Niwinski

Phone No.:

604.871.6007

RTS No.:

3956

CC File No.:

2051

Meeting Date:

March 23, 2004

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director, Office of Cultural Affairs

SUBJECT:

2004 Cultural Operating and Project Grant Allocations

RECOMMENDATIONS

THAT Council approve 78 Operating grants amounting to $1,313,500 and 32 Project grants amounting to $106,000, as listed in Appendix A, for a total of $1,419,500, including two conditional grants as noted. Source of funds to be the 2004 Cultural Grants budget.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services recommends approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

City Council established the annual civic grant programs, including Cultural grants, in March 1978. The current Operating, Project, Organizational Development, and Theatre Rental grant categories were approved on December 14, 1989, and Diversity Initiatives on July 28, 1998. A second deadline for Project grants was established in 1999.

On November 22, 1994, Council approved the two-step grant approval process for Operating and Project grants, whereby undisputed staff recommendation are approved first (and are the subject of this report), while applications under reconsideration are given a second review and are presented to Council at a later date.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
SUMMARY

As listed in Appendix A, this report recommends approval of 110 Operating and Project grants totalling $1,419,500. The recommendations include any advance installments already approved by Council in January 13, 2004. The two conditional grants are identified on page 5 of this appendix.

Appendix B provides detailed guidelines for the Operating and Project grant programs.

In addition, a package that includes the front pages of all applications, with staff recommendations, was sent to each City Council member in advance.

PURPOSE

This report presents staff recommendations for 118 grant requests. It covers all Operating grant applications for 2004, and Project grant applications received for the first of two annual deadlines.

BACKGROUND

This year, 86 Operating and 35 Project grant applications were received. Three applicants withdrew and seven Operating applications were referred to the Project grant category. The remaining 78 Operating and 40 Project requests totalled $1,971,752.

Operating grants are designed to help large and small arts organizations maintain the stability they need to provide ongoing quality programming or services. To be considered for a grant in this category, an organization must have received civic project funding for at least two consecutive years, and must meet a number of other criteria related to artistic merit, activity level, financial sustainability, diversified revenue and staffing. Project grants are intended for emerging arts groups, one-time initiatives, and organizations that work on a project-by-project basis.

Staff recommendations are based on clearly articulated eligibility and evaluation criteria for the two programs (see Appendix B), including:

· artistic merit as demonstrated in past activities
· artistic niche in the context of comparable activities in the city
· public access to the work, including access by the city's diverse communities
· level of engagement with other arts organizations, artists and the community at large
· organizational and financial competence
· demonstrated need for financial assistance from the City

Request for Reconsideration Process

The Reconsideration process was approved by Council in 1994 to ensure consistency in reconsidering grant recommendations at the request of applicants, and to allow adequate time for organizations to make a case and for staff to provide Council with a written response. Council may also want to refer grant requests to the Reconsideration process.

Under current policy, grants referred to the process are assessed on the basis of two established grounds: (1) that eligibility criteria have not been properly applied, and/or
(2) that the financial situation of the applicant was not properly evaluated or understood at the time of the grant review.

The written notice about staff recommendations that applicants receive also includes information on the Request for Reconsideration process. Since applicants' requests for reconsideration had not been received when this report was written, a list of requests will be provided to Council in a separate memo. These requests for reconsideration will be addressed in a separate Council report scheduled for April 22, 2004.

DISCUSSION

Context

The current review of grant applications, together with staff's year-round attendance at events, provides continuing evidence of growth in Vancouver's arts community. New organizations and events are emerging. Innovative creations developed in the city are attracting national attention and touring opportunities. Well-established organizations are expanding the scope of their activities, for example, through educational and community outreach programs.

Staff observe that the organizational infrastructure sustaining the activities of some arts organizations is fragile. Too many are undercapitalized and understaffed. The turnover in administrative staff continues to be high, caused by low wages, burnout and better wages in other sectors of the economy. Since even medium-sized organizations often have only one or two full-time staff, and experienced arts administrators are hard to find, the departure of one person can cause serious instability in an organization.

Key considerations in the staff recommendations in this report include the need to strengthen the organizational capacity of certain organizations; the importance of supporting creativity, innovation, cultural diversity and community engagement; and the desirability of assisting some previously unfunded groups that contribute to the range of cultural experiences available to audiences in the city. Addressing these priorities is proving increasingly difficult as the pressure on the Operating and Project grant budgets has been building over a number of years. Budget capacity to meet needs has not kept pace with inflation or growth in the not-for-profit arts sector.

Film Festivals

Previously unfunded applicants in this grant round include four specialized film festivals. In the past, based on priorities endorsed by a previous Council, funding for film organizations primarily focussed on support for large organizations that provided audiences with an opportunity to see a broad range of films, including many from distinct communities. However, in reviewing the four new film festival applicants, staff concluded that each one has a distinct programming niche, offering audiences something different than the International Film Festival or Pacific Cinematheque.

Funding for all four of the new film festival applicants has been recommended, within the existing Cultural grants budget. Staff note, however, that there are many other film festivals in the city, and if requests in this area of activity begin to grow, at its current level the capacity of the Cultural grant budget to address them is limited.

As listed in Appendix A, staff are recommending 110 grants totalling $1,419,500. A summary of the recommendations for all 118 applications compared to those in previous years is provided in Table 1.

Table 1
Overview of Recommendations for Operating and Project Grants

2004*

2003

2002

2001

2000

Total no. of groups

118*

143

135

138

129

Not recommended

8

18

17

24

13

Recommended

110

125

118

114

116

decreased from last year

11

8

8

8

14

held at same level

61

49

54

50

52

increased over last year

26

44

40

38

33

new or not funded last year

12

24

16

18

17

* First Project deadline only: the final numbers for 2004 are therefore incomplete.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The 2004 Cultural Grants budget is $3,329,900, with funds distributed among grant categories as detailed below:

Operating & Projects:

$1,469,000

Diversity Initiatives:

$50,000

Organizational Development:

$15,000

Theatre Rental Grants:

$1,762,600

TOTAL:

$3,329,900

As summarized in Table 2, staff recommendations for 78 Operating and 32 Project grants totalling $1,419,500 will leave an unallocated balance of $49,500 for the second Project grant deadline in June.

Table 2
Recommendations for 2004 Operating and Project Grants

No. of Requests

Total Requested

No. Recommended

Total Recommended

Unallocated Balance

Operating

78

$1,725,752

78

$1,313,500

$0

Project

40

$246,000

32

$106,000

$49,500

Total

118

$1,971,752

110

$1,419,500

$49,500

CONCLUSION

This is the main report on Operating and Project grants scheduled for 2004. A report covering applications received for the second Project grant deadline will be presented to Council in July. Reports on other Cultural grant programs, including Diversity Initiatives, Arts Partners in Organizational Development and 2004/05 Theatre Rental grants will be presented later this year.

- - - - -

APPENDIX A

Note: The numbers in the left column correspond to the order in which the front pages of the applications are packaged.
*Conditional Grant (see end of Appendix A)
BAX = Baxter, CAP = Capital, DI = Diversity Initiatives, FIN = Finance Other, TR = Theatre Rental, OD = Organizational Development, OP = Operating, PR = Project, SUP = Supplemental, VS = Venue support (bonus amenity, rental subsidy, park use, or property tax exemption)

City of Vancouver Cultural Grants 2004
Operating and Project Applications, Alphabetical List

	Organization Name	Grant	2004		2004	2003	2003 Other
		Typ	Recomm.		Request	Approve	Civic Support

1	Aboriginal Art and Culture Celebration Soc.	PR	5,000		7,500	5,000
2	Alibi Unplugged Script Reading Series Soc.	PR	1,500		3,000	1,500
3	Alliance for Arts & Culture Soc. (formerly Van. Cultural Alliance)	OP	40,000		40,000	40,000	VS
4	Anatomica Dance Soc. (formerly Frozen Eye Dance Soc.)	PR	2,000		5,000
5	Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Soc.	OP	90,000		100,000	90,000	VS
6	Artspeak Gallery Soc.	OP	13,000		18,000	13,000
7	Axis Theatre Soc.	OP	14,000		15,000	14,000	VS
8	B.C. Book Prizes (West Coast Book Prize Soc.)	PR	1,000	-	3,500	2,500
9	Ballet B.C. (Pacific Ballet B.C. Soc.)	OP	82,000		100,000	82,000	TR $91,350
10	Bard on the Beach Theatre Soc.	OP	10,000		20,000	10,000	VS
11	Barking Sphinx Performance Soc.	PR	0		1,500	900
12	Basil and Thyme Jazz Soc.	PR	0		6,000	0
13	Battery Opera Performing Arts Soc.	PR	4,500	-	7,000	5,500
14	Boca Del Lupo Theatre Soc.	PR	7,000	+	8,000	5,000
15	Burney Ensemble Soc.	OP	3,000		4,000	3,000
16	Canadian Music Centre - B.C.	OP	11,000		12,000	11,000	VS
17	Caravan World Rhythms Society	PR	5,000		10,000
18	Carousel Theatre Soc.	OP	20,000	-	25,000	21,000	VS
19	Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver	OP	8,000	+	20,000	6,000	BAX $2,300; VS
20	Chamber Music Festival (Van. Recital Soc.)	OP	13,000	+	20,000	12,000
21	Children's Arts Umbrella Assn.	OP	7,500	-	15,000	15,000	VS
22	Children's Festival (Can. Institute of the Arts for Young Audiences)	OP	116,500		125,000	116,500	VS
23	Chor Leoni Men's Choir	OP	4,000	+	4,000	3,000
24	Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Soc.	OP	15,000		20,000	15,000	VS
25	Co. Erasga Soc.	PR	3,000	+	10,000	2,000
26	Coastal Jazz and Blues Soc.	OP	12,500		50,000	12,500	TR $17,400; VS

27	Contemporary Art Gallery Soc.	OP	43,000		48,000	43,000	VS
28	Cor Departure Theatre Ensemble (Corporeal Mime Soc. )	PR	0		2,500
29	DanceArts Vancouver Soc.	OP	17,000		35,000	17,000
30	Dancing on the Edge Festival Soc.	OP	8,500	-	10,000	9,000	TR $4,600; VS
31	DanStaBat Performance Soc.	PR	4,500		4,500
32	DOXA Documentary Film and Video Festival	PR	1,000		5,000
33	Dragon Boat Festival (Can. Intl. Dragon Boat Festival Soc.)	OP	5,000		15,000	5,000	VS
34	Early Music Vancouver (Van. Soc. for Early Music)	OP	14,000		20,000	14,000	TR $8,700; VS
35	EDAM Performing Arts Soc.	OP	11,000		12,000	11,000
36	Electric Company Theatre Soc.	OP	12,500	+	15,252	8,500
37	Elektra Women's Choir	OP	3,000	+	3,000	2,000
38	Firehall Theatre Soc.	OP	40,000		75,000	40,000	DI $5,000; VS
39	Full Circle: First Nations Performance Soc.	PR	0		10,000		DI $6,000
40	Full Figure Theatre Company Soc.	PR	0		2,500	1,000
41	Green Thumb Players Soc. (Green Thumb Theatre for Young People)	OP	31,000		33,000	31,000
42	Grunt Gallery - Visible Arts Soc.	OP	12,000		16,000	12,000
43	Hard Rubber New Music Soc.	OP	3,500	+	3,500	3,000
44	Headlines Theatre (Theatre for Living Soc.)	OP	10,000		10,000	10,000
45	Holy Body Tattoo Soc.	OP	12,500	+	16,500	11,500
46	Joe Ink Performance Soc.	OP	6,500	+	10,000	6,000
47	Karen Jamieson Dance Soc.	OP	5,000	-	10,000	7,000
48	Kidd Pivot (Crystal Pite Dance Soc.)	PR	5,000	+	5,000	3,500
49	Kokoro Dance Theatre Soc.	OP	11,500		15,000	11,500
50	Little Chamber Music Series That Could Soc.	PR	1,500		1,500	1,500
51	Lola MacLaughlin Dance Soc.	OP	10,500		14,500	10,500
52	MainDance Projects Soc.	OP	2,000		5,000	2,000
53	Malaspina Printmakers Soc.	OP	4,500		5,000	4,500	VS
54	Mandala Arts and Culture Soc.	PR	0		5,000	3,000	DI $5,000
55	Mascall Dance Soc.	OP	4,000	-	10,000	7,000
56	Modern Baroque Opera Soc.	OP	7,500		15,000	7,500
57	Mortal Coil Performance Soc.	PR	4,500	-	10,000	5,500
58	Movement Enterprises Soc.	PR	1,500		7,000	1,500

59	Music in the Morning Concert Soc.	OP	8,000		10,000	8,000
60	Musica Intima Soc.	OP	6,000	+	6,000	2,000
61	Native Daughters of B.C., Post No. 1	OP	3,500		6,000	3,500	VS
62	New Forms Media Soc.	PR	3,000		5,000
63	New Orchestra Workshop Soc.	OP	3,000	-	5,000	3,500
64	Neworld Theatre Soc.	OP	9,000	+	9,000	6,000	DI $7,000
65	Norman Rothstein Theatre (Van. Westside Theatre Soc.)	PR	7,500		10,000	7,500	VS
66	Or Gallery Soc.	OP	10,000	+	12,000	9,000
67	Pacific Baroque Orchestra Soc.	OP	4,000		6,000	4,000
68	Pacific Cinémathèque Pacifique	OP	22,500		23,500	22,500	VS
69	Pacific Theatre (First Pacific Theatre Soc.)	OP	7,000		20,000	7,000	VS
70	Pandit Jasraj School of Music Foundation	PR	1,000		7,000	1,000
71	Pangaea Arts Soc.	PR	0		5,000
72	Pink Ink Theatre Productions Assn.	OP	9,000		15,000	9,000
73	Pitt Gallery (Unit/Pitt Soc. For Arts and Critical Awareness)	OP	7,000	+	12,000	5,000
74	Playwrights Theatre Centre	OP	15,000		18,000	15,000	VS
75	Powell Street Festival Soc.	OP	6,000		8,000	6,000	VS
76	Public Dreams Soc.	OP	14,000	+	22,500	13,500	VS
77	Radix Theatre Soc.	PR	3,500	+	4,000	1,500
78	Reel to Real: Celebration of Moving Images Soc.	PR	1,000		5,000
79	Ruby Slippers Productions Soc.	OP	8,000	+	10,000	7,500
80	Rumble Production Soc.	OP	12,000		20,000	12,000
81	Satellite Video Exchange Soc.	OP	16,000		24,000	16,000
82	Sista'hood (Velocity Media Arts Services Soc.)	PR	1,000		5,000
83	Soc. for Disability Arts and Culture	PR	3,500	+	10,000	2,500
84	Standing Wave	OP	2,500		3,000	2,500
85	Theatre in the Raw Soc.	PR	1,500		5,000
86	Théâtre la Seizième	OP	8,000		12,000	8,000	VS
87	Touchstone Theatre Soc.	OP	18,000	-	22,000	20,000
88	Up in The Air Theatre Soc.	PR	1,500		15,000	0
89	Uzume Taiko Drum Group Soc.	OP	5,500	-	7,000	6,500
90	Van. Access Artist Run Centre	OP	5,000		10,000	5,000

91	Van. Asian Heritage Festival Month	PR	7,500		7,500	7,500	BAX $2,300
92	Van. Cantata Soc.	OP	13,000		14,000	13,000	TR $8,700; VS
93	Van. Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (Centre A)	OP	8,000	+	16,000	4,000
94	Van. Chinese Instrumental Music Soc.	PR	2,500	+	2,500	2,000
95	Van. Co-operative Radio (Community Radio Edn. Soc.)	OP	10,000	+	15,000	9,000
96	Van. Dance Centre Soc.	OP	24,000		30,000	24,000
97	Van. East Cultural Centre	OP	72,000		75,000	72,000	VS
98	Van. Folk Music Festival Soc.	OP	55,000		55,000	55,000	VS
99	Van. Fringe Festival (First Van. Theatrespace Soc.)	OP	31,500		33,000	31,500	VS
100	Van. Intl. Comedy Festival Soc.	OP	8,000		15,000	8,000	VS
101	Van. Intl. Film Festival Soc.	OP	17,500		25,000	17,500
102	Van. Intl. Writers Festival Soc.	OP	22,000	+	22,000	20,000	VS
103	Van. Jewish Film Festival	PR	1,000		5,000
104	Van. Moving Theatre Soc.	OP	4,000		4,000	4,000
105	Van. New Music Soc.	OP	24,000		28,000	24,000	TR $2,300; VS
106	Van. Opera Assn.	OP	18,000	+	30,000	17,000	TR $274,050
107	Van. Out on Screen Film Festival Soc.	PR	5,000		10,000
108	Van. Pro Musica (Pro Musica Soc. of Van.)	PR	2,000		4,000
109	Van. Soc. of Storytelling	OP	5,000		8,000	5,000
110	Van. Summer Festival Soc.	PR	9,000		15,000	9,000	TR $17,400
111	Van. Symphony Soc.	OP	40,000		45,000	40,000	TR $789,250; VS
112	Van. Tap Dance Soc.	PR	2,000		3,500	2,000	BAX $1,725
113	Van. Youth Theatre Soc.	OP	4,000		10,000	4,000
114	Vetta Chamber Music and Recital Soc.	OP	2,500		5,000	2,500
115	Western Front Soc.	OP	22,000	+	30,000	20,000	DI $5,000
116	Western Theatre Conspiracy (Western Theatre Conspiracy Arts Soc.)	PR	3,500		5,000	3,500
117	Wild Excursions Productions Soc.	PR	0		3,000	1,500
118	Word on the Street Festival (Van. Book & Magazine Fair Soc.)	PR	3,000	+	5,000	2,000	VS

	Totals		1,419,500		1,971,752	1,377,400

*Conditional grants:

Van. Intl. Comedy Festival Soc.

A grant of $8,000 is recommended. Noting staff concerns about internal organizational difficulties, the grant will be paid in two instalments: $3,000 immediately and $5,000 SUBJECT TO 1) confirmation of either a) a job description and contract of employment with a executive director, or b) a service contract with a group or company qualified to deliver the festival program, and 2) a 2004 program outline, both by May 15th, 2004.

Van. Soc. of Storytelling

With the departure of its artistic director, the society is in transition, and currently unable to confirm its program for November's festival. A grant at last year's level is recommended, $1,500 to be provided for the transition, and the balance to be provided SUBJECT TO the naming of a qualified artistic director and provision of a complete festival program, by May 15, 2004.

APPENDIX B - 8 pages of Operating Grants - Program Information

	Date:	March 8, 2004
	Author:	Alice Niwinski
	Phone No.:	604.871.6007
	RTS No.:	3956
	CC File No.:	2051
	Meeting Date:	March 23, 2004

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:	2004 Cultural Operating and Project Grant Allocations

	2004*	2003	2002	2001	2000
Total no. of groups	118*	143	135	138	129

Not recommended	8	18	17	24	13
Recommended	110	125	118	114	116
decreased from last year	11	8	8	8	14
held at same level	61	49	54	50	52
increased over last year	26	44	40	38	33
new or not funded last year	12	24	16	18	17

Operating & Projects:	$1,469,000
Diversity Initiatives:	$50,000
Organizational Development:	$15,000
Theatre Rental Grants:	$1,762,600
TOTAL:	$3,329,900

	No. of Requests	Total Requested	No. Recommended	Total Recommended	Unallocated Balance
Operating	78	$1,725,752	78	$1,313,500	$0
Project	40	$246,000	32	$106,000	$49,500
Total	118	$1,971,752	110	$1,419,500	$49,500