ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

                                                Date: July 14, 1997
                                                Dept. File: GRT06.25
                                                CC File: 2151

   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs in consultation
             with the Director of Finance

   SUBJECT:  Flow-Through Funding - "Visit The Arts" Program


   RECOMMENDATION 

        A.   THAT Council receive a grant totalling $23,000 from the
             Vancouver Foundation for the "Visit the Arts" Program; and

        B.   THAT Council disburse the above flow-through funds to the
             Vancouver Cultural Alliance.

        Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.


   GENERAL MANAGERS' COMMENTS

   The General Managers of Community and Corporate Services RECOMMEND A,
   and B.


   COUNCIL POLICY

   In the past, City Council has agreed to act as a conduit for similar
   flow-through funds from senior levels of government and private
   foundations in support of Vancouver non-profit organizations.


   PURPOSE

   This report seeks Council's approval to receive a grant from the
   Vancouver Foundation for the "Visit the Arts" program and disburse these
   flow-through funds to the Vancouver Cultural Alliance.


   BACKGROUND

   The Vancouver Cultural Alliance (VCA) was formed to promote the
   professional arts in Vancouver through a variety of programs, services
   and marketing strategies; to educate the public about the arts and to
   increase the public's awareness and accessibility to the professional
   visual, literary, performing and media arts in Vancouver. 

   The VCA is a registered non-profit organization (B.C. Societies Act) but
   not a registered charity (Revenue Canada Act) because of the nature of
   its mandate and programs.  The VCA is therefore unable to receive grants
   directly from private foundations.   The Vancouver Foundation can only
   make a grant to a registered charity.  Staff are therefore seeking
   Council's approval to receive a grant from the Vancouver Foundation for
   the "Visit the Arts" program and disburse these flow-through funds to
   the Vancouver Cultural Alliance.


   DISCUSSION

   "Visit the Arts" program is an initiative of the Vancouver cultural
   community through the Vancouver Cultural Alliance to encourage greater
   and long-term access to the growing tourism market in Vancouver.  The
   "Visit The Arts" program will:

       develop a program of product and marketing initiatives to assist
        the arts sector in Vancouver in accessing the current and potential
        tourist markets;
       investigate cultural tourism initiatives in other urban centres to
        determine their success in developing new markets for the arts, and
        to determine their adaptability to Vancouver;
       analyse existing partnerships between the arts and tourism sectors
        in Vancouver;
       establish an on-going dialogue between the arts and tourism sectors
        in order to develop in each a broader understanding of the other;
       establish a commitment in both the arts and tourism sectors to the
        development and delivery of product and marketing initiatives which
        will focus on the increased sale of arts offerings to the tourist
        market.

   The project will be co-ordinated by the VCA with the assistance of an
   Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from Tourism Vancouver,
   the Vancouver Hotel Association, convention planners, tour operators and
   arts organizations.

   This phase of the project is schedule to be completed by December 1997
   with a strategies in place for the 1998 season.


   FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

   Funding for this project is provided by the Vancouver Foundation and the
   Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage.  The
   City provides annual operating funds to the Vancouver Cultural Alliance. 
   Approval of this report will not result in additional costs to the City.


   CONCLUSION

   Staff believe that this is a worthwhile initiative and recommend that
   Council accept the role as conduit for flow-through funds from the
   Vancouver Foundation.



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