ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: November 21, 1995
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: 1995 Cultural Grants -
Project and Organizational Development
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve cancellation of a $1,500 Project grant
to the Webweavers Network Society, resulting in a balance of
$10,055 in the Project Grants category.
B. THAT Council approve two project grants totalling $4,500, as
listed in Table 1, source of funds to be the Project Grants
Category, leaving an unallocated balance of $5,555.
C. THAT Council transfer the remaining $5,555 in the Project
Grants category to the Organizational Development component
of the Incentive Grants category, bringing the balance to
$11,555.
D. THAT Council approve three grants totalling $11,555, as
listed in Table 1, source of funds to be the Organizational
Development fund, leaving no unallocated balance.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services submits A, B, C and D
for CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
On January 31, 1995, Council approved the 1995 Cultural Grants budget.
This includes the Project Grants category, which currently has a
balance of $8,555 and the Incentive Grant category, of which $6,000 is
available for Organizational Development grants.
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
This report makes recommendations on two requests for grants in the
Project category and three requests for Organizational Development
grants.
SUMMARY
Table 1
Applicant Request Recommendation
Project Category:
Battery Opera Performing Arts Soc. $ 3,000 $ 1,000
Community Arts Council $ 3,500 $ 3,500
Total $ 6,500 $ 4,500
Organizational Development:
Theatre M.O.M. $ 5,000 $ 4,000
Vancouver Cultural Alliance $12,000 $ 7,000
Vancouver Theatresports League $ 600 $ 555
Total $17,600 $11,555
BACKGROUND
Project Grants Category
Project Grants are provided to assist new and developing arts
organizations, as well as for special projects. If funds are
available after the annual grants process is completed each spring,
the City will consider grant requests for projects that were developed
after the annual grants deadline, and which will take place early in
the following year.
There is currently a balance of $8,555 in the Project Grants category.
However, the Director of Cultural Affairs recommends that the project
grant of $1,500 approved for the Webweavers Network Society be
cancelled. The society has ceased activities and the project for
which money was conditionally approved (but not released) is not
proceeding. Cancellation of the grant will bring the balance in the
Project Grant category to $11,555.
Organizational Development Grant
Organizational Development is one of two funds in the Incentive Grants
category (the other being Cross-Cultural Initiatives, which currently
has an unallocated balance of $9,500). Organizational Development
funds are intended to help organizations upgrade staff skills, address
specific operational issues, and undertake long-range planning and
joint audience development initiatives. There is currently a balance
of $6,000 in the Organizational Development component of the Cultural
Grants budget.
DISCUSSION
Project Grants Category
As described following, the Director of Cultural Affairs recommends
that Council approve two grants in the Project Category totalling
$4,500, leaving a balance of $5,555.
Battery Opera Performing Arts Society:
Battery Opera Society has requested a $3,000 grant to assist with the
costs of a multilingual, interdisciplinary production scheduled for
January 1996. The one-act comedy will run for a week at the Firehall
Theatre. This is the young company's first application to the City.
To date, it has presented works at the Women in View, Dancing on Edge,
12 Minutes Max and Spontaneous Combustion festivals. A project grant
of $1,000 is recommended.
Community Arts Council:
As part of a series of special events related to its 50th anniversary,
Vancouver's Community Arts Council (CAC) is organizing an historical
exhibition documenting some of the key activities, publications and
personalities that have shaped the organization and the city itself.
The display, which opens in February 1996, will coincide with
Heritage week and the launch of a book about the history of the
council.
CAC has raised two-thirds of the funds needed for the exhibition, and
is asking the City for a $3,500 grant towards the costs of display
materials, and of hiring a qualified exhibitions co-ordinator. Staff
recommend approval of a $3,500 grant, supplemental to the CAC's 1995
operating grant of $9,000.
Organizational Development Category
The Director of Cultural Affairs recommends that the $5,555 remaining
in the Project Grants category be transferred to the Organizational
Development component of the Cultural Grants budget, bringing the
total to $11,555. He recommends three organizational development
grants totalling $11,555, detailed as follows:
Theatre M.O.M.:
Theatre Modular Organizational Management is a recently incorporated
non-profit society with a mandate to provide accessible
administrative, financial, marketing and production management
services to small theatre companies, co-ops and independent theatre
artists. Initiated by five small theatre companies, the society was
set up after an assessment indicated the need for cost-efficient,
shared management for theatre groups. With financial assistance from
B.C. Cultural Services and the Partners in Organizational Development
program, a business and financial plan has been put in place, and the
society is ready to start operating on a pilot basis. A four-person
team of theatre professionals will oversee and evaluate the
organization's first year of operation.
To assist with this trial year, Theatre M.O.M. has requested a grant
of $5,000 for startup and operating costs. Recognizing that the
organization is addressing an important need in the theatre community,
staff recommend a grant of $4,000.
Vancouver Cultural Alliance: Bravo Vancouver:
Under the direction of the Vancouver Cultural Alliance, and in
conjunctional with the DVBIA and Tourism Vancouver, the local arts
community is undertaking a multidisciplinary, joint marketing and
programming initiative to increase awareness of and audiences for all
sectors of the arts in our city. Planned for October 1996, "Bravo
Vancouver" is being developed now. A co-ordinating producer must be
hired soon to develop partnerships between arts, business and tourism
interests, to match traditional and new venues with arts organizations
wishing to take part, and to lead the development and delivery of the
marketing plan for Bravo Vancouver.
Support is being sought from the business sector, as well as the three
levels of government. The City of Vancouver is being asked for a
grant of $12,000 for the development phase of the project. Staff
believe that some support is appropriate at this time, and recommend a
grant of $7,000.
Vancouver Theatresports League:
The Vancouver Theatresports League has requested a $600 grant toward
the costs of administrative training for its executive director at the
Banff Centre for Management. The Centre's "Management Development for
the Arts" course includes strategic planning, financial management,
fund-raising, marketing, and media relations. It is scheduled for
January 30 to February 9, 1996. Tuition costs, not including
accommodation or food, are $2,500. A grant of $555 is recommended.
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