Victoria, BC– The Capital Regional District (CRD) Arts Commission has approved $65,945 in funding to 21 local not-for-profit arts organizations through the Arts & Culture Support Service’s new Equity, IDEA and Incubator funding programs. 71% of the grant recipients are receiving CRD Arts & Culture funding for the first time.
“In 2016 we heard through the Building our Arts Future engagement process that we needed to improve access to arts funding for under-represented arts communities,” explains Jeremy Loveday, Chair of the CRD Arts Commission. “The programming that we’re funding is helping to cultivate the region’s unique cultural landscape and build a more inclusive society.”
The funding is part of an initiative to reach a broader representation of artistic practices in the region and remove barriers to public sector funding. Newly funded arts initiatives include: the Beau Dick Memorial mural project, the International Institute for Child Rights & Development’s puppet play for human rights and the Tiny Tiny Cozy Fest, a weekend-long music and arts festival on Mayne Island that emphasizes youth inclusion and representation.
Facts
- In the past two years, the CRD has provided 33 Equity, Incubator and IDEA grants totaling $115,945 to arts organizations of which 76% were new applicants (2018 and 2019 combined).
- Most arts organizations (72%) funded by the CRD create new, local work.
- Arts organizations funded by the CRD attract more than 730K attendees annually.
Attachment: List of 2019 Equity, IDEA & Incubator Grant Recipients and Amounts (PDF)
Attachment: Overview of programming funded by 2019 Equity, IDEA & Incubator Grants (PDF)
The CRD Arts & Culture Support Service is provided by: Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke and the Southern Gulf Islands. For more information, please visit www.crd.bc.ca/arts.
Proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Jeremy Loveday, Chair
CRD Arts Commission
Tel. 250.634.2327
jloveday@victoria.ca
James Lam, Manager
CRD Arts Development
Tel. 250.360.3205
jlam@crd.bc.ca