Victoria, BC– The pivotal role of regional arts organizations in providing community and connection takes centre stage in the CRD Arts & Culture 2020 Progress Report.
Presented to the CRD Board today, this annual report highlights the value and impact of arts activities and organizations funded by CRD Arts & Culture, and shows progress made on the Arts & Culture Strategic Plan. This year’s report includes statistics summarizing grant distribution and regional arts impact, information on the benefits of a regional arts support strategy, and stories profiling arts organizations including a Q&A with youth-led arts collective Space Blanket Society and a piece on Embrace Arts development of an immersive online show developed by and made for neurodivergent and disabled audiences.
“Faced with the loss of space, audience and revenue, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, arts organizations reimagined their programming,” says CRD Arts Commission Chair, Jeremy Loveday. “Artists, volunteers, administrators and boards collectively practiced the creativity that is the hallmark of the arts.”
Notable facts from the Arts & Culture 2020 Progress Report include:
- The CRD Arts Commission provided consistent funding through the COVID-19 pandemic
- 472,120 participants took part in CRD-funded arts programming
- 3377 arts events were presented by CRD-funded organizations
- 96% of Project Grant audiences participated in arts programming virtually
- Funded organizations provided 3318 jobs, including 2608 paid artists positions and 166 full-time jobs
Read the CRD Arts & Culture 2020 Progress Report (PDF).
The CRD Arts & Culture Support Service is supported by Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke and Southern Gulf Islands. For more information, 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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