FOR RELEASE     #07-185
September 11, 2007

WHITEHORSE - Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor announced $567,500 in increased funding for Yukon arts and culture today.

"The arts play an important role in our community and this government understands that a significant increase in funding for artists and organizations will ensure their success in a wide range of activities," Taylor said. "The arts are an important part of our economy, they contribute to our well-being, and all communities throughout Yukon benefit from the arts."

Taylor added the funding is in support of three primary initiatives including funding to sustain the operational requirements of established arts organizations, an enhancement of the Artist in the School program and the establishment of a new touring fund for arts enterprises.

"By addressing these program areas we will also be able to free-up room in our popular Arts Fund program to encourage access by new and emerging artists and communities," Taylor stated.

The increase in funding brings the total amount of Tourism and Culture's grants and contribution funding for arts and culture to more than $2.7 million from the current support of approximately $2.1 million.

Increased funding to the Dawson City Arts Society was also announced in recognition of the leadership role it plays in arts development in Yukon.

"This announcement by the minister is extremely good news," said the chair of the Yukon Arts Advisory Council, Tina Woodland. "Arts activity in Yukon will continue to flourish, benefiting our communities for years to come. This funding will enable artists, organizations and art educators to develop their creativity, outreach and to showcase their art outside of the Yukon."

According to the most recent Statistics Canada figures, Yukon enjoys the highest per capita funding for arts and culture in Canada at over $400 per person.

At a news conference held this morning, Taylor announced the new funding to arts organizations, artists and art educators. The new funding will be effective this fiscal year with distribution beginning later this fall.

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Below:  Backgrounder, Arts Funding Programs

-Arts Funding Programs-

Yukon Arts Funding Program (YAFP) - Operational funding

The Yukon Arts Funding Program (YAFP) was established to provide support for groups with annual and ongoing programs. Applications are adjudicated by the Yukon Arts Advisory Council and forwarded to the minister for approval and announcement.

The Yukon Arts Funding Program has an annual budget of $425,000, supported in part by funding from the Yukon Lotteries Commission. This fund will see an increase of $242,500 which will provide a total of $667,500. 

Arts Fund (AF) – Special Project funding

The Arts Fund supports group projects that foster the creative development of the arts in Yukon. Funding is provided for arts-focused projects, including literary, visual, and performing arts. The Arts Fund supports groups, including collectives. Applications are adjudicated by the Yukon Arts Advisory Council and forwarded to the minister for approval and announcement.

Touring Fund – Travel Assistance

A new dedicated fund will be established with funding of $100,000 to support touring. The fund will be accessed by individuals and groups who create and produce original work and would like to expand their reach to new audiences. The fund will be established as a component of the Arts Fund and will be subject to the same arms-length adjudication process.

Advanced Artist Award (AAA) – Individual Awards

The Advanced Artist Award (AAA) provides assistance to Yukon visual, literary, and performing artists practicing at a senior level. Initiatives eligible for funding include projects (to further develop a particular art form or explore a new area in the artist’s field), education (including workshops, mentoring and post-secondary or post-graduate study), and travel (to attend openings of exhibitions, concerts, or other specific events).

The Advanced Artist Award has an annual budget of $80,000, which is funded through the department’s $240,000 annual recovery from the Yukon Lotteries Commission. While this funding remains the same, the program will benefit from the advent of a dedicated touring fund.

Culture Quest (CQ) – Special Project funding

In recognition of the “Decade of Sport and Culture” Culture Quest was developed in 2003 to provide lasting benefits to the Yukon tourism and cultural sectors.

Since its inception in 2003, government has provided $157,000 a year to the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) for the Culture Quest (CQ) program.  Over half of the projects that received CQ support were showcased at the 2007 Canada Winter Games. The government is continuing its investment in CQ with a view to developing more exposure for Yukon arts and culture projects for the 2010 Winter Olympics and beyond.

Artist in the School (AIS)

The Artist in the School program engages students in a “learning in the arts” experience where students receive art instruction from Yukon professional artists in a variety of forms. This approach fosters individual creativity and expression, as well as nurturing a life long appreciation and involvement in the arts. The AIS has provided employment for professional artists for over 30 years. The budget for this program has been $25,000 since 1988 and $75,000 in new funding has been allocated to bring this program up to $100,000 annually.

Dawson City Arts Society (DCAS)

Yukon government supports DCAS through an annual contribution of $250,000 for its operations in order to achieve its mandate to create an environment for the advancement of the arts. In addition, DCAS applies each year to the Arts Fund in three applications for annual programs (Film Festival, Gallery and Artist Residence program and special programs) and receives approximately $75,000 each year from the Arts Fund. The government will now provide an additional $150,000 per year in support of its operations and annual projects, eliminating the need for DCAS to draw $75,000 from the Arts Fund for these initiatives, bringing the annual total for DCAS to $400,000.

Yukon Arts Centre

Yukon government provides a grant of $649,000 per year to the centre to assist the corporation in meeting its legislated development and presentation mandate. Under the Yukon Arts Centre Act funding for the Arts Centre was increased from $499,300 to $649,000 in 2005/06 in recognition of their role in arts development in Yukon.

Summary of funding budget levels

*Note: Visual Arts Acquisition ($10K) and On Yukon Time ($ variable) not included.