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VICTORIA – The Province of British Columbia has granted $390,000 to the latest round of the Aboriginal Arts Development Awards, a significant increase over last year’s amount, Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Bill Bennett announced today.
“For 16 years, the Aboriginal Arts Development Awards have contributed to the growth and success of our province’s diverse and talented First Nations communities,” said Bennett. “And thanks to the BC150 Cultural Fund, we’ve been able to increase our support to these communities.”
The awards were created in 1993 by what is now the British Columbia Arts Council, which soon partnered with the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council (the First Peoples’ Council) to improve program delivery in B.C.’s diverse Aboriginal communities. For more than 10 years, the First Peoples’ Council has independently administered the program and has seen a significant increase in the quality and number of applications over this time period, up from 20 in 1998 to 100 this year.
“We are
pleased that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts recognizes the
importance and value of investing in B.C. First Nations,” said Tyrone McNeil, chair
of the First Peoples’ Council. “People come from all over the world to see and
interact with the unique art forms of B.C.’s First Nations artists. Many of
these art forms are still endangered and support is required to ensure the
transfer of artistic knowledge to the next generation.”
A total of
$530,000 was awarded this year to artists and organizations through the
Aboriginal Arts Development Awards in four different program streams:
individuals; organizations and groups; sharing traditional arts across
generations; and aboriginal arts administrator internships.
The
Province’s contribution of $390,000 through the BC Arts Council represents an
increase of $141,000 over last year, thanks to the revenues of the BC150
Cultural Fund. An additional contribution of $140,000 came from the New
Relationship Trust, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to
strengthening First Nations in B.C. through capacity building.
“The BC
Arts Council is fully committed to this partnership with the First Peoples’ Heritage,
Language and Cultural Council in support of the transference of traditional
knowledge, the revitalization of Aboriginal culture and the development of
contemporary arts practice,” said Donald Shumka, BC Arts Council chair. “The
First Peoples’ Council’s allocation of funding demonstrates our core value of
inclusiveness and is the fullest possible reflection of the province’s
Aboriginal and cultural diversity.”
For more
information on the Aboriginal Art Development Awards, including this year’s grant
recipients, visit http://www.fphlcc.ca/arts/aboriginal-arts-development-awards.
The Awards will be offered again in the fall.
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Communications Manager 250 387-2799 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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