NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2008TCA0101-001360 Sept. 9, 2008	Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts BC Arts Council
$7.1 MILLION AWARDED TO ARTS AND CULTURE IN B.C.

VICTORIA – Over 270 artists and cultural organizations in British Columbian have been awarded more than $7 million in arts grants, announced Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Bill Bennett.

 

            “This funding is part of the government’s continued investment in our province’s vibrant arts and culture community,” said Bennett. “From major cultural institutions to local performing arts groups to individual artists, these grants assist our creative sector in its continued growth and contributions to our province’s high quality of life and economic strength.”

 

BC Arts Council grants were awarded to arts and culture organizations from a range of artistic disciplines, including music, visual arts, literature, theatre and dance. The awards also support public museums and assist individual artists throughout B.C.

 

“This funding benefits artists and their communities alike,” said BC Arts Council chair Don Shumka. “By supporting creative artists and developing cultural institutions, more people will experience all of the exceptional vitality and enjoyment that B.C.'s arts and cultural community has to offer.”

 

The total for this round of funding is $7.1 million, compared to $5.5 million for the same period in 2007. This increase includes nearly $1 million in additional funding from the BC150 Cultural Fund, a $150-million arts endowment fund created in honour of B.C.’s 150th anniversary as a crown colony. 

 

The BC Arts Council, supported by the Province of British Columbia, has the mandate to provide encouragement and support to the arts and cultural community. To date, it has distributed over $158 million in funding to assist artists and arts organizations throughout the province. For more information on the British Columbia Arts Council, visit www.bcartscouncil.ca.

 

 

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Media contact:	David Greer Communications Manager Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts 250 387-2799
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.