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May 15, 2007

Edmonton...Starting this fall, Alberta artists will have access to a new $6 million fund that will support further development of the arts in Alberta over the next three years.

The Alberta Creative Development Initiative is the result of a new partnership between the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) and the Canada Council for the Arts. Each organization will contribute $1 million per year for three years to the new program, which will provide grants to professional artists and arts organizations including those that have not previously accessed funding from the AFA and the Canada Council.

"The arts play a central part in Alberta's cultural vitality, and also in our economic prosperity," said Hector Goudreau, Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture, responsible for the arts in Alberta. "This new partnership will enhance the support that government currently provides to Alberta's artists and arts organizations."

In 2005-06, the Canada Council provided grants and payments worth $7.4 million to Alberta artists and arts organizations. The new initiative provides an additional funding opportunity for projects by small and medium-sized Alberta-based arts organizations and collectives, as well as for individual artists and arts administrators across the province.

"The Canada Council believes that arts funders at all levels of government - and in the private sector - should be working together to achieve shared objectives in support of the arts in Canada," said Canada Council Director Robert Sirman. "For many years, Alberta artists and arts organizations have not applied for grants from the Canada Council at the same rate as in other parts of the country. This partnership will allow us to create additional opportunities for success and to increase our investment in the long-term development of Alberta artists, whose work will be seen and enjoyed by audiences here in Alberta and across Canada."

Funding will be awarded based on peer assessment and artistic merit, with full details yet to be finalized. The AFA and the Canada Council are working with the Calgary Arts Development Authority and the Edmonton Arts Council to develop the program. Details of the grant process for the Alberta Creative Development Initiative will be announced in the fall.

"This is a significant achievement for the AFA, the Canada Council and Alberta's arts community," said Audrey Luft, Chair of the AFA. "I am excited about the partnership's potential to boost Alberta artists and arts organizations to the next level of their development."

The Government of Alberta, through the AFA, provides grants to Alberta artists, art organizations and cultural industries. The new funding partnership is made possible through the additional $4.5 million the AFA received in budget 2007-08 - a 63 per cent increase in lottery funding since 2002. The total budget of the AFA for 2007-08 is $27.3 million.

Supporting Alberta's arts community is part of Premier Ed Stelmach's plan to improve Albertans' quality of life. Other priorities for the government are to govern with integrity and transparency, build a stronger Alberta, manage growth pressures and provide safe and secure communities.

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