Arts groups pin hopes on $2M in city support
The struggling arts community in Calgary is looking to the city for support — to the tune of $2 million.
City bureaucrats are recommending a $2- million, one-time grant for the 2017 fiscal year to support 10 “cornerstone” arts organizations supported by the Calgary Arts Development Authority. If approved, it would more than double the total annual funding of the agencies.
The proposal will be debated by the city’s finance committee Tuesday before going to council for a final decision.
Coun. Druh Farrell said she fully supports the proposed grant, which would benefit the Alberta Ballet, Calgary Opera, Folk Festival Society, National Music Centre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, Glen bow Museum, Calgary Phil harmonic Orchestra, One Yellow Rabbit and Theatre Junction Grand.
“These are world-class organizations that travel with their shows and are renowned. If we can’t support them in our own backyard, it would be a poor reflection on our ability to attract new industry, new talent, new energy to our city,” she said. It breaks down to $200,000 per organization — what Farrell considers a “very modest sum” in comparison with how other organizations, such as sports groups, are funded.
Previously, the agencies relied on private donations and corporate sponsorships for 38 per cent of their revenue. In recent years, those revenues have drastically decreased, partly due to the economic downturn in Calgary, said the council report.
The $2-million grant, if approved, would help the organizations transition to their new economic reality. The money would come from the city’s fiscal stability reserve.
Farrell said it’s still not enough to keep the organizations afloat.
“Two million is purely a stop-gap measure to prevent them from folding, but what they need is sustainable funding, which they’ve been lacking for years,” Farrell said. “What this signifies is the arts community in general is struggling in Calgary.”
Seven of the 10 organizations operated at a deficit last year, despite efforts to reduce expenditures, according to the city. At least two of those opened new lines of credit to keep up with costs.
The 10 cornerstone agencies, out of 159 that are supported by CADA, attract almost 40 per cent of the audiences and make up 52 per cent of full-time jobs in the city’s arts sector, the report said.
Coun. Ward Sutherland, vicechair of the city’s finance committee, said it’s clear that there hasn’t been enough resources for these organizations, but he needs more information before making up his mind.