By Dara Hakimzadeh
The arts community has experienced a surge of grant applications because amalgamation has changed eligibility regulations. But there isn’t enough money to go around.
Since the 2001 amalgamation, five regional funding organizations have been compacted into one, and a new arts-funding formula now allows amateur and art education groups to apply for funding. Before amalgamation, professional local groups would apply. However, the level of monetary assistance for the region has remained frozen for the past five years. There are nowmore artists — professional, amateur, and educational — looking for monetary support from the city.
Peter Honeywell, a director of Ottawa’s council for the arts, a member of the city’s Arts Advisory Board, and advocate for over 150 artists in the new Ottawa, says the number of people eligible has grown.
“We are the fourth largest city in the country now and we need to do quite a bit of work in the arts community… that means investment.”
Traditionally, Ottawa has not funded the arts at the level of other major Canadian cities.
Today, Vancouver spends $21 per person supporting arts and heritage, and Toronto spends $11, according to the Ottawa 2020 Web site. Ottawa, however, spends just $3.89 — a third of what Toronto doles out.
“(Even) Thunder Bay provides more funding,” says city cultural planner Nicole Zuger.
This year’s budget review, presented in October, earmarked $2.5 million for arts programs. The city gave 227 grants this year. Monetary demands rose 16 per cent last year.
Honeywell predicts a jump to over 500 applications in 2003 — up 20 to 25 per cent from 2002.
Zuger says that although 427 applications were received this year, down from 450 last year, the decrease is due to the elimination of “double dipping.” Artists can no longer apply for two grants under separate regional organizations. Although the number of applications has decreased, the number of artists applying has increased.
“The demand is always greater than the amount available,” says Zuger.
Honeywell says when international art galleries ask Ottawa artists to travel to promote their work, artists jump at the chance. “You end up telling them ‘(There’s no funding), go buy a bottle of wine tonight and have a good time instead,’” he says.
Honeywell says the city depends on international talent for tourism, which forces local artists to move as far as Toronto and Montreal for funding.
“We’re in the shadow of national cultural institutions,” adds Zuger. “There seems to be less of a rallying for what I like to call the ‘home team’… Our stories are what defines us. Local identity is important … How we support it is important also.”
Zuger has been a part of the city’s Cultural Affairs department that has been funding regional programs since 1991. Despite the lack of funding “(the city) spreads (funding) around a lot more now … we support arts over a continuum, ” says Zuger.
Founder and music director of the Kanata Children’s Chorus, Barbara Paget-Puppa, 54, says funding is essential for young artists because parents can only afford so much. “We all need arts in our lives,” she says. “We all need balance .”
The Health, Recreation and Social Services committee is examining new grants for the next four years, including rental subsidies for arts groups who cannot find affordable rehearsal space, initiatives for artist development, and ‘spark’ funding to help artists who have no money to promote their work.
With a toned down grant system and increased funding demands, planning remains tricky.
“The essence of art is new creation. The established groups will suffer (for now) but who else is going to fund young new artists but the city?” Zuger says.
“Ultimately, the city has to get serious about the arts. We’re already budgeting three years into (the new city) and I haven’t seen any significant changes,” says Honeywell. “I’ll be patient for one more year… to see if the rhetoric comes into action.”