1999-00-Annual-Report.Pdf
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Members of the Board and Senior Staff Cunuda Council for the Arts Chairman Jean-Louis Roux, Quebec Vice-Chairman Francois Colbert, Quebec Dean Brinton, Nova Scotia Nalini Stewart, Ontario Susan Ferley, Saskatchewan Riki Turofsky, Ontario Richard Laferrière, Quebec Max Wyman, British Columbia Suzanne Rochon Burnett, Ontario Irving Zucker, Ontario Director Shirley L.Thomson Senior Staff Micheline Lesage, Head, Music Mark Watters, Secretary-Treasurer,Administration Division Gordon Platt, Head, Writing and Publishing Joanne Morrow, Director,Arts Division David Poole, Head, Media Arts Keith Kelly, Director, Public Affairs, Research and Claude Schryer, Head, Inter-Arts Office Communications Anne Valois, Head, Dance David A. Walden, Secretary-General, Canadian Commission for UNESCO Sharon Fernandez, Coordinator, Equity Office Carol Bream, Director, Endowments and Prizes Viviane Gray, Coordinator,Aborigina/Arts Office Victoria Henry, Director,Art Bank John Goldsmith, Head, Communications Administration Division Luc Charlebois, Head, Financial Planning Arts Division Gwen Hoover, Executive Secretary, Public Lending Michelle Chawla-Ghadban, Head,Arts Services Unit Right Commission André Courchesne, Head,Theatre Daniel Plouffe, Head, Information Management Systems François Lachapelle, Head, Visual Arts Allan Rix, Acting Head, Human Resources Joanne Larocque-Poirier, Head, Millennium Arts Fund William Stevenson, Head, finance and Administrative Services as of 3 1 March 2000 For informanon on caver vnages, tee pages 12 and 4. “The Canada Council was very prescient early on. Canada was one of the firsf countries in the world to offer support for media arts. Now there is support ail over the world. The Council’s insight and foresight have been a great stimulus in allowing Canadian artists to produce work and exhibit it nationally and internationally.” - lisa Steele, media artist The Canada Council Le Conseil des Arts for the Arts du Canada Role Funding The Canada Council for the Arts is a national arm’s-length The Canada Council for the Arts is funded by and reports to agency created by an Act of Parliament in 1957. Under the Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage and terms of the Canada Counci/Act, the abject of the Council is is called from time to time to appear before parliamentary “to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the committees, particularly the House of Commons Standing production of works in, the arts.“To fulfill this mandate, the Committee on Canadian Heritage. lts accounts are audited Council offers a broad range of grants and services to by the Auditor General of Canada and included in the professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in Council’s Annual Report to Parliament. dance, interdisciplinary work and performance art, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts and writing and publishing. An annual grant from Parliament is the Council’s main The Council administers the Killam Program of scholarly source of funds, supplemented by income from an awards and prizes, and offers numerous other prestigious Endowment Fund, established by Parliament in 1957. awards, including the Governor General’s Literary Awards Over the years, the Canada Council has received a number and the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts. of private donations and bequests, the income from which The Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the Public is devoted to the purposes established by the deeds Lending Right Commission operate under the aegis of of the gift. the Council. In 1999-2000 the Council awarded some 5,000 grants Structure to artists and arts organizations and made payments to The Council is headed by a Board consisting of 11 members over 12,000 authors through the Public Lending Right who are appointed by the government.The Board, chaired CommissionThese grants and payments totalled by Jean-Louis Roux, meets at least four limes a year. It is $1 11 million. responsible for all policy and financial decisions as well as other matters that are implemented by a staff headed by a The Canada Council for the Arts Director, Shirley L.Thomson, who is also appointed by the 350 Albert Street, PO. Box 1047 government. Ottawa, Ontario, Kl P 5V8 l-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414 The Canada Council for the Arts and its staff rely heavily wwwcanadacouncilca on the advice of artists and arts professionals from all parts of Canada, who are consulted both individually and collectively.The Council also works in close cooperation with federal and provincial cultural agencies and departments. Chairman’s Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....................5 Director’s Report .__._.__.____.____._......,....,..,.,..,.,..,....,..,.,..,...,,,...,..,.,..,.,.,,,.,.,,.,.,..,.,..,.,.,,....,,.,.,..,.,..,.,.......,....,...1 1 Report on Performance Indicators for 1999-2000 .. ..._.__._.__._._..................................,..,.,..,...., 17 Highlights from the Year Arts Programs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... 40 Endowments and Prizes 43 Art Bank . .. ..__._.._._...........................................................................,.,..,....,..,.,..,.,.,,....,..,.,..,.,..,.,..44 Public Lending Right Commission .._...._...._.._.__....................,..,.,..,....,....,..,.,..,.,.,,....,....45 Canadian Commission for UNESCO _.__,__,_,__,___.,__..........,.,....,..,..,.,..,.,..,....,..,.,..,.,..,....,,46 Financial Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...................... 49 enness to thefut ure On the whole it may be said that, the annual appropriation. In less than in 1999-2000, the Canada Council three years, then, our organization saw experienced a period of stabilization its appropriation increased by nearly and the beginnings of a new period 35%.This new economic health is due of growth.The years of budgetary in no small measure to the invaluable restraint and cutbacks, painful and work of the current Director, Shirley harsh as they were, seem to be at an Thomson, whom I warmly salute. end - at least for the time being - and the Council cari look forward to the The arts community cari only rejoice immediate future with serenity and at this exceptional good fortune - not confidence.To a large extent this is just because it Will allow the Council due to the determination and courage to better fulfil its mandate, but also of former Chairperson Donna Scott, because of what it means at the former Director Roch Carrier, and the political and social level.The govern- entire Council staff for their success in ment in effect has given the Canada c leading the organization through the Council a clear vote of confidence, dark period between 1993 and 1998. underscoring the sound management and administration of its affairs. We The first sign of recovery was seen a are grateful to the government, par- little over two years ago, when the ticularly to the Minister of Canadian government announced an annual Heritage, the Hon.Sheila Copps. grant of $25 million to the Canada Beyond this mark of approval, these Council for a five-year period.The increases show the fundamental satisfaction felt by this good news importance accorded by the was somewhat muted, however, by its government to public funding for the temporary nature. Since five years go arts and their fundamental role in the by quickly, we contemplated the daily Iives of Canadians. arriva1 of the year 2002 with ,.,” ,, apprehension. Encouraged by such support, the Canada Council is embarking on a But last January a soon-to-be- course that Will broaden the scope confirmed rumour made the rounds of its activitiesone example of this to the effect that this amount would is the Outreach Program in which the henceforth be added to our annual Council encourages arts organizations, parliamentary appropriation. Good whatever the discipline, to actively fortune smiled again when the bud- search for new audiences and new get for the 2000-2001 fiscal year was markets, both in Canada and abroad. tabled and the Minister of Finance revealed that the Canada Council Audience development, then, would henceforth be given an add- continues to be one of the highest itional $10 million, to be added to priorities identified in the Corporate Plan adopted by board members in museum. It treats as negligible the to earlier.We are more than ever 1999. In this way the Council plans work of countless artists in their convinced that the key to the long- to combat the view of some that it surroundings, in particular, those term sustainability of the arts lies serves only a limited elite. Proponents who work with the less privileged. in education.At the same time, of this view maintain that the average It misunderstands how the Canada education is less than complete arts lover is a person of comfortable Council has worked for over a decade without an arts component. Some means, forty years old or more, and to bring itself closer to Aboriginal and provincial arts councils (such as highly educated.This caricature in no other cultural communities.As well, Ontario’s) or their equivalents have way reflects the very dynamic trends such an attitude fails to take account already introduced remarkable marking the contemporary world of of the fact that dynamic and flour- programs with the aim not just of the arts. ishing artistic activity has a tangible forging a better place for the arts in impact on the quality of life enjoyed education, but also of putting the arts TO talk about an aging elite of art by Canadians, as well as Canada’s at the