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Action plan for the development of support to architecture at the Canada Council for the Arts

Thermal Bridge

nArchitects, Thermal Bridge, 2002

In 2003, the Canada Council’s Board of Directors adopted an architecture policy developed in consultation with the community, between 2000 and 2002, presented in the internal report "Support to Architecture at the Canada Council for the Arts" (see news release "Canada Council to strengthen support for architecture")and in the article "In the Public Eye" (pdf), published in Canadian Architect in May 2003.  With this new policy, the Canada Council for the Arts committed to help architecture firms achieve artistic excellence in their built work, and to let the public better appreciate, and enjoy their creations.  Concretely, this translates into four lines of action:

  1. New grant programs were launched to support the production of books, exhibitions and events on contemporary architecture in Canada.  The programs are offered to practitioners, critics and curators of architecture  and to publishers, galleries, museums and event organizers.
  2. The Prix de Rome became international in scope.  Two prizes are now offered, one for graduating students from accredited school of architecture in Canada, and the other for professionals.
  3. To help young firms  with a strong creative edge and promise of accomplishment establish a satisfying professional practice, through the creation of a new grant program.  This program is under development. 
  4. To campaign for the better commissioning of public buildings, spaces and landscapes.  The architecture officer of the Visual Arts Section has a mandate to investigate possibilities for strategic alliances with relevant departments and Ministries, and to promote architecture competitions.  A broad outline of this strategy was presented to the community in the article ‘Beyond Trophy Architecture; policies for true architectural quality’ (pdf), published in Ai (Architecture and Ideas) in 2004.  In the fall 2005, a pre-feasibility study has been commissioned to Ian Chodikoff, editor of Canadian Architect, to study the possibility of setting up a national structure for architecture competitions, as one of many means to achieve this broad objective.

Raising public awareness and enjoyment of good architecture, enabling good architects to develop and maintain creative practices, and improving public commissioning processes make up for a set of mutually supporting strategies.  It is our belief that together, these actions will foster positive developments in the art of architecture, and allow for a greater enjoyment of this art form by all Canadians.