News Releases - 2005
Aboriginal arts organizations to benefit from new Canada Council program
Ottawa, October 13, 2005 – Fifteen Aboriginal arts groups from across Canada will benefit from a new program aimed at helping them develop new skills and strengthen their organizational capacity.
The Aboriginal Capacity Building Initiative is a three-year program jointly funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage and administered by the Canada Council’s Aboriginal Arts Secretariat. It is designed to help Aboriginal arts organizations meet their goals in such areas as operations, technology, human resources, governance and board development, financial management, fundraising, communications, mentorships, marketing and administration.
The new program has two main components: the Stand Tall program, which will provide support for networking, collaboration, forums, workshops, mentoring and consultations throughout the
three-year initiative, and the Flying Eagle program, which will allow organizations to hire consultants or other experts to assist them.
“The new program is consistent with the Canada Council’s desire to not only provide financial support for artistic work, but also to help organizations become more resilient in the long term,” said Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, the Council’s Aboriginal Arts Coordinator. “We are pleased that the Department of Canadian Heritage has agreed to work in partnership with us, making it possible for the Council to increase its own investment in Aboriginal arts.”
The organizations participating in the initiative were selected by a committee of Aboriginal arts administrators consisting of Monique Manatch (ON), Ron Martin (BC), Suzan Marie (ND) and Céline Robertson (QC).
The 15 organizations selected for the program are:
• Redwire Native Youth Media Society (BC)
• John Arcand Fiddle Fest Inc. (SK)
• Institut culturel et éducatif Montagnais (QC)
• Say Magazine (MB)
• Society of Yukon Artists of Native Ancestry (YK)
• Open Sky Creative Society (NT)
• First Peoples’ Heritage Language and Culture Foundation (BC)
• Nations in a Circle (NS)
• Debajehmujig Theatre Group (ON)
• First Nations Drum (BC)
• Arnait Video Productions (NU)
• Native Communications Society of the NWT (NT)
• Qaggiq Theatre (NU)
• Turtle Gals (ON)
• Batoche Theatre Company Inc. (SK)
General information
In collaboration with the Aboriginal Arts Advisory Committee and with all sections of the Canada Council, the Aboriginal Arts Secretariat has the primary responsibility for developing policies, programs, strategic initiatives, and budgets to support Aboriginal Peoples artistic practices in all arts disciplines.
For more information about this program, contact Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, Coordinator, Aboriginal Arts Secretariat at the Canada Council for the Arts, at 1 800 263-5588, ext. 5212.