Proposed Appointment of Director of the Canada Council for the Arts

OTTAWA, April 28, 2006 – Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women Beverley J. Oda today proposed the appointment of Robert Sirman, of Toronto, as Director of the Canada Council for the Arts. The proposed appointment will be referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage for review.

Mr. Sirman has been Administrative Director of the National Ballet School since January 1991. From 1980 to 1990, he served with the Ontario Arts council in several capacities, including director of operations, from November 1980 to June 1989; acting executive director, from July 1988 to February 1989; and director of research and policy planning, from July 1989 to December 1990. Mr. Sirman also worked in the Ontario government from 1978 to 1980 as the senior policy advisor in the Deputy Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Culture and Recreation.

Mr. Sirman has been chair of the advisory council for the University of Toronto’s Co-op Arts Management Program, a board member and chair of the Peggy Baker Dance Projects, a member of the Canadian Dance Assembly’s advocacy committee, and treasurer of the Canadian Association of Professional Dance Organizations.

The Canada Council for the Arts fosters and promotes the study, enjoyment, and production of works in the arts by providing assistance to individual artists and arts organizations through a peer assessment process. It also administers the Public Lending Right program of payments to authors, co-ordinates the development of UNESCO activities in Canada, and coordinates Canadian participation in UNESCO activities abroad. For more information on the Council, please visit www.canadacouncil.ca

[ Media Room ]