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N.B.: In the interests of stylistic clarity, the masculine
form is used in these documents and is understood to
designate women and men.
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THE
CONSEIL DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES DU QUÉBEC
Origin
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec was created by the Québec
government in the wake of the unveiling of the latter's cultural policy.
In 2004, the Conseil is celebrating 10 years of service to artists,
writers and arts organizations throughout Québec.
Mission
The Conseil promotes and supports the development of the arts and
literature in Québec. Through its initiatives, it ensures respect for
the status of professional artists and the enhancement of the
socioeconomic conditions of Québec artists, writers and cultural
workers. In this way, it espouses the Québec government's key policy
directions concerning social and legal recognition of artists and
writers. Through its initiatives, the Conseil fosters access by all
Quebecers to art works and artistic productions.
Mandate and organization
Under its mandate, the Conseil supports throughout Québec creation,
experimentation and production in the realms of the performing arts, the
multidisciplinary arts, the circus arts, the visual arts, the media
arts, architectural research, arts and crafts, and literature and seeks
to broaden their influence in Québec, Canada and abroad. It also
supports the advanced training of writers and professional artists.
A board of directors comprising not more than 13 members appointed by
the government at the suggestion of the Minister of Culture and
Communications, following consultation with organizations that the
government deems to be representative of the arts and literary
communities, manages the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Board members are drawn from the arts and literary communities and come
from different regions of Québec.
Functions
The Conseil manages financial assistance programs offered to artists,
writers and non-profit professional arts organizations. It awards grants
according to the principle of merit rating by juries and committees made
up of peers.
The Conseil also recognizes artists through awards for excellence in the
arts. It regularly consults artistic milieus and advises the Minister of
Culture and Communications on all questions concerning fields or
questions under its jurisdiction. The Conseil may conclude agreements
with partners in Québec and abroad and receive contributions compatible
with its responsibilities.
Values
The Conseil subscribes to values that justify its initiatives aimed at
the arts and literary communities and Québec society as a whole:
- the
autonomy and freedom to create of artists and writers;
- the
artistic and administrative independence of organizations;
- recognition
by peers of artistic merit;
- collaboration
with the arts and literary communities;
- rigour
and openness in methods of attributing financial assistance;
- the
efficiency of management processes and staff accountability.
Guidelines
In its 2004-2008 strategic plan, the Conseil puts forward the six major
strategic policy directions and targeted objectives that it intends to
achieve by 2008. Specifically, it intends to:
- support
artists and writers according to the needs inherent in each stage of
their careers;
- bolster
production and dissemination organizations that make a significant
contribution in their fields and territories;
- broaden
the dissemination and circulation of art works and artistic
productions throughout Québec;
- help
broaden the influence abroad of artists, writers and organizations;
- establish
new means of financial support and forms of partnership that
complement existing measures and are likely to ensure the ongoing
development of the arts and literature;
- promote
the Conseil's mission, values and services.
Services
The Conseil focuses on the following artistic disciplines: the visual
arts, arts and crafts, literature, theatre, music, dance, the
multidisciplinary arts, popular song, the circus arts, the media arts,
and architectural research.
If offers writers and professional artists grants intended to support
research and creation and career development grants to cover advanced
training, sojourns abroad, travel, commissions, participation in
artist-in-residence programs, and literary performances.
Moreover, the Conseil offers non-profit arts organizations grants in
respect of operations, production, promotion or dissemination projects,
tours inside and outside Québec, hosting of foreign productions and the
organization of province-wide and international events. The Conseil also
supports professional associations, provincial groups and service
organizations in the realm of the arts and literature.
Each year, the Conseil receives over 4600 applications for financial
assistance from all regions of Québec. It supports more than 490
organizations and offers individual assistance to some 1300 professional
writers and artists. It processes fairly and impartially all of the
applications submitted to it. To this end, the Conseil relies on the
expertise and competence of dedicated staff.
In conjunction with its evaluation processes, it calls upon peers and
specialists in various artistic fields, all of whom are bound by the
ethical and confidentiality rules adopted by the Conseil.
If offers artists, writers and arts organizations information sessions
devoted to its mandate, programs and services. It produces and makes
available to the public and researchers studies and data on the arts and
literature and changes in the sector.
Information accessible to everyone
Information on the Conseil's programs is widely disseminated throughout
Québec and is available from the Conseil's offices, on its Web site and
from regional cultural boards, Communication-Québec and regional
offices of the ministère de la Culture et des Communications.
The clarity and accessibility of information tools are the guiding
principles of the Conseil's communications initiatives. The full
contents of the Conseil's programs and most of its publications are
available in printed form and in HTML format on its Web site. All forms
are downloadable and the Conseil endeavours to maximize compatibility
with the systems, platforms, printers and software versions that Net
surfers use.
In order to publicize its initiatives, the Conseil disseminates, among
other things, an annual management report, a list of grants, statistical
bulletins, an information guide on the principles governing the awarding
of grants to artists, writers and arts organizations, and a series of
publications focusing on the arts and literature in Québec.
Ethics and confidentiality
The Conseil has adopted rules governing ethics, confidentiality and
conflicts of interest.
The CEO, the Secretary of the Conseil and the members of the board of
directors are subject to the code of ethics governing the Conseil's
administrators. Managers and all staff are subject to the code of ethics
governing the Conseil's employees.
The code of ethics governing members of juries and advisory committees
and assessors covers individuals who are asked to sit on committees that
evaluate grant applications. The members of committees and juries and
assessors must undertake in writing to comply with these rules.
The codes of ethics can be consulted on the Conseil's Web site.
The Conseil has established an ethics committee that ensures the
updating and redefinition of the codes of ethics. Moreover, a rigorous
process respecting the analysis of requests for revision and the
handling of complaints enables the Conseil to improve its relations with
the arts and literary communities.
The Conseil listens attentively to the arts
community
The Conseil has developed in recent years, in close collaboration with
the arts and literary communities, guidelines and programs likely to
satisfy the needs of artists, writers and arts organizations, the
specific demands of each discipline, and regional dynamics. It has
implemented effective tools and intends to pursue its initiatives in
this regard and to regularly take into account expectations concerning
services and its operation.
To adequately respond to Quebecers' expectations and, more specifically,
the expectations of the arts and literary communities, the Conseil has
made a number of commitments, indicated below.
Guarantee
the openness of the processes governing the granting of financial
assistance
- The
evaluation criteria and processes are clearly indicated in each
financial assistance program that the Conseil adopts.
- The
names of assessors and the artists, writers and arts organizations
that the Conseil supports are available in the Conseil's annual
management report and on its Web site.
- The
names of the members of juries and advisory committees are also
made public in the annual management report. Moreover, the names
of the members of a jury may be communicated upon request three
months after the announcement of the Conseil's decision and the
names of the members of an advisory committee, three months after
the conclusion of its mandate.
- Artists,
writers and arts organizations can obtain information on the
evaluation of their applications by contacting the person
responsible for the application.
- The
Conseil processes diligently, rigorously and impartially all
applications from all regions of Québec.
Provide adequate expertise
- The
Conseil relies on qualified staff with a high level of expertise.
Its employees establish respectful relations with artists, writers
and arts organizations.
- The
Conseil has established a bank of resource persons in order to set
up committees and juries. This bank is renewed regularly to ensure
the diversity of artistic viewpoints on juries and committees and
to update expertise according to the nature of the projects
submitted. Anyone interested in being included in the bank may
submit a request to this effect to the Conseil.
Guarantee fair, efficient management of grant applications
- The
Conseil relies on a single interlocutor when processing
applications.
- It
takes into account the operating schedules of arts organizations
when setting registration deadlines for its programs.
- The
Conseil is streamlining grant application forms and adapting them
to different disciplines and programs.
- The
Conseil intends to comply with the application processing
deadlines set in each of its programs.
Offer
appropriate staff training
To maintain an expert, efficient team, staff training is one of the
Conseil's key priorities. To this end, it organizes tailor-made
training intended to broaden and update its employees' skills with a
view to ensuring the ongoing enhancement of its services. The Conseil
will ensure that it updates its employees' knowledge of the
information technologies and current management methods.
Specific
commitments made by the Conseil
In 2004-2005, the Conseil undertakes to:
Promote
its mission, values and services
The Conseil intends to implement a communications plan that will
enable it to make available to all Quebecers information on its
mandate, programs, processes and management methods.
Enhance front-line information
The Conseil intends to provide its reception staff with effective
information and communications tools in order to:
- provide
quality reception and information services;
- efficiently
refer individuals to the appropriate manager;
- provide
clear, precise, reliable information.
Ensure
that its staff maintains an active presence throughout Québec
- Organize
information sessions for artists, writers and arts organizations
throughout Québec in order to better take into account the
regions;
- Conclude
cooperation agreements with regional cultural boards;
- Implement
a territorial action plan.
Simplify
management processes and grant application forms
- Redraft
programs using clear language that is accessible to everyone and
request only relevant information;
- Initiate
the revision of the objectives, criteria and evaluation processes
of programs;
- Take
advantage of computers to process applications and manage results;
- Comply
with and, if possible, reduce application processing time;
- Facilitate
access to information requested by the clientele.
Comments
on the quality of service
The Conseil attaches particular importance to satisfying the arts and
literary communities. Suggestions and comments help to enhance the
quality of its services and the Conseil undertakes to examine them
carefully. Please submit comments to the Direction des relations
publiques.
Telephone: (514) 864-2930
Toll free: 1 800 608-3350
Fax: (514) 864-4161
E-mail: info@calq.gouv.qc.ca
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