Calgary, AB - Calgary's vibrant arts and culture scene saw a significant boost in investment yesterday when a $502,500 (approximately 20%) increase in the granting and programs budget for Calgary Arts Development was approved by City Council.

The funds will begin to address critical shortfalls identified earlier this year in Calgary's system of investing in the arts, and provide a much-needed increase in funding for the city's artists and creative organizations.

Recent research conducted by Calgary Arts Development revealed that at $2.56, Calgary's per capita arts funding is among the lowest in the country. This increase will bring per capita levels up to just over $3.00, in comparison with $3.88 in Edmonton; $4.01 in Vancouver; $5.20 in Winnipeg; and $6.42 in Toronto. A recent poll commissioned by Calgary Arts Development showed that two-thirds of Calgarians (67%) believe that Calgary should aim to be one of the top three cities in Canada when ranked on the amount of municipal support for arts and culture. Currently, the top three cities are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

"This is a great day for the arts in Calgary," says Terry Rock, President & CEO for Calgary Arts Development. "Our civic leadership has just reinforced their belief in the importance of arts and culture to Calgarians. These investments will go a long way in strengthening and spreading the word about our vibrant arts and culture scene."

After extensive research and stakeholder consultation, Calgary Arts Development proposed a series of arts granting reforms to address the needs of the city's growing arts sector. The funding increase approved by City Council on Tuesday will be used to carry out strategic objectives that will directly benefit the arts in Calgary:

• Enhance the stability of arts organizations by increasing annual operating funding;
• Sustain and encourage the growth of arts and cultural festivals by creating a funding program that will align with event services offered by the City of Calgary;
• Encourage and reward innovation in the sector by increasing support for projects and startup organizations;
• Address opportunities for increased public engagement and participation in the arts through a strategic and cooperative marketing program devoted to raising awareness levels.

Program policies are presently being adjusted to enable the distribution of these new funds. Information and application forms for Calgary Arts Development's annual operating grants and additional details on new programs will be available online at www.calgaryartsdevelopment.com early in December.

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For more information, please contact:

Erica Mattson
Marketing & Communications Manager
Calgary Arts Development
[p] 403.264.5330
[m] 403.978.2787
[e] erica.mattson@calgaryartsdevelopment.com