The Federal Government tabled budget 2010 yesterday.  Below is the summary provided by the Canadian Conference of the Arts

Canadian Conference of the Arts Executive Summary

The 2010 Budget includes stable funding to arts and culture with no cuts, but also yields no new investments into the creative economy. The CCA sees no investment towards cultural infrastructure, or funds for promotion abroad and audience development. It is encouraging that charities are given more flexible means to conduct business, and research granting associations will have an increased ability to fund higher education within the knowledge economy.  Moving forward, some concerns include administrative reforms, freezes on departmental operating budgets, and changes to strategic reviews. These measures may not be viewed as cuts at the moment, but may lead to financial difficulties for the arts sector down the road.

Read the full detailed update here

Thank you to everyone that has journeyed into the great form abyss that is our Operating Grant Program and made it through the other end.  We are excited about all that financial and statistical data that you have provided us with, (we're weird that way).  Now our job begins, to compile and share these stats back to all the organizations that have put the effort into providing them.  We are looking forward to using this information to tell compelling stories of the impact that our arts organizations have on our City and the lives of Calgarians. 

In the mean time, Lauren is diligently digging herself out from under a mountain of grants and support material and will be in touch with organizations that may still owe us bits of information.  We look forward to reading the operating grant applications and reports and continuing to be inspired be the amazing vision and skill of Calgary's artists and arts organizations!

This letter from the Collective Arts Think Tank in New York should be addressed and sent to every arts funder.    It examines what's working and what's not working in strategies to supporting artists and the creation of work.  Scan the highlights below, but be sure to read the whole letter (linked above) to get to the depth of the issues that work for the success or detriment to artists and organizations.

What's working:

1. Artists that make work on the work's schedule
2. Tailor-made management strategies for projects or artists
3. Knowing the real costs
4. Generosity among colleagues
5. Multi-year funding and presenting
6. Subsidized rentals

What's not working:  read more »

The picture above was taken on our last Operating Grant deadline in 2007.  Here's what things look like in the aftermath of our 2009 Operating Grant deadline in our new paperless Operating Grant program:

(You can almost hear Mother Nature breathing a sigh of relief).  Thank you to everyone who submitted this year.  We know that there were quite a few bugs, glitches and painful forms along the way- many of which we are already working on improving for next year.  If you have any questions about our assessment process and timelines then, as always, don't hesitate to contact us.

Calgary Arts Development has just posted granting deadlines from other major arts funding programs accessible to Calgary artists and art organizations. They are listed on our events calendar. (Upcoming events are posted on our home page as well.)

We can't guarantee the info will stay current, but we'll do our best to keep it up to date. Absolutely, check with the funding bodies themselves for any details about their programs. We're happy to post other deadlines, so please let us know if you have other suggestions.

Information about Calgary Arts Development's 2009 Community Investment Programs will be available in late September. We look forward to working with the community in this exciting new program.  read more »

The language around granting is loaded. Even the word 'grant' as defined on dictionary.com speaks to the hierarchy and entitlement that is implied by the word and potentially the action.

something granted, as a privilege or right, a sum of money, or a tract of land.  read more »

The government of Ontario is stepping up to the plate in an impressively strong way.  Funding the shortfall of many of the city's large capital projects for the arts and re-defining seed funding through a new $15 million legacy grant for the one year old Luminato Festival.  Check out this article published in today's Toronto Star.

OK Alberta, the bar is set.

This Monday past, we held our Volunteer Appreciation Party, to recognise the work and contribution of the volunteers who work on our Granting Committee. It was held in Calgary Opera's Arrata Centre, a beautifully restored church in the Beltline district. Part of our entertainment that evening were the performances of two young artists, Whitney-Leigh Sloan and John Conlon, both of whom are participants in Calgary Opera's Emerging Artists Programme. The pair sang a duet and then each performed a solo.  read more »

This morning the Canada Council and Alberta Foundation for the Arts were in town to launch the Alberta Creative Development Initiative. This anticipated grant program will provide important new dollars for artists, arts administrators and organizations in Alberta. The program was established through a Canada Council Initiative driven by the Council's interest to increase participation from Alberta artists and organizations in their programs.  read more »

In May, 2007 the Canada Council announced the Alberta Creative Development Initiative, the a new $6 million grant program for Alberta arts organizations and artists in partnership with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development and the Edmonton Arts Council. To support this program, and to increase the participation of Albertans and Western Canada in Canada Council programs, the Council is hiring a Program Officer for Western Canada. This Program Officer will be based in Edmonton with extensive travel to Calgary and throughout the Province.  read more »