March 22, 2000
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

Government announces 52 per cent increase in funding for
Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council

Charles Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today announced an increase of 52 per cent in funding for the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. An additional $250,000 will be provided to the arts council, bringing its total annual budget to $732,000.

"In a province with a culture as richly blessed as Newfoundland and Labrador, it is a good investment for government to increase its contribution to the arts council," said Furey. "Not only do the artists receiving grants create works which amaze and challenge us, they also create employment and economic activity."

During the recent Jobs and Growth consultations, it was pointed out by the artistic community that the cultural sector creates 5,200 direct and 2,300 indirect jobs and over $200 million in revenue each year. Much of this activity is initiated by grants from the arts council, which is often the first place an artist will look to for assistance to get a project off the ground. For example, without arts council grants, some major projects like Passage Film�s motion picture, based on Bernice Morgan�s book Random Passage, would not have happened.

The increased government funding will allow the arts council to give a larger number of grants to artists, as well as more substantial grants to each recipient.

In addition to this funding, the minister stated that government is also seeking a federal-provincial
agreement for the cultural sector, which would provide additional assistance to professional artists working on commercial ventures, such as sound recording, publishing and theatre.

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Communications, (709) 729-0928 or (709) 682-0366.

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