Increased Support for the Confederation Centre of the Arts and 40 Festivals in Prince Edward Island
News release
CHARLOTTETOWN, August 7, 2019
Mr. Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament (Charlottetown), announced today investments totalling nearly $8 million to support the Confederation Centre of the Arts and more than 40 events and festivals in Prince Edward Island. He made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minster of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.
For more than 50 years, the Confederation Centre of the Arts has been a gathering place and creative forum celebrating Canada’s history and many cultures through the visual and performing arts. The Confederation Centre of the Arts will receive an additional $500,000 annually for 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, with investments announced in the last budget. This additional $1 million in support is in addition to the $3 million the centre receives annually for its programming. The Government of Canada’s total funding for this organization is $7 million for the two fiscal years.
The funding comes from the Fathers of Confederation Building Trust Program.
Support for festivals and cultural events
Parliamentary Secretary Casey also announced an investment of $738,600 in 2019–2020 for organizations that host festivals and cultural events in Prince Edward Island.
This funding will support 42 arts and heritage celebrations and promotional projects, as well as support arts and culture festivals for residents throughout the province.
These projects have a major impact in Prince Edward Island. They make a significant contribution to the vitality of the arts and culture sector, promote tourism, and boost economic growth.
The government funding is from the Local Festivals component of the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program, as well as the Canada Arts Presentation Fund.
Additional support for arts, culture and celebrations
Arts and culture are essential to an inclusive society and are at the heart of Canada’s growing creative economy. Presentations and other related arts experiences bring Canadian audiences and artists together, and also reflect our cultural, linguistic and regional diversity.
This additional funding will strengthen the cultural and creative industries, help Canadians celebrate diversity and promote greater inclusiveness. This investment will help meet current and growing needs, particularly in less affluent regions. Further details will be announced in the near future.
Data Table
| Program | Total Amount |
|---|---|
| Fathers of Confederation Building Trust |
$3,500,000 (2019–2020) $3,500,000 (2020–2021) |
| Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage (2019–2020) |
$421,100 27 projects |
| Canadian Arts Presentation Fund (2019–2020) |
$317,500 15 projects |
Fathers of Confederation Building Trust
| Recipient | Project | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
$3,500,000 (2019–2020) $3,500,000 (2020–2021) |
| Total | $7,000,000 | ||
Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage
| Recipient | Project | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abegweit First Nation | Abegweit First Nation's 21st Mawiomi/Powwow | Scotchfort | $15,300 |
| Annual Abegweit Pow Wow Committee | 27th Annual Abegweit Pow Wow | Charlottetown | $12,300 |
| Art in the Open Inc. | Art in the Open | Charlottetown | $27,500 |
| Centre Expo-Festival Center Ltd. | Country Music Festival | Wellington | $4,000 |
| Centre Expo-Festival Center Ltd. | Festival des Fêtes | Wellington | $3,000 |
| Cloggeroo – The Island Folk Festival Inc. | Cloggeroo – the Island Folk Festival | Georgetown | $27,200 |
| Comité organisateur du Jamboree atlantique des violoneux | Atlantic Fiddlers Jamboree | Wellington | $9,300 |
| Conseil Rév. S.-E. Perrey Inc. | Festival Hivernal 2019 | Tignish | $5,200 |
| Coopérative de Développement Culturel et Patrimonial de Mont-Carmel Ltée. | Grand Ruisseau Song Festival | Mont-Carmel | $8,000 |
| Exposition agricole et le Festival acadien de la région Évangéline Inc. | The Evangeline Area Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival | Abram-Village | $17,600 |
| Friends of Montague Summer Days Festival | Montague Summer Days Cultural Festival | Montague | $18,300 |
| Friends of the Farmers’ Bank of Rustico | Acadian Harvest Festival | Rustico | $5,500 |
| Island Fringe Festival Inc. (The) | The Island Fringe Festival | Charlottetown | $5,200 |
| La Belle-Alliance Ltée | Festival de la citrouille – Les couleurs de l’automne | Summerside | $16,100 |
| Lennox Island First Nation Annual Pow Wow | 19th Annual Lennox Island Pow Wow | Lennox Island | $10,800 |
| Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI Inc. | 11th Annual Charlottetown/MCPEI Powwow | Charlottetown | $12,600 |
| Pride PEI | PEI Pride Festival | 25 years | Charlottetown | $102,500 |
| River Clyde Pageant (The) | The River Clyde Pageant | Charlottetown | $17,500 |
| Souris Special Events Committee | 11th Annual Mermaid Tears Seaglass Festival | Souris | $5,000 |
| Souris Special Events Committee | 39th Annual Souris Christmas Festival and Parade | Souris | $3,000 |
| Souris Special Events Committee | Music in the Park Series | Souris | $2,400 |
| St. Louis Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Festival | St. Louis Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Festival | St. Louis | $7,000 |
| St. Peters Area Development Corporation | The Frank Ledwell Storytelling and Comedy Festival | St. Peter's Bay | $3,800 |
| St. Peters Blueberry Festival and Homecoming Committee Inc. | St. Peters Bay Wild Blueberry Festival and Homecoming | St. Peter's Bay | $2,600 |
| Summerside Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Co-operative Association Limited | Summerside Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival | Summerside | $5,700 |
| West Prince Bluegrass & Music Co-Operative Limited | Red Clay Bluegrass Festival | Tignish | $11,500 |
| Wyatt Heritage Properties Inc. | Summerside Arts Festival | Summerside | $62,200 |
| Total | $421,100 | ||
Canada Arts Presentation Fund
| Recipient | Project | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100570 P.E.I. Inc. | TD PEI Jazz and Blues Festival | Charlottetown | $8,000 |
| Association du Festival Évangéline de musique bluegrass et traditionnelle Ltée | Festival Bluegrass Évangéline | Abram-Village | $10,000 |
| Atlantic Presenters Association Inc. | APA Programming and Services | Charlottetown | $120,000 |
| Belle-Alliance Ltee. | 2019–2020 programming | Summerside | $10,000 |
| Big Field Traditions Inc. | Rollo Bay Music Camp and Fiddle Festival 2019 | Rollo Bay | $5,000 |
| Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean | 2019–2020 programming | Charlottetown | $10,000 |
| Coopérative de développement culturel et patrimonial de Mont-Carmel Ltée | Mont-Carmel Summer Concert Series | Mont-Carmel | $10,000 |
| Indian River Festival Association Inc. | Indian River Festival | Indian River | $37,000 |
| P.E.I. Arts Guild Inc. | The Guild Festival 2019 | Charlottetown | $5,000 |
| Prince Edward Island Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Society Incorporated | PEI Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Festival | Dundas | $10,000 |
| Regional Cultural / Event Centre Inc. | Harbourfront Theatre Presents | Summerside | $30,000 |
| Small Halls Inc. | PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls | All over PEI | $25,000 |
| Town of Georgetown | Kings Playhouse 2019/2020/2021 Season | Georgetown | $7,500 |
| Victoria Playhouse Inc. | Victoria Playhouse Festival | Victoria | $20,000 |
| Watermark Theatre Inc. | Classic Music Reignited | North Rustico | $10,000 |
| Total | $317,500 | ||
Quotes
“The Confederation Centre of the Arts is a unique creative and performance centre for all Canadians. Festivals and cultural events in Prince Edward Island also contribute to this cultural economy by highlighting the value of our communities, our diversity and the tremendous talent of our artists. I invite all Canadians to take advantage of the summer season to discover what is happening in their communities and across the country.”
—The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism
“Cultural industries are vital to the economy of Prince Edward Island. This $1 million in additional funding for the Confederation Centre of the Arts will support more diverse cultural offerings. In its last budget, the Government of Canada made the cultural sector a priority. These investments will help more than 40 festivals and events provide enhanced programming for the island’s residents and tourists. These events are great opportunities to get together with family and friends to celebrate our culture and our heritage.”
—Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament (Charlottetown)
“Confederation Centre of the Arts is grateful to the Government of Canada for recently announcing$1 million in funding over two years to support operations at the centre. This funding is critical for enabling us to continue offering arts, heritage, and education programs, which affect communities locally and nationally. As the national memorial to the founding of Canada, the Confederation Centre brings regional artists to the national stage, and national artists to the region. We are proud to play a significant role in the growth of culture, tourism, and the economy.”
—Steve Bellamy, Chief Executive Officer, Confederation Centre of the Arts
Quick facts
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The projects received funding through the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program, the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, and its sub-component, the Fathers of Confederation Building Trust.
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The Fathers of Confederation Building Trust is a single-recipient program that supports the activities of the Confederation Centre of the Arts as the only national monument commemorating the Fathers of Confederation.
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The Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program increases opportunities for local artists, artisans, heritage performers and arts specialists to be involved in their community through festivals, events and projects.
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The Canada Arts Presentation Fund supports organizations that stage professional arts festivals and performing arts event series, as well as for organizations that offer support to arts presenters.
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Every year, the Government supports more than 650 festivals and performing arts events in more than 250 communities across Canada, through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund and the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program.
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The additional investment of $50.25 million over two years (2019–2020 and 2020–2021) announced in the last budget includes $16 million for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund; 14 million for the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program and $20.25 million for the Celebration and Commemoration Program.
Associated links
Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:
Simon Ross
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca