MONTRÉAL, November 29, 2006 - On behalf of the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, the Honourable Michael Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister Responsible for the Montréal Region, today announced funding for CINARS, the International Exchange for the Performing Arts. These funds allowed the organization to hold CINARS 2006, a large-scale event in Montréal. In addition, the funds will be used for the Informal European Theatre Meetings Conference (IETM), which will take place outside of Europe for the first time.
"These meetings are an excellent opportunity for Canada's artists and creators to benefit from the experience of their counterparts around the world, to develop innovative projects, and to establish valuable new connections," said Minister Oda. "Canada's new Government is proud to support these meetings. They will not only foster the success of the Canadian arts sector, but will also help Canadian culture reach a broader audience across Canada and around the world."
"As Minister Responsible for the Montréal Region, I am pleased that Canada's new Government is supporting CINARS, an organization that is committed to making this vibrant city an international hub for the performing arts," said Minister Fortier.
From November 14 to 18, CINARS 2006 welcomed more than 1000 artists, agents, presenters, producers, and observers from some 50 countries. Participants discussed different aspects related to cultural exports.
The IETM Conference will be held in Montreal in May 2007. It will bring together more than 400 performing arts professionals from more than 40 countries. The goal is to foster the growth and development of contemporary performing arts and encourage interconnections among arts professionals, within a broader context of cultural diversity.
Canada's new Government has provided $188,000 in funding through the Arts Presentation Canada Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The program seeks to give Canadians more access to direct experiences of the diversity and richness of Canada's culture through professional arts festivals, presentation of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.
Information:
Chisholm Pothier
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and
Status of Women
819 997-7788
Jean-Luc Benoît
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of
Public Works and
Government Services
819 997-5421
Donald Boulanger
A/Chief,
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819 994-9101
