Province Supports Cultural, Economic Development

Cultural organizations throughout Nova Scotia are benefitting from investments announced today by the Department of Tourism and Culture.

Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald joined cultural community representatives to make the announcement at the Bauer Theatre in Antigonish.

The $72,600 in support comes from a new program established to support community and artistic development, and industry growth. Activities are distributed around the province, with three based in Cape Breton, two in Halifax Regional Municipality, five in northern Nova Scotia and three in southern Nova Scotia. Another five are provincial in scope.

The province's investment is being matched by the organizations involved and additional project partners, for an overall provincial impact of close to $600,000.

"I am impressed by the quality and range of projects receiving support from this latest call for applications," said Mr. MacDonald. "We're pleased to invest in these projects, which are contributing to cultural and economic development in communities throughout this province."

In the northern region, an $8,000 investment will help Festival Antigonish conduct a summer instructional theatre arts program. Theatre Antigonish will receive $2,000 to conduct the 2002 Theatre Antigonish One-Act Play Festival, which draws amateur theatre groups from Amherst to Inverness. The Piobaireachd Society of Antigonish is also receiving $2,500 to conduct a series of workshops and recitals in this classical style of highland piping. The Lismore Wintertime Revue Committee is receiving $2,100 to produce the annual Lismore Wintertime Revue in the Merrigomish area, which will play for three nights in March.

In addition, the Cumberland County Black Artisans group is receiving $3,000 to support an African Nova Scotian resident artist, who is one of many partners involved in a multicultural project called Discover your Destiny. The program is designed to encourage and support personal development and employment skills through mentorship. Two interns are also receiving training as part of this program.

In the Cape Breton region, a $5,000 investment will support efforts to produce the 2002 Gaelic Concert Series by community cultural group Commun Feis an Eilein. The concerts will be presented every Friday evening in July and August in Christmas Island and will present Gaelic singers, pipers, fiddlers, piano players, harpers and dancers. The Conseil des Arts de Cheticamp is also receiving $5,000 for a feasibility study on developing an arts academy at École Notre Dame l'Assomption. The space would greatly benefit from redesign to increase its use by students and the community.

In addition, a youth theatre production by the Festival on the Bay Society is receiving $5,000 for a variety of activities, including weekly workshops in the spring and fall, teen productions in February and in the summer and Young Company productions in the summer and fall and at Christmas 2002.

In the Halifax Regional Municipality, a $4,000 investment will help the Eastern Front Theatre conduct a youth theatre residency project at Cole Harbour High School.

"This project gives Eastern Front an opportunity to work in a more in-depth way with the school system," said Mary Vingoe, of Eastern Front Theatre. "It will also give the students involved a wonderful chance to bring their work into a professional performance setting at our On the Waterfront Festival in May."

In addition, the Lockview High Senior Concert Band, from Halifax Regional Municipality, is receiving $5,000 to attend the Ovation Music Festival in Toronto. Participation in the trip will contribute to the band's artistic development and strengthen its ties to the school and community.

In the southern region, an $8,000 investment will help to hire a one-year term development officer for the Bear River Community Craft and Recreation Facility Society. The development officer will create a long-term management plan, as well as oversee the renovation and leasing of two new studios. The South West Nova Scotia Music Festival will also receive $2,000 to conduct its second annual music festival which attracts participants from Claire and Argyle as well as Digby and Yarmouth. Two Planks and A Passion Theatre Association will receive $3,000 to conduct a multidisciplinary summer arts school. Four one-week programs of instruction will be offered -- one in dance, two in theatre and one in visual arts.

Other project investments totalling $18,000 are provincial in scope and include assistance for: the Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage's long-term development plan; Theatre Nova Scotia's 2002 Robert Merritt Theatre Awards, which recognize achievements in acting, directing, play writing, design and stage management; the Teddy Bear Artist Guild of Nova Scotia's 2002 theme year exhibitions, workshops, Web site and registry; Illustrating Words workshops by the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia in Sydney, Antigonish, Bridgewater and Annapolis Royal; and redesign of the Web site for the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council to better promote the work of its members.

"Redesigning our Web site will increase the quantity, quality and timeliness of the information we are able to provide to and about Nova Scotia's crafts community," said Susan Hanrahan of the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council. "Nova Scotian craftspeople will benefit through increased access to information about programs and services designed to benefit them and their businesses, and through having their work promoted to a global audience."

In the summer of 2001, the department announced a series of new programs for its Culture Division. Among these is the Cultural Activities Program, which provides support to community-level performances, festivals, workshops and cultural projects. Community organizations have four opportunities each year to apply for assistance, with the next deadline set for Feb. 15.