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Your B.C. Government

Arts, Culture and Sport

Your B.C. Government is investing in the development of B.C.’s arts, culture and sports in order to build strong, healthy and economically vibrant communities.

What your B.C. Government is doing for Arts, Culture and Sport:

ARTS AND CULTURE:

  • B.C.'s arts and culture sector employs more than 78,000 people and contributes more than $5.2 billion each year to our provincial economy.
  • Provincial funding for the BC Arts Council (BCAC) in 2008/09 was higher than any previous year.
  • Since 2001, the Council has increased the grants provided from $11.2 million to $23.8 million (including an additional $7 million) in 2008/09, distributing over $124 million in nine years.
  • In 2008/2009, $7 million was allocated through supplementary estimates for arts and culture funding.
  • The arts are a key pillar of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which gives the B.C. arts community an opportunity to shine on the world stage.
  • To date, the Council’s Special Projects/Unique Opportunities program has contributed $950,000 toward the Cultural Olympiads, the cultural component of the 2010 Winter Games. (Government has contributed another $350,000 to the Olympiads through the Arts Legacy Fund).
    • The 2009 instalment of the Cultural Olympiad featured 100 events including dance performances, arts and film festivals, photography exhibits, plays and comedy performances.
  • The Province will also be taking a leadership role in helping B.C.'s communities to maximize the economic opportunities presented by arts and culture by implementing a cultural tourism strategy, as announced at the UBCM conference in September 2008.
  • The Province has also provided long-term support for the arts through two endowment projects:
    • $150 million was invested to create the BC 150 Cultural Fund. Each year, earnings from the endowment fund a variety of arts and cultural groups.
    • $25 million was provided over three years through the Renaissance Fund to help arts groups form their own endowments by leveraging matching contributions from other sources. With this support, arts groups were able to create endowment funds worth more than $50 million.
  • The Province has supported several significant arts and culture projects in B.C. over the past few years, including:
    • $50 million to the Vancouver Art Gallery
    • $9 million to restore and revitalize the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and establish an endowment to assist with the centre's ongoing operating costs.
    • $9 million for the National Maritime Centre. 2007/08
    • $650,000 to support the Juno Awards in Vancouver, March 26-29, 2009.
    • $600,000 to support B.C. artists participating in the BC Scene in Ottawa, April 21-May 3, 2009.
    • $350,000 from the Arts Legacy Fund (ALF) to support the 2008 Cultural Olympiad.
    • $300,000 to the Canadian Country Music Awards in Vancouver, Sept. 10-13, 2009.
  • The 2010 Legacies Now’s Catalyst, Innovations and Creative Communities programs have invested more than $3.3 million in 330 arts projects in 77 communities across B.C.
  • As well, government has contributed to the $6.5 million Arts Partners in Creative Development program, which supports B.C. arts and cultural organizations in commissioning and developing artistic works that achieve a high level of excellence.
  • Budget 2009 removed the expiry dates for labour-based film tax credits, and extended eligibility for domestic film tax credits to include Canadian-controlled companies, making it easier for BC-based producers to raise capital outside the province.
  • Motion picture production spending in British Columbia in 2008 was $1.2 billion, an increase of more than $250 million over 2007. The film and television industry contributes approximately $1 billion annually to B.C.'s economy and provides an estimated 20,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs.
  • Your B.C. Government is supporting the designation of Wells Gray Park as a United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

SPORT:

  • Your B.C. Government is providing $38 million annually to encourage British Columbians to be physically active and to support our ‘performance pathway’ for athletes, coaches and the practitioners supporting them.
  • Your B.C. Government put $10 million into Canada's Own the Podium and Road to Excellence initiatives to assist B.C. and Canadian high-performance athletes in achieving personal bests and podium performances, including $1 million specifically to support Paralympic athletes.
  • The Province provides $2 million annually for amateur athletes at the BC Summer and Winter Games, giving them important training and development opportunities as they strive to excel in their chosen sport.
  • Your B.C. Government provides support to KidSport to remove financial obstacles that prevent under-privileged kids from playing sports.
  • Almost $19 million is distributed annually to sport and recreation groups through gaming revenue grants.

For more information:
BC150
BC Arts Council
BC Film Commission