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Ms. Teena Martin, Executive Director, and
Ms. Maria Anna Parolin, Co-President, Board of Directors,
Burnaby Arts Council (BAC), appeared
before the Committee to present information regarding community arts development
in Burnaby.
Ms. Martin thanked the Mayor and the
Committee for their support of the BAC, and noted that the BAC has served the
community for over 50 years by creating vibrant connections to the arts. The
delegation played a video, which highlighted commonalities between the BAC’s
and the City’s strategic plans on the following initiatives: youth
engagement, social connections, inclusive community, healthy community and
dynamic community.
The BAC is proposing creation of a
three-year partnership pilot project that would include the following community
arts initiatives:
·
Intercultural
round tables;
·
Programs
for youth, seniors and people with disabilities;
·
Artist
outreach to explore and facilitate opportunities for artists; and
·
Enhanced
community relationships (e.g., connections between artists and the City’s
Mural Program and collaboration with BBOT and Tourism Burnaby).
The proposed project envisions to:
·
Bridge
the gap between the community and the arts;
·
Build
capacity to keep up with the City’s growth;
·
Provide
an outlet for the community of all ages and cultures;
·
Contribute
to a balanced community that includes equitable investment in arts and
sports; and
·
Leverage
development of a new funding model.
Ms. Martin noted that over the last
25 years, the community has doubled in size while the City’s funding to the BAC
has remained static at $25,000 per year. The BAC has made efforts to
increase its funding; however, lack of leverage to develop alternative
revenue has been a challenge. In closing, Ms. Martin requested a 30-day
response from the City regarding the following requests:
·
2019:
additional $50,000 in funding by 2019 September for total annual funding of
$75,000;
·
2020:
$100,000 in annual funding and implementation of one annual payment in
January of each year moving forward; and
·
2021:
$100,000 in annual funding.
The Committee noted that proposed
funding constitutes a considerable increase in funding provided by the City, advised
that the City will need more information from the delegation, and inquired
regarding the next steps, other funders, and annual cost of the pilot
project.
The delegation advised that funding
would be reviewed each year with the BAC reporting annually on its deliverables.
The BAC receives funding from various grants, gaming funds, and the BC Arts
Council, and its annual expenditures are approximately $191,000. Funding
sought from the City would be used to hire an on-site project coordinator to
oversee some of the operations, and to allow the Executive Director to make
the connections in the community and develop a new funding model.
The Committee noted the importance
of developing a City-wide vision for the arts, and the need to ensure that the
BAC’s programs compliment the City’s arts programs.
Staff advised that the City has an
Arts Policy, and undertook to provide a copy of the Policy to the Committee.
Arising from further discussion and
without objection by any member, the Committee asked the delegation to provide
additional information (e.g., long-term goals and budget) to staff, and to
work with staff to ensure that the project compliments the City’s existing
arts and cultural programs.
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