BC government announces new grant program for individual professional artists
Totalling $500,000, the Pivot to Individuals program allows people to apply for grants up to $12,000
AS THE ARTS and culture sector continues to be hammered by the impact of COVID-19, individual professional artists are now able to apply for a provincial-government grant.
Through the BC Arts Council’s new Pivot for Individuals program, people can apply for up to $12,000 to learn new skills or adapt their practices.
The program—which is capped at $500,000—is geared to professional artists, such as dancers, choreographers, visual artists, writers, actors, and multi-media artists. Arts administrators and cultural workers are also eligible to apply.
Funds can be used for such purposes as modifying a dance piece for a smaller audience, learning new skills (such as video editing), or for professional-development support like mentorship or training.
“As an independent artist myself, I know how daunting it is right now,” Pat Henman, theatre artist and BC Arts Council member said in a release. “This new program will be so welcome by artists trying to maintain their practice. These grants offer financial support for professional artists who are vital to our communities and our economy.”
Applications are open until February 16. The BC Arts Council will adjudicate and award the grants in early spring.
“Together with the arts sector, we are working hard to make sure that dancers, writers, painters and other artists can continue being resilient and finding innovative ways to keep creating through COVID-19,” Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, said in a statement. “We’re building on our support for arts and culture in British Columbia by helping artists adapt their work, ensuring our province has a strong creative industry to enjoy when the pandemic is over.”
Concerns in the arts community persist
Many artists have been unable to work or worked less due to the temporary closures of venues and restricted audience sizes. According to Statistics Canada, unemployment in arts and culture is higher than average and has not recovered at the pace of other B.C. industries.
Stir previously reported that concerns in the arts sector throughout the province about surviving and recovering from COVID-19 have been mounting, according to the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance’s Fall 2020 COVID-19 B.C. Arts and Culture Impact Report.
The report was based on surveys of the B.C. organizations such as theatres, galleries, and dance companies as well as individual artists. Most individual artists pointed to several challenges in recovering, such as general uncertainty and inability to plan for the future (83 percent); shortage of available work opportunities (74 percent); and a shortage of personal energy and motivation (61 percent). Fifty-six percent of them expect to earn less than $20,000 from all sources of income this year.
Indigenous and racialized respondents seemed to face the most obstacles of all individual artists, with 80 percent identifying personal or family health and safety concerns, compared to 54 percent of non-Indigenous or racialized individuals. “
Eighty-four percent of respondents said interested in digital programming and practices, but 49 percent noted they don’t have access to the necessary technology to make the shift.
In late November, when provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and the BC government shut down venues (a shuttering that has since been extended twice, first to January 8 and most recently to February 5), Firehall Arts Centre artistic producer Donna Spencer pointed out the financial and logistical challenges of moving to streaming. “Streaming is cost prohibitive; most of us were not created to be organizations that livestream,” she said. “It’s a different art form. And then there’s the cost of equipment.”
The B.C. government has earmarked $21 million to support arts and culture organizations’ recovery as part of Stronger BC through the BC Arts Council. Since March 2020, it has provided 108 microgrants to help artists adapt to changes in the sector through the BC Arts Council (in partnership with Yosef Wosk Family Foundation and City of Vancouver) and more than 740 microgrants to musicians to support free livestreams on Showcase BC through Creative BC.
However, cultural leaders throughout the province say direct dialogue is needed for the government to understand how arts organizations function as businesses.
Stir recently reported that Spencer is heading a province-wide effort that has requested the establishment of an arts and culture task force to help the sector manage and recover from the impact of COVID-19, similar to the Tourism Task Force that BC government formed in September with industry and business leaders.
Related Articles
