1999 Cultural Grants Recommendations - All Wards

The Economic Development and Parks Committee recommends the adoption of the report (June 2, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism.

The Economic Development and Parks Committee reports, for the information of Council, having referred the appeals by Lakeshore Arts and Arts York to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism for further consideration and report thereon to the Policy and Finance Committee on the appropriateness of providing additional funding for the aforementioned programs.

The Economic Development and Parks Committee submits the following report (June 2, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism:

Purpose:

This report presents the recommended allocations for the 11 cultural organizations which have applied through the Culture Division for municipal support within the Cultural Grants Program.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The approved budget for the Cultural Grants Program administered by the Culture Division is $3,527,180.00 which is sufficient for the recommended allocations presented in this report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the Cultural Grants allocations totalling $3,465,180.00 to 11 organizations, listed in Appendix "A" and described in the body of this report, be approved; and

(2)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Background:

Through Clause No. 3 of Report No. 24 of The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, adopted by City Council at its meeting held on November 25, 26 and 27, 1998, the City established the roles of the Toronto Arts Council and the Culture Division in the delivery of the Arts and Cultural Grants Program. The Culture Division was given the responsibility for the administration of arts grants to five Major Cultural Organizations, Caribbean Cultural Committee (Caribana), local arts councils and the Arts Toronto Arts Awards Program.

Prior to amalgamation, five major cultural organizations (Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, National Ballet School and Toronto Symphony Orchestra) were funded solely by the former Metro Toronto level of government, under specialized criteria developed for major regional institutions. These organizations are national institutions and large employers that contribute significantly to the tourism infrastructure of the City. The criteria used to evaluate these organizations go well beyond the artistic merit of these organizations and include economic and tourism dimensions. Accordingly, these organizations continue to be funded through the Culture Division. The Caribbean Cultural Committee was added to the list of major cultural organizations in 1998 through Council directive.

Local arts councils are membership-based service organizations that enhance their communities by serving the needs of artists and arts organizations. Unlike the Toronto Arts Council, they are not funding bodies, and they do not make grants of any kind. The criteria used to evaluate these organizations focus on the quality of service provided in a geographic area rather than artistic or cultural merit. The services provided complement those provided by the Department through the Culture Division.

In 1998, Arts Toronto's grant for the Toronto Arts Awards was a miscellaneous line item grant in the Consolidated Grants Budget. These funds were transferred during the 1999 Budget process to the Cultural Grants Program for administration and review. Arts Toronto also applies annually for a project grant of $10,000.00 from the Toronto Arts Council for Arts Week.

Discussion:

Cultural Grants Budget:

The consolidated Arts and Cultural Grants Program budget for 1999 is $12,183,500.00. Of this amount, $3,527,180.00 is designated for allocation through the Cultural Grants Program administered by the Culture Division. The Cultural Grants Program includes line item grants to Campbell House ($35,000.00) and to Toronto's First Post Office ($27,000.00) that were approved as part of the 1999 budget process. The budget for the 1999 Cultural Grants Program is unchanged from the 1998 amount.

Review Process:

Staff of the Culture Division reviewed the applications received at the April 1, 1999 deadline and requested additional information and/or clarification where necessary. Applications were reviewed and assessed by peer assessment panels in two separate streams and are reported on accordingly. The six Major Cultural Organizations in one stream and the local arts councils and Arts Toronto in the other.

Both streams were processed in a similar manner. The applications were reviewed and assessed through a peer assessment process. The role of the panels was to provide advice on the merit of the applications and to identify long-term issues and trends. Advisors were selected to represent a broad base of experience and expertise and a general knowledge of the cultural sector.

The panel for the Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, National Ballet School and Toronto Symphony Orchestra included James Lee (Chief Financial Officer, McMichael Canadian Art Collection), Jane Marsland (General Manager, Danny Grossman Dance Company) and Wendy Reid (a senior Arts Manager in music and dance). The Caribbean Cultural Committee is being reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Advisory Board established by the Province and the City. Staff will continue to monitor the Caribbean Cultural Committee through this process until the restructuring of the organization is complete. The intent would be to include the review of the Caribbean Cultural Committee grant as part of the review of Major Cultural Organizations in 2000.

The panel to review the local arts councils and Arts Toronto included Greg Baeker (Instructor in Arts Management, University of Toronto at Scarborough), Greg Brown (Artistic Director, Skylight Theatre) and John Elvidge (Chief Administrator's Office and former Community Arts Officer in Culture).

Major Cultural Organizations:

Several issues were identified in the review of the Major Cultural Organizations. Most have experienced a significant decrease in government funding in recent years, primarily from the Ontario Arts Council, and have been unable to secure sufficient sources of alternate funding. In the absence of the stability which government funding used to supply, these organizations have been struggling on an annual basis to maintain artistic excellence while dealing with growing deficits. The vitality of these organizations is a key component in the cultural life of the City and staff will continue to monitor their progress closely.

The National Ballet School has experienced a complete withdrawal of provincial funding and has had its municipal funding reduced in recent years. The Ballet School has requested an increase in support given the level of service to the local cultural community. The level of City support will need to be examined as part of a review of support to training institutions that will form part of the City's cultural planning process.

In addition, the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada continue to be funded by the City for their programs and activities taking place in the calendar year. The organizations have requested that they be funded on the basis of their fiscal years like other cultural grant recipients. The Municipal Grants Review Committee has referred this request to City Audit and staff will work with the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada to resolve this funding issue.

For the first time, in 1999, the support to the Caribbean Cultural Committee (Caribana) has been reviewed in the context of the Major Cultural Organizations. The City and the Province have made the restructuring of the organization a condition of continued financial support. Staff will continue to work with the Advisory Board to the Caribbean Cultural Committee to facilitate the restructuring process.

Local Arts Councils and Arts Toronto:

In Clause No. 3 of Report No. 24 of The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee referred to earlier, the Culture Division signalled its intention to move towards a purchase of service arrangement with local arts councils starting in the year 2000. To accomplish this, the Culture Division began discussions with the local arts councils who subsequently formed a steering committee of representatives from each of the councils and the three former municipalities that did not have community arts councils. Together, they have formed the Toronto Community Arts Alliance as a way of bringing together groups and individuals to further the interests of community arts in the City of Toronto and to begin to address those parts of the City not currently served by local arts councils (former East York, North York and Toronto). The Alliance will work with City staff to define a new funding arrangement so that the entire City has equitable access to community arts services. The Alliance will also hold a city-wide Community Arts Forum in partnership with the Culture Division in the fall of 1999.

Arts Toronto is not a community arts council per se but has been included in the Toronto Community Arts Alliance due to its work serving artists and arts organizations through Arts Week and the Toronto Arts Awards. The Chief Administrator's Office is currently reviewing City Award Programs and will consider the City's long-term support to the Toronto Arts Awards as part of its review.

Recommendations:

1999 is another transitional year for the Cultural Grants Program. The Culture Division is taking shape and work has begun on the framework for a Culture Plan. The Culture Division will examine support to major cultural organizations as part of the Culture Plan and move to a purchase of service agreement with local arts councils in the year 2000 to ensure consistent standards and access across the entire community. The budget is the same as 1998 and does not allow for any flexibility or increases, regardless of merit. For 1999, all applicants are recommended at the same level as last year. All organizations have sustained growth, performed well, and have no outstanding or unfulfilled conditions with the City.

It is recommended that the following allocations be approved:

Major Cultural Organizations:

(1)The Art Gallery of Ontario, established as the Art Gallery of Toronto in 1900 and operating as a provincial agency since 1966, offers innovative and diverse programs of exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, concerts, and educational services. The Art Gallery of Ontario is open to the public 2,200 hours a year, has 600,000 visitors and has a membership base of 39,000. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999/2000 activities.

An operating grant of $373,620.00 is recommended, which represents 1.3 percent of its revenue.

(2)The Canadian Opera Company, founded in 1950, has a two-fold objective: to advance the art of opera in Canada, and to develop the reputation and role of Canadian opera abroad. The Canadian Opera Company stages 47 performances annually with a total attendance of 118,000. The company has a subscription base of over 15,000. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999 activities and programs.

An operating grant of $854,970.00 is recommended which represents 5.5 percent of its revenue.

(3)The Caribbean Cultural Committee was founded in 1967 as a response to Canada's Centennial celebrations. The main activity for the Caribbean Cultural Committee is the annual production of the Caribana Festival. Since its inception, Caribana has grown to become one of the major cultural attractions in the City of Toronto. In 1998, a concerted effort was made to put the Caribbean Cultural Committee and Caribana on a sound financial footing with a substantial reduction in the organization's accumulated deficit. The organization completed 1998 with a clean audit and reduced its accumulated deficit by 50 percent. These efforts continue with the assistance of the Advisory Board with the involvement of Provincial and City officials. The 1998 Caribana Festival was an unqualified success with an estimated attendance of 750,000. The 1999 Caribana Festival will be held from July 31st until August 2nd.

An operating grant of $353,500.00 is recommended, which represents 21 percent of its revenue.

(4)The National Ballet of Canada, founded in 1951, is one of Canada's oldest and most renowned classical ballet companies. It presents three series each year at the Hummingbird Centre. The National Ballet of Canada stages 68 performances annually with a total attendance of 154,000. The organization has a subscription base of over 12,000. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999 activities and programs.

An operating grant of $767,670.00 is recommended which represents 5.7 percent of its revenue.

(5)The National Ballet School, incorporated in 1959, is recognized internationally for the quality of its professional training. The school presents public performances and lecture demonstrations throughout the year, and regularly commissions professional dance artists to choreograph works for the students. The school performs a series of public programs in the spring each year and makes its facilities available to organizations in the dance community for more than 1,200 hours per year. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999/2000 Toronto season of public performances and community programs.

An operating grant of $91,210.00 is recommended which represents 1.2 percent of its revenue.

(6)The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1921, is ranked among the top 10 best orchestras in North America. The organization provides distinctive performances of both established and new orchestral music. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra stages 114 performances per year with total attendance exceeding 215,000. It has a subscription base of over 28,000. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999/2000 activities.

An operating grant of $773,640.00 is recommended which represents 4.5 percent of its revenue.

Local Arts Councils and Arts Toronto:

(7)Arts Etobicoke, founded in 1973, is a local arts council for the former City of Etobicoke, providing services to its members and organizing events to foster appreciation for the arts. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999/2000 programs and services including its major annual festival, Autumn Arts Fest, which is held in October each year. Other programs include: Arts in Action supplement in the local paper, Arts Discovery education program in schools, Juried Art Show and Art Rental Program, Scholarships, Youth Without Shelter, in addition to Community Outreach and Membership Services. The organization has 336 members, four full-time staff and 34 part-time staff people. Over 278 volunteers contributed 2,600 hours last year and attendance at Arts Etobicoke events exceeded 15,000.

An operating grant of $144,570.00 ($45,000.00 of this is directed to Autumn ArtsFest) is recommended which represents 23 percent of its revenue.

(8)Arts Toronto (formerly the Arts Foundation of Greater Toronto), incorporated in 1985, produces both the annual Toronto Arts Awards and Arts Week, a city-wide celebration of the arts held each September, in support of its mandate to heighten public awareness of the arts.  The Toronto Arts Awards celebrate and raise the profile of established and internationally-renowned artists. The organization is seeking funding for sponsorship of the two Lifetime Achievement Awards for the 1999 Toronto Arts Awards. The organization has two full-time staff and 12 part-time staff people. Annual attendance for Arts Week exceeds 355,000 and the organization has over 200 volunteers who contributed 1,200 hours last year.

A project grant of $25,000.00 is recommended, which represents 7 percent of its revenue.

(9)Arts York, founded in 1988 and incorporated in 1992, is a community arts council whose mandate is to enhance the quality of life for residents of the former City of York region of Toronto by bringing together community members to create an environment in which arts and culture can flourish. The organization acts as a catalyst for the development of arts and cultural initiatives. Programs and services include: Workshops, Bi-yearly newsletter, Graffiti Transformation Program, regular features in the local papers, in addition to regular public, community and membership services. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999 operating costs which includes increasing the hours of the part-time administrator, as it implements a cultural plan for its community approved by the former Council for the City of York. The organization has 330 members and two part-time staff people. Twenty-two volunteers contributed 600 hours last year.

An operating grant of $12,000.00 is recommended, which represents 27 percent of its revenue.

(10)Lakeshore Arts, formed in 1992, fosters the participation, enjoyment and appreciation of the arts, culture and heritage-related activities in the Lakeshore community. Programs and services include: development of the South Etobicoke Community Cultural Plan, showcasing artists through events, exhibitions and public murals, Series of Chamber Music and Family concerts, quarterly insert in local paper and studies for the Lakeshore Assembly Hall. This 100 percent volunteer organization has grown to such a point that it now needs to hire a part-time staff person, so the request has increased from $5,000.00 to $25,000.00. Funds would be directed to its 1999/2000 fiscal year. Attendance at Lakeshore Arts events totalled 6,575 and over 157 volunteers contributed 1,672 hours last year.

An operating grant of $5,000.00 is recommended, which represents 9 percent of its revenue.

(11)The Scarborough Arts Council, incorporated in 1979, is the local arts council for the former City of Scarborough, serving as an umbrella organization providing services and programs in support of the arts. Programs and services include: Art Naturally, an annual arts festival, Monthly newsletters, programming the Bluffs Gallery, Library Displays, Art Rental program and a juried art show, Poetry Competition, and Open Doors, an annual studio tour. The organization is seeking funding for its 1999/2000 programs and services. It has 626 members, two full-time staff and eight part-time staff people. Total attendance at Scarborough Arts Council events and programs was 608,000 and over 212 volunteers contributed 2,500 hours last year.

An operating grant of $64,000.00 is recommended, which represents 25 percent of its revenue.

Appeals:

Since there was no increase in the 1999 Cultural Grants Budget and all applicants have been recommended at the same level as in 1998, no funds could be withheld for appeals. However, the right to appeal is granted to all grant applicants that apply to the City of Toronto. The Economic Development and Parks Committee will hear deputations at the meeting at which these recommendations are presented, and any adjustments should be recommended from the contingency allotment within the Consolidated Grants Budget.

Conclusions:

The recommendations for allocations contained in this report are the result of a review of the 11 applications received by the Culture Division at the April 1, 1999 deadline. The administration of the review was carried out in accordance with the City of Toronto's Grants Policy as adopted by Council on December 16 and 17, 1998. The arts and cultural organizations that are supported through the City's Cultural Grants Program provide a wide variety of opportunities for residents in the City of Toronto to participate in the arts as a participant, volunteer or audience member, and make the City a better place to live, work and visit.

Contact Names:

Ms. Beth Hanna, Culture Division, 392-5225; Ms. Cathi Forbes, Culture Division, 395-6192; Mr. Terry Nicholson, Culture Division, 392-4166.

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Appendix "A"

1999 Recommended Cultural Grant Allocations

Major Cultural Organizations1998 Grant1999 Request1999 Grant

(1)Art Gallery of Ontario$373,620.00$373,620.00$373,620.00

(2)Canadian Opera Company$854,970.00$880,000.00$854,970.00

(3)Caribbean Cultural

Committee (Caribana)$353,500.00$353,500.00$353,500.00

(4)National Ballet of Canada$767,670.00$768,000.00$767,670.00

(5)National Ballet School$91,210.00$100,000.00$91,210.00

(6)Toronto Symphony Orchestra$773,640.00$773,640.00$773,640.00

Total$3,214,610.00$3,248,760.00$3,214,610.00

Local Arts Councils & Arts Toronto1998 Grant1999 Request1999 Grant

(7)Arts Etobicoke$144,570.00$144,570.00$144,570.00

(8)Arts Toronto$25,000.00$25,000.00$25,000.00

(9)Arts York$12,000.00$40,000.00$12,000.00

(10)Lakeshore Arts$5,000.0$25,000.00$5,000.00

(11)Scarborough Arts Council$64,000.00$75,000.00$64,000.00

Total$250,570.00$309,570.00$250,570.00

Totals$3,465,180.00$3,558,330.00$3,465,180.00

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The Economic Development and Parks Committee also had before it the following communication, and copies thereof are on file in the office of the City Clerk:

(a)(June 21, 1999) from Mr. Gerald Smith, Director, Lakeshore Arts, Community Arts Council, regarding the adjustment from the contingency allotment within the grants budget for Lakeshore Arts in 1999; and

(b)(June 21, 1999) from Ms. Liliana D'Avella, Administrator, Arts Council, regarding the adjustment from the contingency allotment within the grants budget for Arts York in 1999.