1998 Cultural Grants Allocations and Appeals

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the recommendation in the following transmittal letter (June 11, 1998) from the Municipal Grants Review Committee:

Recommendation:

The Municipal Grants Review Committee on June 11, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the attached reports (May 20 and June 8, 1998) from the Commissioner, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, respecting the 1998 Cultural Grants Allocations and Appeals.

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(Report dated May 20, 1998, addressed to theMunicipal Grants Review Committee from theCommissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism)

Purpose:

This report recommends the allocation of the 1998 consolidated Cultural Grants Program, including two former line-item grants.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Sufficient funds for the 1998 Cultural Grants allocations exist in the Arts and Culture Grants component of the Corporate Grants appropriation.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)Cultural Grants totalling $3,698,540.00 be allocated in 108 grants to 105 organizations, as set out in Appendix 1;

(2)payments to a maximum of $33,000.00 be approved to two organizations for which grants have been recommended, subject to meeting specific conditions;

(3)$8,000.00 be transferred from the Cultural Grants component of the Corporate Grants appropriation to the Parks and Recreation operating budget for the continued provision of free space at the Whitlam Avenue Warehouse; and

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

Council Reference/Background/History:

The overall approach to the grants review and allocations process in 1998, as outlined in the Administration of Municipal Grants Programs report (Clause No. 1 of Report No. 1 of The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee) approved by Council on February 4, 5, and 6, 1998, has been to undertake a simplified review process, provide flatline allocations to returning organizations that do not have identified performance issues, and to consider new and project-based applicants using grants funds made available by non-returning organizations or those with reduced allocations. The priority for staff has been to manage the amalgamation of seven previous programs and, at the same time, work to simplify the 1998 allocations process and minimize any negative impact on funded organizations.

Funds made available through attrition within the Cultural Grants Program have been recommended to new and project-based applicants. This reflects the importance of open access to municipal grants programs as identified in the Administration of Municipal Grants Programs report. Although some geographic redistribution of grants funds has occurred naturally through this process, staff have not purposefully attempted to undertake this redistribution in the 1998 transition year.

The following information is appended to this report:

(1)recommended allocation of the 1998 Cultural Grants;

(2)summary of 1998 applications and recommendations; and

(3)1998 Cultural Grants Guidelines and Terms and Conditions of Grants.

Discussion:

Administration of the Consolidated Cultural Grants Program:

The 1998 Cultural Grants Program consolidates the seven arts and culture grants programs of the former municipalities. While there existed some differences in eligibility criteria for the seven programs, they were similar in their fundamental principles, making it possible to consolidate the programs with little impact on funded organizations in the transition year while a new grants policy is developed.

Although the programs were consolidated into a single program with a single application form and one set of simple, eligibility requirements and assessment criteria (see Appendix 3), the Administration of Municipal Grants Programs report set out the following division of responsibilities for the administration of the program in 1998:

(i)all applications from organizations operating in the former City of Toronto were administered and reviewed by the Toronto Arts Council (TAC);

(ii)all other applications, including applications from organizations previously funded by Metro and not the TAC, were administered and reviewed by staff of the Culture Office. This includes the four Regional Cultural Institutions formerly funded only by Metro: the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; and

(iii)those applications received by the Culture Office from organizations operating in the former City of Etobicoke were reviewed by the Etobicoke Municipal Arts Commission.

This report recommends allocations on applications received and reviewed by the Culture Office, including those from the former City of Etobicoke.

Culture Office Review Process:

Staff of the Culture Office reviewed the applications received at the March 16, 1998, deadline and identified those organizations with a history of stable municipal funding whose applications demonstrated consistency of programming, and administrative and fiscal management. Those organizations are recommended to receive allocations equal to their combined 1997 municipal funding.

The Grants Committee of the Etobicoke Municipal Arts Commission reviewed all applications from the former City of Etobicoke, and their recommended allocations are contained in this report.

All other applications received a further review by a multi-disciplinary Advisory Panel or through individual advisor assessment. The role of all the advisors was to provide advice to staff on the merit of the applications based on the published assessment criteria (see Appendix 3). Advisors were selected to represent a broad range of experience and expertise, and a general knowledge of the cultural sector. The 1998 advisors were:

(1)Ann Brokelman - General Manager, Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra;

(2)Janet Battaglia - Associate Director, CBC, and community theatre participant and former member, North York Arts Grants Advisory Panel;

(3) Shelly Crawford - Program Co-ordinator, Co-op Program in Arts Management, University of Toronto at Scarborough;

(4)Caroline Di Giovanni - Board Member, various cultural organizations and former Metro Councillor;

(5) William Lau - performing artist, arts administrator and Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology;

(6)Roger McTair - writer, filmmaker, and Board Member, Factory Theatre; and

(7)Gerald Smith - educator, arts consultant and Past President, Lakeshore Arts Committee.

Where an advisor had a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in an application under their consideration, they were required to declare that conflict in writing and refrain from any discussion on that application.

In all, 117 applications were received by the Culture Office. Of those, 22 requests were from organizations based in the former City of Etobicoke, including two first-time applicants. Of the remaining 95 applications, 58 were deemed by staff to qualify for a recommended allocation equal to their combined 1997 municipal funding; the other 37, including 20 first-time applications, were reviewed by advisors through the Advisory Panel or through individual assessment.

The Cultural Grants Program Budget:

The consolidated Cultural Grants Program Budget was approved at the 1997 level of $10,947,998.00. Of that amount, $7,285,118.00 has been designated for distribution by the Toronto Arts Council to organizations based in the former City of Toronto (Clause No. 13 of Report No. 8 of The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, approved by Council on May 13, 14 and 15, 1998). After an adjustment of $40,000.00 from this program to be consolidated in the City's 1998 grant to Caribana, the budget remaining for allocation through the Cultural Grants Program was $3,622,880.00.

The Administration of Municipal Grants Programs report directed staff to review line-item grants of the former municipalities to identify those that fall within the mandate of existing grants programs and to consolidate the administration of those funds in 1998. Of the nine line-item grants in the Arts and Culture component of the Corporate Grants allocation, two meet that criteria: the former City of Etobicoke supported Arts Etobicoke's Autumn ArtsFest with an annual line-item grant ($45,000.00 in 1997) and the former City of Scarborough supported the Scarborough Arts Council with an annual line-item grant ($40,000.00 in 1997). These organizations were also funded by Metro, with grants administered through the Cultural Grants Program. Under the consolidated 1998 Cultural Grants Program, these grants are being considered to form part of the base level of funding for the two organizations, and the allocations for the line-item grants are included in the total allocations recommended in this report.

In total, the budget available for allocation to Cultural Grants Program applicants reviewed by the Culture Office is $3,707,880.00, including $85,000.00 for the two above-noted line-item grants.

Allocation Issues:

Although the arts and culture grants programs of the former municipalities were administered in similar ways, some differences resulted in allocation issues this year. It must be noted that many organizations received support from two or, in some rare instances, three of the former municipal grants programs. This occurred in recognition of different aspects of the work undertaken by the organizations, or where the different municipalities viewed themselves as partners in the support of certain activity. Allocation issues have arisen because sometimes one municipality directed funds towards an organization's fiscal period or activity which was almost completed, while the other municipal funding partner was simultaneously funding upcoming activity.

There are six such instances in the allocations recommended in this report. Through the reallocation of funds made available from the reduced allocation to an organization in a hiatus period, three small, one-time, partial-grant adjustments have been recommended to bring three of these organizations into line with the funding cycle of the consolidated grants program. These three one-time adjustments, to the Art Gallery of York University, Les AMIS Concerts and the Toronto Canadian Chinese Artists Centre, are noted as such in Appendix 1, the list of recommended allocations, and in Appendix 2, the summary of applications and recommendations.

The other three organizations (Arts Etobicoke, the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery and the Koffler Gallery) have been recommended to receive split allocations this year, that is, a portion of their 1998 allocation is directed to complete the base level of funding for the current year, with the balance directed as a partial grant toward their upcoming activities. These situations, and others like them that exist in the list of applicants being administered this year by the TAC, will need to be reconciled in a future year with similar, one-time adjustments. Council should consider funding activities in advance of their occurrence as a "best practice". This issue will form part of the Municipal Grants Review currently underway.

A second issue in the allocation of the 1998 Cultural Grants Program is the transfer of $8,000.00 from the program's approved budget to the Parks and Recreation Division's operating budget to support the Whitlam Avenue Warehouse, a municipal facility which provides free space to community cultural organizations for storage and set building. The former City of Etobicoke annually transferred $8,000.00 in this manner to compensate the Parks Department's building account for lost revenue. This report recommends this transfer in 1998, but suggests that this arrangement be reviewed in the course of the Municipal Grants Review.

Summary of Allocation Recommendations:

Including the three one-time adjustments described above, this report recommends the allocation of 108 grants to 105 organizations. These organizations represent a broad spectrum of arts activity, from the fully professional to the semi-professional and the community-based. The distribution of "head offices" shows addresses in 27 of the City's 28 wards. Of course, the distribution of activity is more limited, since many wards do not contain appropriate venues for much of the activity undertaken by arts and culture organizations. Still, the distribution of activity ranges across all regions of the City.

Of returning organizations, five are not recommended for funding in this report:

(i)two of the organizations have yet to satisfy the terms of the municipal funding they received in 1997;

(ii)one organization is on hiatus while it undergoes a restructuring; and

(iii)two are project-based applications which, when assessed with the other project and first-time requests received this year, did not rank highly enough to merit a recommendation.

Of the 22 first-time applications received, 15 are recommended to receive support. The average first-time grant is $2,718.00.

Appeals:

$9,340.00 has been held back from the available Cultural Grants budget for consideration of appeals, to be heard at the Municipal Grants Review Committee on June 1, 1998. A report will be prepared for the Committee's meeting of June 11, 1998, with recommendations for the allocation of that hold-back.

Advances:

As outlined in the Administration of Municipal Grants Programs report, organizations were eligible to request interim advances of up to 50 percent of their 1997 combined level of municipal funding. The Culture Office received nine requests, and released nine advances, totalling $144,710.00. These advances will be deducted from the 1998 grant allocations to these nine organizations.

Conclusions:

The recommended allocations contained in this report are the result of a review of all applications received by the Culture Office at the March 16, 1998, deadline. The administration of the review was carried out in accordance with the process outlined in the Administration of Municipal Grants Programs report, adopted by Council on February 4, 5 and 6, 1998. The allocations recommended for organizations operating in the former City of Etobicoke were developed by the Etobicoke Municipal Arts Commission.

Contact Name:

Debra S. Lary, Tel: 392-8816.

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Appendix 1

1998 Cultural Grants Allocations

 Explanation of Codes:

(A)Adjustments: one-time partial grants, recommended to bring the organization in line with the municipal funding cycle.

(C)Conditional Grants: grants to be released upon the applicant meeting the conditions contained in Appendix 2 of this report.

(C2)Conditional Grants: grants to be released part outright, and part conditional upon the applicant meeting the conditions contained in Appendix 2 of this report.

(F)First-Time Applicants: organizations that have never previously applied to any of the former municipal Cultural Grants Programs.

* Column is not totalled because the base of applicants varies slightly from year to year, and is therefore not comparable.

(A copy of each of Appendices 2 and 3 referred to in the foregoing report was forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda of the Municipal Grants Review Committee for its meeting on June 1, 1998, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)

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(Report dated June 8, 1998, addressed to theMunicipal Grants Review Committee, from theCommissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism)

Purpose:

This report recommends the allocation of the holdback for appeals on the 1998 consolidated Cultural Grants Program.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

At its meeting of June 1, 1998, the Municipal Grants Review Committee received a report, entitled "1998 Cultural Grants Allocations", which recommended the allocation of $3,698,540.00 to 105 organizations. An amount of $9,340.00 was held back to respond to appeals. Sufficient funds for the allocation of this holdback exist in the Arts and Culture Grants allocation of the Corporate Grants appropriation.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the Cultural Grants appeals holdback of $9,340.00 be allocated as set out in Appendix 1 of this report; and

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

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its meeting of June 1, 1998, the Municipal Grants Review Committee received a report, entitled "1998 Cultural Grants Allocation", which recommended the allocation of $3,698,540.00 to 105 organizations. An amount of $9,340.00 was held back to respond to appeals.

Eight organizations provided written and/or verbal presentations to the Municipal Grants Review Committee, regarding either the amount of funding recommended to their organization, or the fact that they were not recommended for funding at all.

In developing recommendations for the allocation of the holdback for appeals, staff reviewed the original recommendations, the comments from the peer advisory panel which reviewed the applications, and considered the information presented in the appeal submissions and deputations.

The recommendations under appeal, along with all other recommendations, were reviewed in the context of available funds. This review was undertaken in a manner consistent with the original approach to grants allocation in 1998 and with the published criteria for the 1998 Cultural Grants Program, and involved both the staff of the Culture Office and the Etobicoke Municipal Arts Commission.

Discussion:

Appeals:

Of the eight organizations which appealed their allocations:

(1)two were first-time applicants not recommended for support;

(2)three were returning applicants not recommended for support;

(3)one was a first-time applicant appealing the amount recommended; and

(4)two were returning applicants appealing the amounts recommended.

Based on the information provided and a review of the original applications and advisory panel comments, staff are recommending funds to one of the returning applicants which had not originally been recommended for support, and recommending upward adjustments to the grants originally recommended to two returning and one first-time applicant. In all other cases, staff have confirmed their original recommendations.

Appendix 1 of this report sets out the rationale for the responses to the eight appeals.

Other Recommendations:

In order to accommodate a holdback for appeals in the first allocations report, the recommendations process was rigorous and conservative. Recommendations did not always reflect the level of support warranted by the quality of the application and the response of the peer advisory panel.

A review of all applicants not flat-lined under the Council-approved policy for 1998 grants allocations resulted in the identification of six such organizations. In the context of the funds available in the holdback for appeals, small upward adjustments are now recommended for the grants to those six organizations, as described in Appendix 1 of this report.

Conclusions:

The allocations recommended in this report fully expend the holdback for appeals to the Cultural Grants Program. Staff are supporting their original recommendations for four of the organizations which appealed, recommending allocations or allocations adjustments to the other four organizations which appealed, and recommending small upward adjustments to six other organizations recommended for support in the original set of allocations.

Contact Name:

 Debra S. Lary, Tel: 392-8816.

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 Appendix 1

1998 Cultural Grants - Allocation of Appeals Holdback

 Appeals:

(19)Caliban Arts Theatre, founded in 1995, aims to develop, promote and present the talents and works of black artists in Toronto. The organization is seeking funding for its film festival, The Other Film Festival, at the Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre, July 23-26, 1998.

Original recommendation: nil. Appeal recommendation: nil. The organization has yet to complete its production of "Wretched", for which it received grants in 1997 from both Metro and the former City of North York. Upon receipt of additional budget information, staff will consider redirecting some of the 1997 funds to the 1998 film festival.

(30)CHP (Children's Hour Productions) Artists, founded and incorporated in 1987, produces educational performances, exhibitions and entertainment of all kinds for family and child audiences. The organization is seeking funding for its production, "Respect Yourself", during its 1998/99 fiscal year.

Original recommendation: nil. Appeal recommendation: nil. The organization's Board of Directors comprises the General Manager, the Artistic Director, and their spouses; it does not meet the program assessment criteria of demonstrated community accountability, nor has the organization sufficiently demonstrated financial need.

(32)Community Arts Education Centre (CAEC) at Downsview Secondary School is an educational centre which offers studio classes in visual, media and performing arts on Saturdays, after school and in the summer months. The organization is seeking funding for "Arts Train", its pilot program during the months of July and August, 1998.

Original recommendation: nil. Appeal recommendation: nil. The Cultural Grants Program does not provide support to schools and other instruction programs. Toronto Parks and Recreation, North York District, has provided printing (valued at $20,000.00) for the 1998 summer program.

(74)New Globe Theatre, incorporated in 1992, is a professional theatre company dedicated to producing dynamic and provocative contemporary, classical and new theatrical material that engages an audience intellectually and emotionally. The organization is seeking funding for its full-scale production of "Valley Song" at the Studio Theatre, Ford Centre for the Performing Arts, April 16 to May 17, 1998.

Original recommendation: $2,000.00. Appeal recommendation: an additional $3,000.00, for a total of $5,000.00 in 1998. The company received a $2,000.00 grant in 1997 from the former Metro Cultural Grants Program, which resulted in some confusion over the company's previous level of support. The combined 1997 and 1998 support for this project is $7,000.00, representing 5.6 percent of the project budget.

(89)The Sacred Music Society, founded in 1996, encourages, supports and promotes public interest in sacred and liturgical music. The organization is seeking funding for its 1998/99 performances and activities.

Original recommendation: nil. Appeal recommendation: nil. The organization has failed to meet the conditions of its 1997 grant from the former City of Etobiocoke, which required it to incorporate, thereby disentangling the Board of Directors from paid staff. Those funds are still available to the organization, should it meet the grant conditions before the end of 1998.

(97)Seniors Art Services, founded in 1972, maintains a resource of performers for seniors' arts events and programs, conducts workshops, produces showcases and offers programs to physically and mentally challenged seniors. The organization is seeking funding for its 1998 activities.

Original recommendation: $2,600.00. Appeal recommendation: an additional $500.00, for a total of $3,100.00. The original recommendation was made in the context of the requirement for a holdback for appeals; under the current circumstances, an additional allocation is now recommended.

(109)The Toronto Mainland Chinese Community Centre, incorporated in 1995, promotes cultural exchange between mainland China and Canada, and encourages the work of Chinese-Canadian folk artists through the work of its producing arm, the Toronto Chinese Folk Art Centre. The organization is seeking funding for its Chinese New Year's Gala, January 16, 1999, at a downtown venue to be determined.

Original recommendation: nil. Appeal recommendation: up to $1,500.00, conditional upon receipt and review of a revised project budget. The original recommendation was made in the context of the requirement for a holdback for appeals; under the current circumstances, an allocation is now recommended. The organization is still encouraged to work with other cultural organizations in the Chinese community. Future funding will be contingent on an assessment of 1998 activities; the organization is required to notify staff of the dates and locations of these events. (This organization is also recommended for a $3,000.00 Recreation Grant and a $3,000.00 Community Services Grant.)

(113)The Waterfront Trail Artists, founded in 1997, is a collective of artists dedicated to involving the community in cultural activities such as art tours and special projects, including the Great Pumpkin Art Festival, which involves students in various art activities such as mask-making, music, illustration and story-writing, overseen by professional artists from the community. The organization is seeking funding for its Great Pumpkin Art Festival, taking place at two locations in the Etobicoke region of Toronto in October 1998.

Original recommendation: $ 1,000.00. Appeal recommendation: an additional $340.00, for a total of $1,340.00. This additional allocation is recommended in response to the fundraising information update distributed by the organization at its deputation.

Other Recommendations:

In each of the following cases, the original recommendation did not reflect the optimum level of support, given the overall assessment of the application. It is recommended that the balance of the holdback for appeals be distributed among the following organizations:

(45)Feast of Fools Theatre, formed in 1993, is a professional theatre company producing theatrical works and musical cabaret, and promoting new and rising talent. The organization is seeking funding for its 1998/99 season.

Original recommendation: $2,500.00. Additional recommendation: $500.00, for a total of $3,000.00.

(47)Festival Wind Orchestra, incorporated in 1997, has a mandate to develop the musicianship of community members and to provide a cultural outlet to the community-at-large. The organization is seeking funding for its 1998 activities.

Original recommendation: $1,500.00. Additional recommendation: $750.00, for a total of $2,250.00.

(60)The Jewish Artists Scholarship Society (JASS), founded in 1991, formed a partnership with the Morris Winchevsky Centre in 1997 to produce Centre Spotlight, a monthly showcase of talent presented in a cabaret atmosphere. The organization is seeking funding for its 1998 season of monthly Centre Spotlight showcases, presented on the third Saturday of each month at the Winchevsky Centre.

Original recommendation: $2,500.00. Additional recommendation: $750.00, for a total of $3,250.00.

(81)The Ontario Mas' Producers Association, founded in 1990, promotes Caribbean art and culture to the broader community. The organization is seeking funding for its annual Kiddies Carnival Parade in the Scarborough region of Toronto, July 26, 1998.

Original recommendation: $1,500.00. Additional recommendation: $500.00, for a total of $2,000.00.

(99)The Silhouettes Community Cultural Organization, founded in 1979, seeks to provide young people with an opportunity to develop leadership, social and musical skills through the discipline of teamwork and artistic performance in a steel drum orchestra. The organization is seeking funding for its 1998/99 programs and activities.

Original recommendation: $500.00. Additional recommendation: $500.00, for a total of $1,000.00.

(115)The Weston Silver Band, founded in 1921, is a brass band providing musical entertainment in Toronto and surrounding communities. The organization is seeking funding for the one-time replacement of older band instruments.

Original recommendation: $2,000.00. Additional recommendation: $1,000.00, for a total of $3,000.00.