Manitoba Arts Council to receive extra $1M in government funding this year

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Peggy

A Manitoba arts organization that awards grants to homegrown talent will get more funding, the province says.

The Manitoba Arts Council, an arm’s-length provincial agency, will receive $13.7 million this year, which amounts to an extra $1 million or an eight per cent increase in annual funding, Premier Wab Kinew announced at a news conference Friday.

Part of the hope behind the new money is to keep young people in Manitoba, he said.

“I have to think that part of the offer that we’re making to our kids and grandkids is not only is there going to be a great future for you when it comes to jobs and the economy, but there’s also going to be that exciting creative scene that brings a life in this province,” Kinew said.

The arts council disburses about $8.4 million in operating support to just over 100 organizations, and $3.5 million in project grants to organizations such as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Opera and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the province said in a news release.

Katarina Kupca, board chair of the Manitoba Arts Council, says the new money is an “incredible show of support” for arts and culture, and the value that they bring to Manitoba.

The new dollars mean that the arts council can give 18 additional organizations annual operating funds, including Manitoba Underground Opera, Indigenous Music Manitoba, Sick + Twisted Theatre and the FascinAsian Film Festival, she said.

“It has been 20 years since MAC received an increase,” she said at the news conference.

“Arts and culture is an economic powerhouse. It accounts for more than 22,000 jobs and almost three per cent of Manitoba’s GDP.”

A woman with short brown hair, wearing a black shirt, speaks at a podium that says 'Supporting the Arts.' — Katarina Kupca, board chair of the Manitoba Arts Council, says it’s been two decades since the organization last received a funding boost. (CBC)

Smaller arts organizations and 550 individuals also receive grants from the council, and in 2024, over 25 new organizations and 40 new projects by individual artists will receive support, the province said.

The Manitoba Centennial Centre Corp. is also getting a $500,000 funding boost, raising their funding to $3 million.

Manitoba artists help define the province’s identity, Kinew said.

“This is an investment that is for the arts community. This is an investment for the broader community as well.”

Culture Minister Glen Simard says giving students the opportunity to create, sing, move and draw leads to better grades: “Arts isn’t a throwaway subject in school any longer.”

A person in the crowd asked what the funding means for the Manitoba Book Awards, which was shuttered earlier this year due to financial woes.

“We’re going to continue to work with our partners with the Manitoba Book Awards, and continue to look at avenues to make it successful, and when there’s news to share we’ll share it,” Simard replied.

More than $4.5 million in new funding was set aside for the arts, culture and sports sectors in the 2024-25 provincial budget, which was announced in April.

‘Confusing time’

Jason Hooper, executive director of the West End Cultural Centre, says any operational support is “most welcome.”

“Operating funding has not kept up with inflation over the years,” he told CBC News on Friday before the announcement.

The centre has faced some deficits coming out of the pandemic, but Hooper says they were “planned and expected” as people were initially wary to be in crowds after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

A man with glasses wearing a black sweater smiles. — Jason Hooper, executive director of the West End Cultural Centre, says operational funding received from the province has not kept pace with inflation. (CBC)

“We’re seeing ticket sales return to where they were pre-pandemic, and bar sales, so it feels a little bit like a corner’s been turned and we’re moving on,” he said.

But people’s behaviour has changed, with attendees more likely to leave earlier and drink less, he said.

“It’s a confusing time. What’s trending and what isn’t? It seems to change quite quickly.”

Changing audience behaviours mean arts organizations can no longer rely on the sources of revenue they might have at one time, said Evan Klassen, executive director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

The Royal MTC is still in a period of recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, Klassen said.

There’s a rise in single-ticket sales, but the number of season ticket holders has taken quite a hit, he said Friday before the announcement.

They had 24,000 season ticket holders before the pandemic, he said. It’s now dwindled to 11,000, which is still an uptick from last year’s numbers.

That means secure funding for arts organizations like the Royal MTC is “absolutely essential,” Klassen said.

“It cannot be understated how important stable, increasing public funding for the arts is at this time.”