SAA Bulletin – June 2003

June 2004

Thank You Premier Calvert

If you haven?t already, we urge you to write, email or phone Premier Lorne Calvert thanking him for committing to increase funding to the Sask. Arts Board by a minimum of $1.5 million by the centennial. Let the Premier know that you appreciate his support, what the additional money will mean to you or your organization, and how important it is to receive it now. Call or copy your correspondence to Treasury Board Members Hon. Jim Melenchuk (Chair), Hon. Eric Cline (Vice-Chair), Hon. Joanne Crofford and Hon. Maynard Sonntag; and other mla?s from your community. Also copy the Saskatchewan Arts Board and inform them of any responses you might receive. MLA contact information is at the bottom of this email.

Membership Renewal

It?s time to renew your SAA membership. All memberships are due on May 31st of each year.

If you aren?t a member, please consider becoming one and supporting the work of the SAA. For information, call the SAA at 780-9820 or by email at info@artsalliance.sk.ca.

Upcoming Dates

SAA Annual General Meeting: September 20, 2003 in Saskatoon

2004 Arts Congress: May 7th & 8th, 2004 in Saskatoon.

Summer Hours

The SAA office will be closed from July 14th to August 4th.

New Email Address

Sask. Arts Alliance has a new email address, info@artsalliance.sk.ca. Other contact information remains the same.

Arts Stabilization

The ARTS STABILIZATION FUND recently announced the Organizational Advancement Program, a multi-year capacity-building program for Saskatchewan arts organizations. The program provides two types of assistance: Technical Services and Working Capital Reserve Funds.

There is one opportunity only to access the program. Preliminary proposals must be submitted to The ARTS STABILIZATION FUND by July 15, 2003. Following the preliminary evaluation process, selected organizations will be invited to submit complete applications by October 15, 2003. The program concludes March 31, 2006.

Eligible applicants must be non-profit, charitable organizations with a mandate based on the professional creation, presentation and/or exhibition of arts programs for the public. Organizations will have been in continuous operation and have presented artistic programs on a regular basis for at least five consecutive years prior to January 1, 2003. Organizations should have at least one full-time staff member who has primary responsibility for administering the organization; and a minimum annual operating budget of $100,000.

For a full description of the program, including eligibility criteria and Preliminary Proposal Guide contact:

Gail Paul Armstrong

P. O. Box 3840

Regina, Sk. S4P 3R8

Phone: (306) 522-8825; Fax: (306) 347-8996

Email: artsstab@sasktel.net

Chalmers Conference

The Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) held the 4th annual Chalmers Conference in Ottawa recently. John Hobday, Director of the Canada Council spoke at the conference. He gave a brief overview of five challenges artists and the arts community are facing:

  • significant expansion of the number of artists and arts organizations seeking support
  • uncertain government funding
  • shifting patterns of private sector support
  • competition from other leisure activities
  • increasing administrative demands.

Hobday also discussed new strategic objectives for how the Canada Council and arts community could address the challenges:

  • fostering sustainability and adaptability through a new relationship with arts organizations
  • improving cooperation and collaboration through a new relationship with other Canadian arts funders
  • developing a more effective working relationship with the Department of Canadian Heritage.

For the full text of Hobday?s remarks go to www.canadacouncil.ca/news/pressreleases/sp0301-e.asp

Two sessions at the conference addressed current issues affecting arts groups and service organizations. One session dealt with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency?s rulings regarding artists and their employment status. The other discussed advocacy strategies.

Two major studies were unveiled at the conference. An Action Plan for Creating Winning Conditions, a project of the CCA and Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) provides 18 recommendations aimed to help organizations in the culture sector more effectively retain and attract managers. www.ccarts.ca/eng/04res/Proposed Action Plan.pdf

CHRC also released the National Compensation Survey for Management and Administration in Not-for-Profit Arts Organizations. Conducted by Deloitte and Touche, the survey compares the salaries of cultural workers and compensation and benefit packages to those in other not-for-profit sectors. www.culturalhrc.ca/hrToolsResources/compensation_survey_e.pdf

Resources

Compendium: Cultural Policies in Europe is a great website for those doing research on cultural policy. The site is a joint venture between the Council of Europe and ERICarts and gives access to 28 national cultural policy country profiles. The site has an interactive component for comparing specific cultural policy topics, for example, comparing social and economic frameworks or measures for freelance artists. Go to www.culturalpolicies.net.

Call For Workshop Proposals

Canadian Conference of the Arts National Policy Conference 2003, called The Creativity Gap: How the Arts Inspire an Innovative Society will be held November 28-29 at Neptune Theatre, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The CCA invites proposals for workshops (2 hours in duration) that reflect a wide range of perspectives, research, and practices, for its upcoming policy conference. The deadline for submissions is June 27, 2003. More information and the submission form can be found at www.ccarts.ca/eng/03do/Callproposals.pdf.

Mla Contact Information

MLA email addresses are in the form first initial last name@mla.legassembly.ca. Contact information for all MLA’s can be found online at www.legassembly.sk.ca/members/default.htm.

Premier Lorne Calvert

Room 226

Legislative Building

Regina, SK S4S 0B3

Email: premier@gov.sk.ca

Hon. Joanne Crofford, Minister

Culture, Youth and Recreation

Room 345

Legislative Building

Regina, SK S4S 0B3

Email: jcrofford@cyr.gov.sk.ca

Hon. Jim Melenchuk, Minister

Finance

Room 312

Legislative Building

Regina, SK S4S 0B3

Email: jmelenchuk@mla.legassembly.sk.ca

Hon. Eric Cline, Q.C., Minister

Industry and Resources

Room 355

Legislative Building

Regina, SK S4S 0B3

Email: ecline@mla.legassembly.sk.ca

Hon. Maynard Sonntag, Minister

Crown Investments Corporation

Room 38

Legislative Building

Regina, SK S4S 0B3

Email: msonntag@mla.legassembly.sk.ca

SAA Board Of Directors

Lori Green, President

Allen Lefebvre, Past President

Skip Kutz, Vice-President

Jill Reid, Secretary

Brenda Niskala, Treasurer

Maria Campbell

Patrick Close

Sandra Grismer

Donna Heimbecker

Kim Houghtaling