Mr. Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament (Charlottetown), announced today investments totalling nearly $8 million to support the Confederation Centre of the Arts and more than 40 events and festivals in Prince Edward Island. He made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minster of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.
For more than 50 years, the Confederation Centre of the Arts has been a gathering place and creative forum celebrating Canada's history and many cultures through the visual and performing arts. The Confederation Centre of the Arts will receive an additional $500,000 annually for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, with investments announced in the last budget. This additional $1 million in support is in addition to the $3 million the centre receives annually for its programming. The Government of Canada's total funding for this organization is $7 million for the two fiscal years.
The funding comes from the Fathers of Confederation Building Trust Program.
Support for festivals and cultural events
Parliamentary Secretary Casey also announced an investment of $738,600 in 2019-2020 for organizations that host festivals and cultural events in Prince Edward Island.
This funding will support 42 arts and heritage celebrations and promotional projects, as well as support arts and culture festivals for residents throughout the province.
These projects have a major impact in Prince Edward Island. They make a significant contribution to the vitality of the arts and culture sector, promote tourism, and boost economic growth.
The government funding is from the Local Festivals component of the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program, as well as the Canada Arts Presentation Fund.
Additional support for arts, culture and celebrations
Arts and culture are essential to an inclusive society and are at the heart of Canada's growing creative economy. Presentations and other related arts experiences bring Canadian audiences and artists together, and also reflect our cultural, linguistic and regional diversity.
