Small literary and cultural mags to compete for share of additional funding

Good news for small literary and cultural publications, and possibly to contributors, from the Canada Council for the Arts. Next week (November 9) it will unveil the detailed application process and guidelines to allow it to distributed supplementary payments to arts organizations and individuals. This is made possible by an additional $50 million in increased appropriation announced last spring in Parliament, to be available over two years: this year (2006-07) and next year (2007-08).

The money will be allocated by a competitive process: two-thirds to the approximately 900 organizations already funded by the Canada Council; one-third to invididuals . The latter could include poets and writers, artists and photographers.

Many of Canada's small literary and cultural publications will therefore be eligible to receive amounts which, if it were spread evenly among all of them would represent about $35,000 apiece; more likely, these grants will be distributed on merit and pro-rata, so a small literary that now gets $20,000 in Canada Council support might get an additional $5,000 or so. Reading between the lines, to get this extra money, a literary will have to demonstrate audience- or capacity-building).

We will be taking a strategic approach to the allocation of this new funding,” said Robert Sirman, director of the Canada Council. “Key objectives are to enhance the long-term growth potential of the Canadian arts sector and to have a significant impact on Canadians across the country.”

Mr. Sirman said the new money will be allocated through a competitive process, either through a special competition (in the case of arts organizations which currently receive operating funding) or through the Council’s regular programs for individual artists and activities aimed at increasing public access to the arts.

As we say, the details will be published on November 9 on the Canada Council website. The deadline will be December 15, so small CC-funded literary and cultural magazines should start thinking about applying now.