Funding is being made to help theatre, cultural, festival and other live performance events in the Yukon keep up with rising costs.
Federal Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge was in Whitehorse May 15-17 to host annual meetings with her ministerial counterparts. Ministers from around the country gathered to address priority topics for the arts, culture and heritage sectors. Co-hosting the event was the Yukon Culture and Tourism Minister John Streicker.
St-Onge announced a boost to the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) program, which traditionally provides financial support to live events and festivals across the country. An additional $31 million is to be injected into the program over the next two years to combat a rise in inflation and higher costs of production.
Additionally, the minister confirmed that the Yukon Arts Centre is set to receive $326,000 over the next four years. Following up her financial announcement, St-Onge expressed a need for Canadians to share common experiences following the COVID-19 pandemic, saying:
“A lot of people I felt were quite isolated throughout the pandemic. I believe arts and culture, especially live events, are one way we can get people back together as a community.”
The Nakai Theatre located on Whitehorse’s Front Street provides live performances and supports theatre practice in the territory through training and development opportunities. The venue receives $12,000 a year in financial support through the federally funded CAPF program. Jacob Zimmer, the theatre’s director, addressed issues with higher costs associated with inflation and saw pushing the funding envelope as appropriate for communities across the territory.
“If we want arts presented across the country, especially in smaller and more remote places like the Yukon, then public funding is a huge aspect of that,” Zimmer said
He went on to say that although the CAPF funding alleviates the pressures of inflation, there still exist issues with staffing shortages in regard to matching salaries with other sectors operating within the territory.
Coming up on the summer events calendar is Adäka, a cultural festival honouring Indigenous cultures through storytelling, art, language and history, scheduled for June 28 to July 1. A member of St-Onge’s team confirmed with the News that the Adäka Cultural Festival is already set to receive CAPF funding over the next four years.
Robin Chambers, the festival’s executive director, spoke about the benefits provided through the CAPF fund:
“Adäka Cultural Festival relies on the support of our funders and partners to put on this important and vibrant event that comes with its own set of challenges. There is a significant purpose in hosting the Adäka Cultural Festival, which not only supports established and emerging Indigenous artists, but contributes to the overall economic impact of the Yukon.”
The Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture also confirmed funding opportunities available at a territorial level to the arts and culture sector through the Community Development Fund. The fund aims to provide long-term sustainable economic and social benefits to Yukon communities.
The Dawson City Music Festival, for example, is set to receive $59,000 through the Community Development Fund this summer.
Funding options are also available through the Department of Canadian Heritage to promote and increase the use of Indigenous languages.
Kelsey Jaggard, interim director of the Yukon Native Language Centre, told the News that the centre receives funding through sections of the Indigenous Languages Act, and longer-term funding through the Indigenous Languages Component, a federally-run First Nations languages funding model.