The Flin Flon Arts Council has received a multi-year funding commitment from the Manitoba government, said arts council cultural coordinator Crystal Kolt.
The council will receive a grant for operating funds each year, and an additional $21,000 for Culture Days programming distributed over the next three years.
While the arts council usually receives the operating funds every year, in the past Kolt has had to complete a grant application process each time. With the multi-year funding in place, she won’t need to apply again until 2019.
“The fact that we have been offered this says a lot about the integrity of the organization, and the province’s desire to help us develop,” said Kolt.
“It’s amazing that we do what we do with what we get. I’m the only part-time employee, and there are only so many resources to go around. This means I can spend time moving on to looking for additional funding sources.”
The Flin Flon Arts Council, which is managed by a volunteer board, coordinates and hosts workshops and concerts featuring both local and visiting artists.
The council also provides support and guidance to numerous community arts organizations, including the NorVA Centre and the Flin Flon Community Choir.
Although the newly committed funds will not cover all the council’s initiatives or operating costs, Kolt said it will continue to give them a foundation to start from each year.
With the multi-year funding for Culture Days, Kolt said she is now able to start planning earlier and hire artists well in advance of the annual September festival.
“That’s a huge support,” she said.
“If we know we have a base fund to work with, it’s so much easier to grow and develop with that kind of security.”
As part of the Culture Days mandate, all events must be free to the public, but artists, venues and other suppliers still need to be paid for their services.
“We still have to find funds to make these things possible,” said Kolt.
“Through support like this we have a starting place to leap off of, and when you have a pot of funds, sometimes that leverages other support because there is vested interest from other funding bodies that see merit in the project.”
The budget for Culture Days 2015 amounted to about $25,000, Kolt said, with funds coming from local fundraising, in-kind support, a grant from Manitoba’s Neighbourhoods Alive!, the Flin Flon Neighbour-hood Revitalization Corporation, Hudbay, SaskCulture and local school divisions.
The multi-year funding commitment to the arts council is part of the Manitoba government’s Non-Profit Organizations (NPO) Strategy. The strategy was piloted in 2011, when more than 100 community organizations received multi-year funding.
In 2015, phase two of the strategy began, with the multi-year funding expanded to 10 more organizations, including the Flin Flon Arts Council.
Funds will be provided by the Government of Manitoba as represented by the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection, and the Minister of Housing and Community Development.
