CBRM to consider offering grants to local artists

Local artists could be getting grants from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality by next year.

Councillors voted to support the idea in principle on Tuesday, after a presentation representing about 80 members of the local arts community.

Nelson MacDonald, a producer with Grassfire Films, suggested council offer amounts of between $500 and $2,500 for up to 50 artists a year.

Even the smallest of those grants could help an artist build a portfolio and unlock provincial and federal funding, he said.

"An investment of $50,000 a year for each of three years by the CBRM we believe we know will transform the local artistic landscape," MacDonald said.

"Right now, to put it bluntly, CBRM artists are missing out on the provincial and federal grants."

Council considering next year's budget

MacDonald said thatlast year, only one artist from CBRM received $6,000 in funding from Arts Nova Scotia, while 64 from Halifax got provincial grants totalling $543,874.

Coun. Glenn Paruch said the total funding requested would not make a large dent in the municipality's annual budget.

"This is a no-brainer," he said. "We spend money all the time and $50,000 to help 50 artists with as little as $500,it's small change, but it can change people's lives."

Council unanimously directed staff to write an issue paper on how the grants would work and will consider adding the funding to next year's budget.

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