Canada Council takes management of Flying Squad in-house; ends outsourcing to Mags Canada

[This post has been updated] The Canada Council for the Arts has ended its collaboration with Magazines Canada in which it outsourced the management of the Flying Squad program for the portion of the program serving magazines. Two years ago, the program, which had previously provided mentorship and consultation assistance to theatre and dance companies, was expanded to the book and magazine

Canada Council asking for clients' views on their forthcoming strategic plan

Cultural and literary magazines which qualify for Canada Council for the Arts funding will be interested in the council's development of its 2011-14 strategic plan. A questionnaire is open for submissions, along with a 6-page background document. In light of Canadian Heritage's virtual abandonment of the small cultural magazine sector (nodding in the direction of the Canada Council), small

Ignatieff says Liberal government would double Canada Council funding

It must be election season, as the Liberal party leader, Michael Ignatieff, says that if elected his government would double the current $180 million parliamentary funding of the Canada Council for the Arts. According to a story in the Montreal Gazette, Ignatieff made the commitment during a series of visits to cultural groups in Montreal."We will not only restore these programs, we will enhance

Flying Squad eligibility amended and deadline extended

Canada Council and Magazines Canada have revised their eligibility criteria for the Flying Squad to include magazines that received Canada Council writing and publishing funding in 2007, 2008 or 2009. This revision impacts the Flying Squad only and not other Canada Council grant programs. The application deadline has also been extended to October 31, 2009.

Canada Council flying squad applications now being accepted

Magazines that receive Canada Council funding are eligible and may now apply for the 2009 Flying Squad program. The program allows for literary and cultural magazines to hire consultants and for projects that address internal organizational challenges, growth opportunities and future development. The deadline is October 15, 2009. The program is managed by Magazines Canada on behalf of the Canada

Will Canada Council be required to cut $9 million from its base spending?

For literary and cultural magazines the news about the Canada Council for the Arts facing a possible 5% cut is disturbing. This is a possible -- some would say likely -- outcome of the Government of Canada’s Strategic Review program.This is a process whereby each government department in turn is subjected to a review of its direct program spending to ensure that the money is being spent

Canada Council names new writing and publishing head

The Canada Council for the Arts has named a new head of its writing and publishing section, which provides support for literary and cultural magazines, according to a post in Quill & Quire. Three months after the departure of Melanie Rutledge, Arash Mohtashami-Maali will take the new position on April 20. He is currently director of the French language, Ottawa-based, magazine Liaison and

Controlled circ arts magazines no longer eligible for Canada Council support

[This post has been updated]The Canada Council for the Arts has apparently quietly dropped the so-called "Lola clause" from its guidelines that has for several years allowed controlled circulation arts and literary magazines to qualify for funding based, in part, on their advertising support.Previously, and apparently from this year on, the Council will follow its longstanding requirement that a

Where your $5.29 went: Canada Council annual report available online

The Canada Council for the Arts is looking ahead at its next 50 years and its annual report is now available online. The Shoestring Blog, published by Magazines Canada, gives a brief summary of the challenges, opportunities and underlying statistics extracted from the report, including the fact that the Council invested $5.29 per Canadian in the arts in 2006-07. The full annual report is

Canada Council publishes responses to its strategic plan review

The Canada Council has been undertaking a strategic planning consultation across the country, with conversations with key stakeholders and groups, including representatives of the magazine industry and freelance writers.There was also an online survey in which respondents were asked to comment on a wide range of issues. The results of this phase of the consultation -- which may be of significant

Canada Council gets permanent $30 million increase

In a surprise announcement, Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda today announced that the one time funding made available to the Canada Council for the Arts in 2006 will now be made permanent. This means that the annual allocation to the Council will grow by $30 million to $181 million a year.At the news conference in Toronto and a press release, Minister Oda spoke about the very strong outcomes

Canada Council seeks input on 3-year strategic plan

The Canada Council is asking the literary and arts community to help it define its future and, specifically, its strategic plan for 2008-11. It will be holding consultations over the next two months and is inviting individual input through its web site. Information will be posted on its website starting March 14. “Our objective is not to abandon well-respected programs that have gained the

Canada Council taking heat for good intentions gone awry

The Globe and Mail ran a story Wednesday by Val Ross saying "33 million spent and no one's happy" about the Canada Council's Supplementary Operating Fund Initiative.Ross even got some fundees on the record criticizing the process that the Council went through in distributing the one-time fund of $33 million it gave out to all disciplines. Among the issues raised by Ross were (and I'm paraphrasing

Canada Council supplemental fund channels $550,000 to Canadian magazines

[NOTE: This posting has been updated.]The much-anticipated special supplementary grants from the Canada Council have resulted in Canadian magazines receiving about $584,000 or about 1.7% of the new money available.In the 2006 federal budget, the Canada Council for the Arts received a total of $50 million in additional one-time funding: $20 million for 2006-07 and $30 million for 2007-08. Of this