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C. THE CANADA MUSIC FUND

The Canada Music Fund was created in 2001 by the Department of Canadian Heritage to help the Canadian music industry flourish in a competitive market. It supports songwriters, the development of new artists, the production and promotion of new recordings and the conservation of Canadian musical works. The Fund consists of seven separate components, which are administered by federal organizations (such as the Canada Council for the Arts and Library and Archives Canada) or by non-governmental organizations. Two components generate additional benefits in OLMCs: New Musical Works and Collective Initiatives.

The New Musical Works component supports album production, marketing, sales and emerging artists. The Collective Initiatives component helps fund promotional activities, contests, galas, meetings and gatherings to ensure the success of artists on the regional, national and international scene. These two components are administered by the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR) for English-language music and MUSICACTION for French-language music.

1. FACTOR

Mandate
The Fund components administered by FACTOR primarily help English-language recording artists and songwriters produce albums and take advantage of domestic and international touring and showcasing opportunities. Support is also directed to the infrastructure needed for artists and producers to make headway in the international market—record labels, distributors, recording studios, video production companies, directors, etc. In 2005–2006, FACTOR received over $9 million under the New Musical Works component and nearly $1.4 million under the Collective Initiatives component.

Support for OLMCs
The Fund components administered by FACTOR attempt to address the needs of all Canadian artists who record in English; however, under the 2006 contribution agreement between Canadian Heritage and the Canada Music Fund, the organizations that administer the Fund must implement appropriate measures to ensure support is provided to OLMC artists. These measures may involve adapting the funding rules to take into account different production and distribution contexts, ensuring the presence of OLMC members on selection juries and creating assessment committees in regions where official language minority groups are located.

FACTOR provides financial support to all Canadian artists, both Francophone and Anglophone, who record in English, without keeping track of the first official language of applicants or calculating the share of funding allocated to the Anglophone minority in Quebec. As a result, one has to wonder how FACTOR can fulfil its commitment to take appropriate measures in support of artists from OLMCs. However, according to the people who were interviewed at Canadian Heritage, Quebec’s Anglophone artists are prominent in the Canadian music industry and do not require special assistance.

Consultation practices
FACTOR has affiliated itself with the music associations across Canada to stay abreast of provincial and regional issues, but it does not specifically consult the Anglophone minority in Quebec as a separate group. However, it should be noted that Anglophone artists in Quebec do not have an advocacy organization to defend their interests.

2. MUSICACTION

Mandate
MUSICATION is the Francophone equivalent of FACTOR and its mandate is to provide support to musicians and music businesses in Quebec and other parts of Canada where works are produced in French. It administers, on behalf of Canadian Heritage, the New Musical Works and Collective Initiatives components of the Canada Music Fund to support the French-language music sector.

Support for OLMCs
As is the case with FACTOR, MUSICACTION does not have any programs dedicated specifically to minority Francophones. However, as mentioned earlier, the 2006 contribution agreement stipulates that the organizations that administer the Fund must take appropriate measures to foster OLMC artists.

In addition, there is an independent jury made up of OLMC members for Francophones outside Quebec. MUSICACTION’s board, which is predominately Quebec-based, has recently invited the Executive Director of the Alliance nationale de l’industrie musicale, which represents the interests of the Francophone music industry outside Quebec, to become a member, a move that may influence how the board views the work of Francophone artists outside Quebec.

D. THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD

Mandate
The mandate of the National Film Board (NFB) is to produce and distribute distinctive audiovisual works (fiction, documentaries, animation and new media) that provide a unique Canadian perspective. Funding is earmarked for film direction and production, professional development and distribution. The organization focuses on nurturing the talent of emerging Canadian filmmakers in all communities.

Support for OLMCs
The NFB has set up separate programs, one for works in English and one for works in French, to support filmmakers across Canada. These programs are delivered by regional studios, and some of these (Studio Acadie in Moncton, the Quebec Centre in Montréal and the Ontario and West Studio in  Toronto) serve minority language groups.

As part of the IPOLC, the NFB unveiled a three-year strategy in 2002–2003 for the development of film production and distribution in minority Francophone and Anglophone communities, a program for both official language communities. The strategy has three components:

• emerging filmmakers;
  
  
• training and professional development;
  
  
• distribution and access to Canadian filmmaking.

In addition to a French-language production studio, the Quebec Centre and the Animation Studio, which are entirely dedicated to English-language production, are located in Montréal. As a result, all the funding provided by these two organizations is directed to English-language production in Quebec.

Besides the NFB’s regular programs, the Quebec Centre has implemented three separate initiatives that are partly funded under the IPOLC:

• Doc Shop, an initiative whose purpose is to discover young, talented filmmakers or videographers. All productions selected by Doc Shop are broadcast by the CBC;
  
  
• Voices from the Hood, an initiative that gives young people from minority Anglophone communities the opportunity to create videos and short films;
  
  
• Making Music with the National Film Board, an initiative that helps young Anglophone musicians explore the relationship between film and music.

Moreover, the Quebec Centre and the Animation Studio jointly administer the Filmmaker Assistance Program, which provides technical services to independent filmmakers to help them complete their live action short films and documentaries.

Finally, Wapikoni Mobile is a travelling program for Aboriginal youth, regardless of the language they speak, that is designed to teach them digital technology so they can make their own films about the issues that concern them.

Under the IPOLC, Doc Shop and Voices from the Hood together received $25,000 from Canadian Heritage in 2004–2005 and in 2005–2006. Wapikoni Mobile did not grant any funding for English-language projects in the last three years, but funding has been allocated for 2007–2008.

The funding allocated to Anglophones in Quebec cannot be compared at this time to the total funding allocated to English Canada or Francophones outside Quebec. However, thanks to the assistance of the NFB, Anglophones in Montréal have a long history of outstanding success in the production of animation and art films and documentaries. It is not known, though, how well the NFB is able to respond to the needs of Anglophone communities outside Montréal. Doc Shop and Voices from the Hood are examples of positive measures, but their future is uncertain.

The French program is made up of two components, which are intended for all Francophones across Canada:

• Production régionale;
  
• Mise en marché régionale.
  

Over the past few years, the NFB has faced a series of budget cuts, which has resulted in significant reductions in both the English and French programs. At the same time, the NFB has decided to use a larger percentage of its funding to improve the availability of its film products, which led to a reduction in the budgetary envelope for production. Nonetheless, the NFB has managed to increase the percentage of the funding allocated to Francophone communities outside Quebec to 20% under the Production régionale component.

Consultation practices
The NFB meets annually with the FCCF and participates in three sessions organized by Canadian Heritage to raise awareness among organizations about the issues and needs of OLMCs. The NFB regularly consults OLMC filmmakers and producers. Furthermore, meetings are held as part of the Multipartite Agreement.

E. NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE

Mandate
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is a performing arts centre and the national showcase for the work and productions of Canadian and international artists. It supports excellence in all disciplines (classical music, English theatre, French theatre, dance, variety and community programming) and artists and arts organizations across the country. The NAC fulfills its mandate through productions, co-productions, regional festivals, tours and an extensive education and youth outreach program.

Support for OLMCs
The NAC has implemented a variety of programs, particularly in French theatre, that are specifically designed to support Francophone artists and French-language productions from across Canada, including the following:

• the Festival Zones théâtrales;
  
  
• the Laboratoires du théâtre français;
  
  
• the Programme de développement du théâtre en région.

The Laboratoires du théâtre français offer Francophone minority artists professional development opportunities. The number of Francophone OLMC artists invited to take part in these sessions is used to evaluate the investment in the development of the members of this group. Minority Francophones made up 30%–65% of the participants between 2002 and 2005.

The Programme de développement du théâtre en région invested $100,000 in Francophone OLMCs in 2004–2005.

The NAC also holds major festivals, such as Atlantic Scene, Alberta Scene and Quebec Scene, that include productions from both language groups, thereby providing opportunities to OLMC productions. The NAC also intends to offer regional programming on the Fourth Stage to present shows and productions from different parts of the country.

Other programs also exist that promote English-language theatre in Quebec. More than $175,000 has been invested to this effect in Quebec’s Anglophone community. Another program provides assistance to Anglophone folk singers from Quebec so they can perform on the NAC’s Fourth Stage.

The level of participation of OLMC artists appears to fluctuate according to event. During the preparation of Alberta Scene, the NAC established a lasting relationship with the Regroupement artistique francophone de l’Alberta. However, the results of Quebec Scene 2007 were disappointing for some Anglophone artists in Quebec. According to a spokesperson for the English-Language Arts Network (ELAN), the NAC did not consult the organization before selecting the performers and writers for the English component of the event. As a result, English adaptations of French works were presented, but no original Anglophone works from Quebec were included in the program. The NAC stated that it consulted the major performing arts organizations in Quebec: the Quebec Writers’ Federation, the Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal and the Centaur Theatre Company in Montréal. The NAC emphasized that Quebec’s Anglophone artists were strongly represented in all disciplines. A discussion on the community’s expectations of the English-language component of Quebec Scene would no doubt help set the record straight on these opposing views.

While they recognize that the NAC contributes to the creation of theatrical works and productions in the regions and in OLMCs, OLMC artists and arts organizations still wonder about the very small number of OLMC productions during the regular season.

Consultation practices
The NAC participates in Canadian Heritage consultations and meets with FCCF representatives every year. The NAC’s artistic leadership regularly meets with Francophone OLMC organizations and individuals, but there is no indication that Anglophone artists and arts organizations from Quebec are systematically consulted about the programs that concern them.

F. CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS

Mandate
The mandate of the Canada Council for the Arts is to “foster the production and enjoyment” of works in all artistic disciplines, more specifically, dance; music; theatre; media, visual and interdisciplinary arts; performance arts; writing; and publishing. The Council provides assistance to organizations and artists for creation, production, dissemination, professional development and public access to artistic creation.

Support for OLMCs
All programs are open to artists who work in either official language, in all parts of the country. The only support that is provided specifically for OLMCs is the funding generated by the IPOLC. However, the Council has taken measures over the last few years to ensure the two official languages and OLMCs are fairly represented on the peer assessment committees. A greater number of Francophones outside Quebec participate in the assessment of applications in all artistic disciplines. Each section responsible for assessing funding applications for the various disciplines now includes an officer responsible for OLMCs.

The Council is also making an effort to raise awareness among staff and assessment committees about the situation surrounding artists from OLMCs. In 2000, Francophone publishers noticed that the jury members misunderstood the working environment in OLMCs. As a result, assessment committees started using “context sheets.” These sheets were prepared together with the FCCF in order to provide the peer assessment committees with information on the arts and culture situation in a given region. This practice has been adopted in all other disciplines, except for the visual arts. The Council then asked Anglophone organizations (through ELAN) to provide context sheets similar to the ones prepared by the FCCF. The organizations prepared the sheets, but they have apparently not been used. In fact, even in disciplines where they are being used, these sheets are controversial. Some artists feel the context sheets have a stigmatizing effect, and the idea that they received a grant because of a contextual analysis of their working environment makes them uneasy.

The share of funding varies significantly according to discipline. However, except for the language arts (theatre and literature), the various percentages remain small, at around 2%. Although the number of applications submitted by OLMC artists remains low, the Council says that the success rate of their applications is similar to that of applications submitted by majority artists or arts organizations. This statement cannot be verified because the number of applications that are submitted is not made public.

It is nevertheless clear that the IPOLC has contributed to an increase in the number of projects being funded and the amounts of funding. However this increase is modest, generally less than 1%, and the percentage of funding has decreased, falling from 2.5% in 2000-2001 to 2.2% in 2004-2005. Furthermore, the current contribution from the IPOLC is just enough to compensate for the net decrease in investments made by the Council since 2002-2003.

Consultation practices
The Council organizes information sessions across the country on a yearly basis to inform OLMC artists about existing programs. In addition, Council employees regularly attend the meetings of various OLMC arts and culture organizations.

G. TELEFILM CANADA

Mandate
Telefilm Canada is dedicated to the development and promotion of productions by Canada’s audiovisual industry, including films, television programs and new media works that reflect the linguistic duality and cultural diversity of Canadian society. This Crown corporation supports all activities related to audiovisual production: scriptwriting, marketing through direct investment, the versioning of films for specific language markets, the management of co-productions and support for both domestic and international marketing.

Telefilm Canada receives its funds from three main sources: the Canadian Television Fund, the Canada Feature Film Fund and the Canada New Media Fund. All Canadian creators, including those in OLMCs, have access to these funds.

Support for OLMCs
Since the IPOLC was created, Telefilm Canada has been able to provide special assistance to  content creators from OLMCs. Two memoranda of  understanding signed with Canadian Heritage in 2001 and 2004 have fostered cooperation between OLMCs, Telefilm Canada and its partners. For example, a competition was launched for Francophone producers, writers and directors outside Quebec to produce two short dramas for television. In 2006–2007, a new component was created to help Anglophones in Quebec film feature films and television dramas in English.