Arts festivals cut off from gambling funds: Social development minister defends decision to end funding for music and arts events he says should pay their own way
Arts and music festivals are being cut off from millions in government gambling grants this year, says the provincial government.
The announcement, which represents an abrupt tweak on government rules introduced in March, means events such as fringe festivals in Vancouver and Victoria are effectively locked out of what was once a lucrative and fairly stable source of government funding.
The March restrictions affected thousands of charities and non-profit organizations hoping to access $120 million in annual gambling grants. They cut all funding for school playgrounds, environmental groups and adult-based arts, culture and sports organizations, but provided an exemption for “fall fairs and exhibitions, arts and music festivals and museums operated by non-profit societies.”
But as Monday’s deadline for grant applications nears, that has changed. Fairs and festivals that celebrate the arts or music are now ineligible for gambling money, said Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman.
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