Government pledges funding to Banff Centre

November 29, 1999
Source: CBC
Original story - link verified on August 22, 2000
By Katherine Duncan

Last week, the Ministry of Canadian Heritage pledged a million dollars a year for three years, toward the Banff Centre's artist training programs. It's the first time the federal government has ever provided operational funding to the centre. Carol Phillips is the vice president and director of the Centre for the Arts. She says convincing the ministry to provide funding was difficult for two reasons. Unlike other professional training institutes like the National Theatre School or the National Ballet School, the Banff Centre offers training in a variety of artistic disciplines, making the quality of what is produced there difficult to assess. Also, until now, the Banff Centre's location has also created an obstacle. "We have been arguing from our wonderful location in western Canada that this is indeed a national institution with an international reach," says Phillips. "And I think the argument has finally been heard, that there are important national institutions across the country, and that the Banff Centre is one of them." Phillips says the money will be use for training artists at the beginnings of their careers -- in the Centre's aboriginal arts, media and visual arts, music, theatre, writing and publishing programs. As well, a new pilot program will be put into place to offer technical theatre training.

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