PROVINCIAL ARTS GROUPS HAIL BUDGET 2008

Victoria, BC [February 20, 2008] ˆ The professional arts organizations of
the Capital Regional District are applauding the BC provincial government
for recognizing the value of the arts in Tuesday's budget.

During last fall's budget consultations, the Professional Arts Alliance of
Greater Victoria [ProArt] joined its provincial colleagues in making
presentations to the Standing Committee on Finance. In its final report,
the committee stated it "strongly believes that arts and cultural activities
in the province should receive sufficient per capita funding." Supporters of
the arts also undertook a province-wide campaign of letters, e-mails, phone
calls and meetings with regional MLAs and with Finance Minister Carole
Taylor, Premier Gordon Campbell, and TSA Minister Stan Hagen to ask the
government to heed the committee's recommendation.

On Tuesday, the Finance Minister said, "we heard you loud and clear" while
announcing a $150-million endowment which will provide arts funding in
perpetuity. The proceeds from that endowment will be administered by the BC
Arts Council. ProArt and its provincial partners have been pressing the
government for years to increase funding to the Arts Council. This budget
ensures that the Arts Council will be able to provide arms length funding to
artists and arts organizations around the province.

Recent studies have shown that the arts provide government with a handsome
return on investment; have a positive impact on individual and community
health, marginalized groups, youth at risk, and the elderly; improve the
grades of young people who participate in the arts, allowing them to think
more creatively, and show higher tolerance for others.

"We want to thank the Campbell government for recognizing this value to BC
society, and to help the arts contribute to making BC Œthe best place on
earth," says ProArt chair Ian Case.

For more information, please contact:
Ian Case
Chair, ProArt
250-881-0725
gm@intrepidtheatre.com

THEATRE INCONNU - 20 YEARS OF LIVE THEATRE PRODUCTION !!!

Did you know that Theatre Inconnu was nominated for three 2007 Victoria Critics Awards: best community production, best actor (two in fact), and best director?  We won best Community Production for The Caretaker !!!

Humble Wonder Theatre to present The Shoes by Lee Cookson during the Belfry’s Festival 08.
 
Victoria, BC...the Belfry Theatre announced today that Victoria’s Humble Wonder Theatre has been chosen as the 2008 Incubator winner. The Incubator programme was started 7 years ago as a means of offering emerging theatre artists the opportunity to create new work in a supportive professional environment. Humble Wonder will be presenting The Shoes by Victoria’s Lee Cookson during the Belfry’s Festival 08, a showcase of new and alternative work from across the country.
 
For more information about Incubator please visit http://www.belfry.bc.ca/01_shows/07-incubator.htm
 
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Rosa Laborde’s Leo nominated for 2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards.

Leo, a new play by Rosa Laborde has been nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award. Originally produced by Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, Leo will be part of the Belfry’s Festival 08 and will play in Victoria in March 2008. The winners of the 2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards will be announced on Tuesday, November 27 at 10 a.m. EST.
 
For more information about Leo please visit http://www.belfry.bc.ca/01_shows/06-leo.htm

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Please e-mail vitstheatre@hotmail.com

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