The First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) is now accepting applications for the 2015 Aboriginal Arts Development Awards (AADA).
AADA grants support First Nations and Aboriginal arts through four programs: Individual
Emerging Artists, Organizations and Collectives, Sharing Traditional Arts Across Generations and Arts Administrator Internships and Mentorships.
Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to their practice in any discipline—visual, music, dance, theatre, literary or media arts – and can work in traditional or experimental forms.
Application forms and guidelines are now available on the FPCC website. The deadline for all programs is October 31, 2014.
In 2014, FPCC received 103 applications from around the province and provided 65 grants totaling $758,250 in support. A similar level of funding is anticipated for 2015.
A Peer Adjudication Committee selects recipients from the many deserving proposals through a rigorous review process.
“It’s always inspiring to see the range of talented and dedicated applicants, and to see the brilliant work being done,” said Cathi Charles Wherry, FPCC Arts Program Manager. “Thankfully, increased support for the program in 2014 meant that we were able to distribute grants to more projects than ever before. There is a growing understanding of and value for the creative work of Aboriginal artists.”
Since 1996, FPCC has been delivering the AADA grants through a partnership with the BC Arts Council. Support for the program has also been provided by the New Relationship Trust (NRT) since 2009, and, beginning in 2013, a third funder has come on board—the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.
“The support of our partners is key to this program’s success,” said Tracey Herbert, FPCC Executive Director. “We are so grateful to the BC Arts Council and NRT for their long-standing support, and thrilled that we can now support additional grants, thanks to the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation. These donors understand how critical this type of financial support is to artists and arts organizations.”
The AADA grants are one of the few sources of funding directed specifically toward Aboriginal and First Nations arts in B.C. Projects in all regions of the province, including remote communities, can gain access to support that may otherwise be unavailable. The benefits are usually multi-faceted. For example, one Sharing Traditional Arts project supported in 2014 allows TlaA'min (Sliammon) artists to travel to Cortes Island to work with Klahoose people providing mentorship in traditional cedar bark gathering and weaving, carving, and wool weaving.
“The goal is to work towards creating traditional objects that are both functional and artistic,” says Tla A’min artist and project coordinator Betty Wilson. “As we work together to create something, the language is also used as much as possible. Another benefit has been the discovery of familial kinships amongst participants.”
For more information about the recipients of the 2014 Aboriginal Arts Development Awards grants, and to download current guidelines and application forms, visit fpcc.ca/arts/programs.
The First Peoples’ Cultural Council is a B.C. Crown corporation with the mandate to support First Nations in their efforts to revitalize their languages, arts, cultures and heritage. FPCC has distributed more than $23 million to BC Aboriginal communities over the past 23 years. For more information, please visit www.fpcc.ca.
