Canada Cultural Spaces Fund
The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF), provided by the Government of Canada, seeks to contribute to the improvement of physical conditions for the arts and heritage related to creation, presentation, preservation and exhibition. The CCSF also aims to increase and improve access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and to museum collections and heritage exhibitions. The goal of the CCSF is to provide Canadians in all regions, including underserved communities, with access to new or improved arts and heritage spaces in their communities for creation, presentation, preservation and exhibition. The CCSF provides grants and contributions for arts and heritage infrastructure projects across the country to improve facilities and infrastructure requirements for the arts and heritage.
To achieve its objectives, the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) provides financial assistance in the form of grants and contributions for construction and renovation projects, specialized equipment purchases and feasibility studies for professional, not-for-profit arts and heritage infrastructure projects.
In 2014-15, the CCSF supported 73 projects in 42 communities. Examples of these projects include the expansion of the Musée d'Histoire, d'Ethnographie et d'Art Religieux de Nicolet (Québec), the acquisition of specialised equipment for Théâtre de la Pire Espèce in Montréal, Québec, improvements to the Ontario Jewish Archives Foundation, and the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation's video archive project in Iqaluit, Nunavut. As well, the CCSF was used to support the Surrey Art Gallery's Urban Screen in British Columbia. This 30 metre by 10 metre screen uses projectors mounted on re-purposed towers to project digital art onto the side of a building, and is viewed by up to 30,000 people daily as they enter and exit Surrey's SkyTrain station.
The expected result of the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund is that arts and heritage organizations in communities across Canada, including rural communities, will have the necessary resources to build and improve cultural facilities and infrastructure. Improved facilities are a sustainable way to ensure that all communities have spaces in which to promote and appreciate culture, both in the present day and for years to come.
In 2014-15, 66% of approved projects targeted at least one underserved community. In particular, 20.5% of supported organizations served Aboriginal communities, 26% served ethnocultural communities, 9.6% served official language minority communities, and 46.6% served young audiences.
For more information, please see: http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1452882573072
In 2014-15, budgetary financial resources for the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund totalled $28,587,103 CAD.
For more information, please see: http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1452882573072
An evaluation focused on the period from 2007-08 to 2012-13 was conducted for three programs, including the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF). The core issues addressed were: relevance and continued need, alignment with government priorities and with federal roles and responsibilities; and performance, including effectiveness, efficiency and economy.
The CCSF has contributed to new and improved arts and heritage facilities and infrastructure across a variety of disciplines and a range of communities. An average of 97 projects were funded per year, which resulted in improved access to, and quality of, a variety of arts and heritage experiences for Canadians. About half of the 63 communities that receive CCSF funding in an average year are rural or remote.
The evaluation found that the CCSF has contributed to new and improved arts and heritage facilities and infrastructure across a variety of disciplines and communities. The regional presence of Canadian Heritage contributes to the success of the program by facilitating understanding of local needs and demands as well as the development of close collaborations with regional partners. The major findings of the evaluation regarding the CCSF are as follows:
- Between 2007-08 and 2011-12, 487 cultural infrastructure projects were funded which resulted in new or improved arts facilities (an average of 97 projects per year). The number of projects funded was higher in 2009-10 (134), compared to other years, due to the additional funding received through Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
- The projects funded under the CCSF consist of construction and renovation projects, specialized equipment projects, and feasibility studies.
- For 2010-11 and 2011-12, construction and renovation projects accounted for 43% of the projects and 72% of the funding awarded while specialized equipment projects and feasibility studies for prospective construction or renovation projects accounted for 57% of the projects and 28% of the funding awarded.