Economic Crisis: Little impact on French arts and music groups

The French association ADMICAL, founded in 1979 to promote business support for the arts, report that 73% of enterprises that have donated indicate their budget for arts support will remain stable. Another 14% report their budget will decrease but 11% indicate that it will increase. Admittedly, donations are only a small part of the budget of most organizations, but government support - always central to the budgets - shows no sign of change and there is even a tiny bit of "stimulus" money to be distributed by the Ministry of Culture. In a recent article in the French magazine Telerama, the same trend is observed with an actual increase in museum and theater attendance noted in many cases. While there have been minor cuts from the various government entities dolling out money to arts groups, these have not had an overall impact on the general artistic health of most institutions. The Aix-en-Provence Festival, whose fat ticket prices make up a large part of their income, has made slight reductions this summer but there are few other signs of caution. Interest in the arts remains high, attendance at concerts and opera is strong. Best of all, the support of smaller music and arts groups, including most theaters - all not funded by the state - has seen no significant falloff. But the words "not yet" are always in the background.

Frank Cadenhead

Le Conseil des Arts du Canada ne soutient plus les périodiques à diffusion contrôlée

by Wah Keung Chan

[English Version]

Le Conseil des Arts du Canada a discrètement abandonné le soutien qu’il accordait aux périodiques à diffusion contrôlée dans le cadre de son programme d’aide aux périodiques d’art et de littérature pour 2010, dont la date d’échéance est le 1^er mars 2009. Dans un courriel, l’agent de programme Peter Schneider décrit ainsi comment on en est venu à cette décision : « Après cette période de six ans (NDLR : sept en réalité), et compte tenu de son expérience et des recommandations émises par des comités d’évaluation de pairs au cours de cette période, en 2008, le Conseil a remis en vigueur les lignes directrices précédentes. » M. Schneider n’a toujours pas expliqué pourquoi elles avaient été rétablies, ni par qui.

L’enjeu tourne autour de la disposition dite « Lola » (d’après le nom d’un magazine torontois sur les arts visuels qui n’existe plus), stipulant qu'un périodique admissible doit tirer au moins 25 % de son revenu des recettes de la diffusion payée ou de la publicité. En 2002, quand ce critère avait été instauré, l’agente de programme de l’époque, Joanne Laroque-Poirier, avait expliqué que la règle des 25 % de recettes autonomes avait pour but de vérifier si un périodique avait un lectorat. Selon ses dires, à l’origine, le critère selon lequel 50 % des exemplaires doivent être vendus permettait d’assurer l’existence d’un lectorat minimum. Les recettes publicitaires ont été rajoutées à cette formule, puisque les annonceurs ne seraient pas intéressés par un périodique sans lecteurs. Cette proposition est aussi valide aujourd’hui qu’elle l’était alors.

En plus de représenter un recul, le retour aux lignes directrices précédentes est en retard par rapport aux tendances dans le monde de la publication de périodiques. Le Conseil des arts de l’Ontario, par exemple, après une étude approfondie de l’industrie des périodiques, l’été dernier, a modifié ses critères d’admissibilité relativement aux magazines d’art afin de rendre admissibles les périodiques à diffusion contrôlée. Par ailleurs, cet organisme a mis en place des critères très progressistes (pas plus de 40 % de recettes publicitaires, plafond de 30 000 exemplaires par numéro). Récemment, le nouveau Fonds du Canada pour les périodiques, dont la création a été annoncée le 17 février dernier, a suggéré que l’on instaure des critères d’admissibilité fondés sur une diffusion annuelle payée ou demandée. La limite de 5 000 exemplaires est trop élevée pour la plupart des magazines d’art et il faudrait rendre les critères conformes à ceux d’autres secteurs du ministère du Patrimoine canadien.

Un magazine directement touché par cette décision est La Scena Musicale (LSM), une publication bilingue montréalaise consacrée à la musique classique, qui existe depuis treize ans. C’est l’un des périodiques d’art les plus respectés du Canada. La rédaction a pris connaissance de la modification en lisant le site Web du Conseil au moment de préparer la demande de subvention pour cette année. Déjà récipiendaire d’un financement du Conseil pour sa version électronique, LSM espérait récemment encore obtenir une subvention pour sa version imprimée. À Vancouver, la rédaction du périodique FRONT, peut-être le seul, après Lola, à recevoir une subvention en vertu de cette clause, ne connaissait pas le changement lorsque nous lui en avons fait part, le 23 février. Toutefois, d’après son rédacteur en chef, Andreas Kahre, M. Schneider lui aurait affirmé que son périodique continuerait d’être admissible en vertu d’une clause de droits acquis qui ne figure pas dans les directives de 2010.

Pour La Scena Musicale, c’est une question de principe et de transparence. Les magazines d’art à diffusion contrôlée représentent une minorité, mais ils sont depuis toujours le moteur de la diffusion des arts et devraient être admissibles au financement. Par exemple, La Scena Musicale publie dix numéros par année tirant en moyenne à 25 000 exemplaires par numéro et rejoignant 500 000 lecteurs canadiens par année, en plus d’un auditoire mondial sur Internet. En 2007-08, le Conseil des Arts du Canada a subventionné 106 magazines d’art et littéraires pour un total de 2 661 900 $.

Le fait que le changement a été effectué sans consultation et que les intéressés n’en ont pas été avisés montre à quel point le processus manque de transparence.

La Scena Musicale mène présentement une campagne pour faire annuler ce changement de politique. Nous avons lancé une pétition en ligne et un groupe sur Facebook. Information : info@scena.org.

> Petition en français sur Mesopinions.com

Canada Council Drops Support for Controlled-Circulation Magazines

by Wah Keung Chan

[Version française]

The Canada Council for the Arts has quietly dropped support for controlled-circulation print magazines in the Support for Arts and Literary Magazines component of its 2010 application process due on March 1, 2009. In an email, program officer Peter Schneider explained how the decision was reached, "Following this six-year period [actually 7 years –Ed], Council acted in 2008 to restore the previous guidelines, based upon its experience and the advice of peer assessment committees over the time period." Schneider has yet to explain the reasons for restoring the previous guidelines, or say who was responsible for making the decision.

At issue is the “Lola” clause (after the now-defunct Toronto visual arts magazine) in the application guidelines, which stated that an eligible magazine must “maintain at least a 25 percent ratio of revenues earned from paid circulation or advertising.” In 2002, when the program was modified, the reason given by the then-program officer Joanne Laroque-Poirier was that the 25% autonomous revenues rule was adopted to ensure that a publication had readership. She said that the 50% paid circulation rule was instituted to ensure that a publication had a minimum readership. The reason advertising revenues were added to eligibility was the understanding that advertisers would not support a magazine if it did not have an established readership. This reason is as valid today as it was then.

Furthermore, as the restoration to previous guidelines is a step backwards, it seems to be behind the times in magazine publishing. For instance, after an extensive study of the magazine industry, last summer, the Ontario Arts Council revised its eligibility criteria for arts magazines rending controlled-circulation magazines eligible. Moreover, it established groundbreaking criteria (no more than 40% advertising, and a cap at 30,000 copies per issue). Recently, the new Canada Periodical Fund, announced on February 17, 2009, has suggested that the eligibility criteria of a minimum annual paid/requested circulation be instituted. Although the suggested 5000-copy limit is too high for most arts magazine, a variation should be considered to bring eligibility in line with other Canadian Heritage departments.

One of the magazines most directly affected by this decision is the 13-year-old Montreal-based bilingual non-profit classical music publication La Scena Musicale (LSM), one of Canada’s most respected arts periodicals, which discovered the change from the Council’s website only as it was preparing this year’s application. Previously a recipient of Canada Council funding as an electronic magazine, LSM has recently been attempting to obtain funding to the print component. Vancouver-based FRONT Magazine, perhaps the only publication besides Lola to have received funding under this clause, was unaware of the rule’s change when we first contacted them on February 23. However, according to FRONT editor Andreas Kahre, Schneider assured the publication it would continue to be eligible under a grandfather clause absent from the published 2010 guidelines.

For La Scena Musicale, the issue is a matter of principle and transparency. Although controlled-circulation arts magazines represent a minority, they have been innovators in outreach for the arts and should be eligible for funding. For instance, La Scena Musicale publishes 10 issues per year averaging 25,000 copies per issue reaching 500,000 Canadian readers, plus a world-wide audience on the internet. In 2007-08, the Canada Council funded 106 arts & literary magazines for a total of $2,661,900.

The fact that the change was made without consultation and that concerned parties were not notified also indicates a lack of transparency in the process.

La Scena Musicale has launched a campaign to reverse this policy change, including an online petition and a Facebook group. See link below. Contact: info@scena.org.

> Facebook group: Restore Canada Council Funding to Controlled-Circulation Magazines

> Online Petition

[Update] Since our post, the story has been picked up by two of the most important sites on Canadian magazine:

• Canadian Magazines Blog
• Masthead Online

The Canadian Magazine Blog acquire the following comments from the Canada Council:

The Canada Council says that the changes to the eligibility rules were published on the website in December, a paper package went to all CC clients in January and in an electronic version 2 weeks later. It is not the practice to send out notifications to previously unsuccesful applicants or to people not considered clients. (Another rule change made program guides were excluded.)

The change was recommended by peer juries who did not feel the provision was a good fit and felt that they did not want to frustrate applicants who had little chance of being successful.

The new rule affects, at most, 1 to 3 existing clients and, in those cases the peer juries have the ability to recommend an exception be made.

The so-called Lola clause was brought in internally, without public consultation, and didn't even result in a grant being given (see comment below)since the publication that sparked it felt four times as much was what was needed. (Note: the average beginning grant for most CC clients is about $7,000.) Ultimately the magazine went out of business.

[Update 2] Here is my response to comments made by the Canada Council to the Canadian Magazines Blog:

Thanks for writing the story and procuring the comments from the Canada Council. Although many government departments make internal decisions without consultation, however, it is surprising that the Canada Council would make internal decisions without consultation given the following statement found on the Council's website, "the Canada Council is committed to the principles of transparency and accountability." This principle of transparency is also hollow given the quote "It is not the practice to send out notifications to previously unsuccessful applicants or to people not considered clients." Is that a new policy for government to ONLY serve those groups that receive existing grants?

I found it refreshing when I received the email notice of the next grant from the Canada Magazine Fund even when LSM was not a recent client. Also, why is it that the Canada Periodical Fund, also in the Department of Canadian Heritage, is seeking open consultations?

It sounds quite considerate of the Canada Council when they state that "The change was recommended by peer juries who did not feel the provision was a good fit and felt that they did not want to frustrate applicants who had little chance of being successful." However, it seems to me that this decision just makes it easier for Council personnel and jury members, as they would have fewer applicants to deal with.

The above quote also gives the implication that the Canada Council considers that controlled circulation magazines are necessarily inferior to "regular" arts magazines. Technically speaking, Lola WAS given a grant by the Canada Council jury at the time, but they closed down and did not use the money. FRONT, another controlled-circulation magazine is also a regular grant recipient. In our 13 years of publishing, La Scena Musicale has always striven for editorial and graphical excellence. We were awarded grants for five years to the electronic magazine component, but recently, we chose to lower our print run to meet the Canada Council print eligibility criteria in order to apply in this component. The main issue is the principle that all arts print publications should be treated in an equal and fair manner, and that includes being evaluated by the peer jury.

Tories axe arts funding

The Tory government cut two federal programs designed to support Canadian arts at home and abroad. PromArt, which provides cultural travel grants issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Trade Routes, a grant program through the Department of Heritage which helps Canadian cultural groups sell products abroad. Trade Routes will end on March 31, 2009, the end of the fiscal year.

The programs granted $13.7 million each year collectively, and aided thousands of artists and art programs.

New Federal Budget Silent on the Arts

The Canadian federal budget announced yesterday was silent on the arts except for $9.4 million for 4 Ottawa museums. According to an article in the Globe and Mail,

Over the next two years, the government says it will spend $9.4-million - $2.7-million in this fiscal year, $6.7-million in 2009-2010 - to address what it calls "operating and infrastructure pressures" on the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, and the Canadian Museum of Civilization (which includes the Canadian War Museum.)

No mention was made of a restoration of the $4.6-million Museums Assistance Program that the Conservatives killed in 2006, or of a continuation of the $60-million-per-year Tomorrow Starts Today scheme that expires in 2009-2010.

For Alain Pineau, national director of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the country's largest arts lobby, the budget held "no surprises," including the lack of the word "arts" anywhere in the budget text. (The words "culture" and "cultural" each appear twice.)

The CCA incidently came out with their analysis of the budget,

While the arts and culture sector may wonder what became of the federal museums policy, of investments in the expanded cultural facilities in Toronto and Montreal or of other new initiatives, the good news is that at least, federal spending on the arts and culture was not reduced against the contingency of an economic slow-down.

Application Deadline: Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 2008 - February 29

February 29 is the deadline for employer applications to the Canada Summer Jobs 2008. Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply online at http://servicecanada.gc.ca. The amounts of funding covers minimum wage for 8 to 16 weeks. Here is more info from the Service Canada website.

Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 2008

Supporting Students: Serving Communities

Canada Summer Jobs is an initiative of the Summer Work Experience program. It provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for students between the ages of 15 and 30.

Canada Summer Jobs is about:

• providing work experience for students;
• supporting organizations, including those that provide important community services; and
• recognizing that local circumstances, community needs, and priorities vary widely.

Canada Summer Jobs is focused on encouraging not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create jobs that not only meet their needs, but benefit students looking to gain work experience.

The application period for Canada Summer Jobs 2008 started February 1 and ends February 29, 2008.

Canadian Heritage Proposes Merger of CMF and PAP

On Jan. 25, the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH) announced a consultation process to rehaul the way they fund Canadian magazines, which will result in the merging of the Canada Magazine Fund (CMF) and the Publication Assistance Program (PAP) to form the new Canada Periodical Fund.

Of note to the Arts and Literature community, according to a post on the Canadian Magazines blog, the proposal will eliminate the $1 million Support for Arts and Literary Magazines.

Also of interest are two aspects of the proposal:

Business flexibility for publishers: Canada Post's decision to withdraw from the PAP offers the opportunity to open funding to other methods of distribution, thereby putting more strategic control in the hands of publishers.

Transitions to digital technology: The proposed approach offers opportunities to address changes in the way Canadians are consuming news and entertainment: through joint initiatives on industry-wide projects and by exploring the possibility of opening funding to new forms of publications or to online content produced by print publications.

The first item seems to open the door for predominately controlled circulation arts and literary magazines such as The Music Scene Ontario and La Scena Musicale to regain funding. Recall that in 2003, the CMF cut off funding to controlled circulation magazines when it reduced its budget by half, affecting several arts titles including La Scena Musicale.

To participate in the consultation, DCH has issued 10 questions for discussion.
The deadline for submissions is April 25, 2008.

Discussions on other blogs:
> Canadian Magazines
> The Shoestring
> Masthead Online [subscription required]