Course Description
This course provides an overview of public and private arts funding in Canada, including its historical development, institutional structures and the formulation and execution of municipal, provincial and federal policies. Students will focus on the status of the artist in the contemporary cultural performance milieu through the exploration of institutional and governmental acts, policies, reports, objectives, strategic initiatives and programs. Students will also examine the interplay of forces that influence and shape public arts policy. Through this process they will gain important insights into how public, foundation, private funding and earned revenue can be harnessed to enable meaningful arts production.
Learning Activities
Some of all of the following methods will be used:
- Lecture
- Class discussions
- Oral presentations
- Group projects
Means of Assessment
Typical Activities and Weighting (in %)
| Assignments: |
55% |
| Midterm Exam: |
15% |
| Final Exam: |
20% |
| Participation: |
10% |
| Total: |
100% |
Specify # of assignments: 2
Specify nature of participation: class discussions, oral presentations, group projects
Number of writing assignments: 2
Sample Assignments
- Assignments - assignments will be take-home
- Participation - students are expected to be in attendance at all classes and to participate fully in class projects
- Midterm - students are required to sit a written test on material as scheduled
- Oral presentation - each student will choose a topic from the course outline in which to deliver an oral presentation of at least ten minutes. The schedule is to be determined by the instructor.
This is a letter graded course. Passing grade is C.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand how arts funding works in Canada; the forces that shape public cultural policy; the principal arts funding bodies; the role and status of the artist in contemporary Canadian society;
- Conduct research, and use and adapt information to specific projects;
- Communicate about their work in oral and written form;
- Describe Canadian cultural policy as it evolved in the 20th century;
- Communicate key debates in the development of Canadian cultural policy as it evolved in the 20th century;
- Communicate key debates in the development of Canadian cultural policy and its evolution;
- Articulate basic cultural policy goals and practices of the three levels of government in Canada – federal, provincial/territorial and municipal;
- Identify and access varied and diverse sources of revenue available to artists;
- Construct a plan to acquire funds necessary to carry out a project in the performing arts.
Textbook Materials
Typical text(s) and resource materials:
Required - Vance, Jonathan. A History of Canadian Culture. Oxford UP. Current Edition.