A new local film fund will be created and investments will be made in P.E.I artistic products and events, the province announced Monday as part of the province’s five-year culture strategy.
The strategy, entitled “Cultivating Growth,” is a framework for placing government focus and establishing initiatives to support artistic and cultural endeavours in P.E.I.
Many of the targets in the document are broad in scope, but Michelle MacCallum, director of cultural development for the province, says it will act as a starting point to develop actions, including investments, to help grow the cultural sector in P.E.I.
“We don’t have all the details yet of what every program and every support is going to look like because we’re just getting to the hard work now, now that we know that we need to make investments in these areas,” she said.
“We want to work collaboratively with industries to make sure that we’re meeting their needs.”
Government has committed $3.5-million over the next five years to the strategy, which translates to $700,000 a year.
This is new money that will be invested in a number of new initiatives announced within strategy.
A new local film media fund received a loud cheer from industry stakeholders and artists who attended the announcement Monday at Receiver Coffee in Charlottetown.
MacCallum says this and a 25 per cent rebate on all money spent on P.E.I. in film production offers a better alternative to a film tax credit like those offered in other provinces.
“It meets the needs of the industry better at this point in time and represents an ability to encourage people to make homegrown and indigenous (to P.E.I.) storytelling in their filmmaking.”
The P.E.I. Media Arts Co-Op has been lobbying for such a fund as a way to support not only filmmakers, but other artists who work on film projects, such as musicians, technicians, and even construction workers, hotels and caterers.
“We are pleased and happy with initiation of a local film and television media fund, which will provide additional support for filmmakers on the Island who are wanting to tell our stories and get them out to the world,” said Emma Fugate, president of the board the co-op.
“There’s a lot that the film industry can bring to the Island and this fund will trigger a lot of the potential funding from off-Island that can come into and be spent here.”
Other new initiatives contained in the cultural strategy that will roll out over the next year include:
- A creative industries secretariat to support creative industries and manage cultural development opportunities
- An advisory council to identify and support artist live-work spaces
- A policy to use Island music and film in government promotional material
- Positions within the provincial government focused on supporting cultural industries and events, including at least one bilingual position
- New and expanded training and mentorship programs for theatre and film
- Investment in a craft development centre
- A digital archive of the P.E.I. heritage and museum collection
By year five, investment is promised for public art, festivals and events that celebrate local identity.
Economic Development Minister Heath MacDonald, whose department is funding this strategy, says he believes growing the cultural sector has great economic benefits for the Island.
“We’re starting to see a real ecosystem developing, and as a government we have to ensure that we put the stability in place for you guys to continue to grow,” MacDonald told the artists and representatives who attended the announcement Monday.
“It is really important to the economy of Prince Edward Island.”
The overall objective of the strategy is to support the development and growth of social and economic wellbeing for P.E.I., MacCallum said.
But the document released Monday is just the first step.
“Part of the work that begins now is actually looking at creating what we want outcomes to look like. Where do we want to be in five years’ time and how do we measure our impacts as we are going along?” she said.
“This strategy is the culmination of our consultations and the response to that. Now the hard work really begins.”
