Awarded Grants

The Lake / n’-ha-a-itk is a musical documentary about, and that re-interprets as a film (the only Canadian opera on film), a historic BC opera integrated with contemporary syilx / Okanagan culture in an extraordinary cross-cultural collaboration. It addresses under-representation of Indigenous peoples; raises awareness of Canadian women composers; and removes barriers of access, changing an established social system which allows only certain segments to experience opera. Widely accessible through low ticket prices, community venues and, eventually, online, it liberates an entrenched art form, opening its doors to all.

Inclusive Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) programs offer proven profound, lifelong benefits (social, health & economic) for children with special needs, their families, communities and society at large. BC funds a mix of specialized and mainstream ECI programs and supports but our Kids Can't Wait partnership identified serious systemic barriers, including long waits, policy gaps, ad hoc delivery and a lack of effective data to track needs, access and outcomes. We propose to expand our initiative to test new data gathering systems while engaging government and other partners in drafting a new shared vision for inclusive early years services and multi-year action plan for systemic reforms.

Young children entering the schools for the first time can have a tough time socializing, adding stress and challenge to their teachers and the school system. Parallel to this, seniors, in particular those developing dementia are experiencing more and more isolation being cut off from their communities as they enter long term care facilities. Presentation House Theatre is exploring a new program and performance experience that brings these two groups together for a shared, inter-generational connection involving live performance and interactive workshops that will increase the socialization of young children, while reducing the sense of isolation and disconnection for seniors.

Presenting a new model for arts education and support, the Flash Forward Incubator Program provides a solution to secondary school art programming problems: a lack or shortage of funding for arts education and no access to working artists as mentors. As an extension of high school arts programming and working with the goals of school curriculums, Incubator is distinct in that it bridges work completed within high school settings with the professional world, facilitating meaningful contemporary art experiences and mentorships for students, and establishing an essential and supportive creative community for emerging artists within the high school setting and beyond.