We had the pleasure of hosting a special announcement by the Government of New Brunswick yesterday. Thank you to Premier Susan Holt and Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Isabelle Thériault for choosing the Charlotte Street Arts Centre to announce an additional $1.5 million investment in supporting the operations of arts organizations and reaffirming the role of arts and culture as an economic driver in New Brunswick. With this investment, the operational support funding is increased to $3.29 million per year.
The Operational Support Program plays a vital role in sustaining the important work being delivered in arts centres across New Brunswick. The continued rise of operational costs paired with the lack of disposal income facing many households throughout the province presents new challenges in ensuring accessibility to the arts. While this announcement is a major win in helping to alleviate some of the growing financial challenges facing arts centres province-wide, I believe it's also a confident step forward in supporting the unique identities, the social cohesion, and the cultural sovereignty of the many unique communities that shape our provincial identity.
New Brunswick arts centres play a vital role in supporting professional artists living and working in communities across the province. Through exhibitions, classes, workshops, and performances, our collective work aims to enrich the lives of all New Brunswickers by forging connections with creators, sharing skills that champion the importance of creativity in our individual lives, and bringing communities together to celebrate much of what makes our province unique.
For organizations like ours with our own facility, we also function as a community centre and a home for others in our region to host their own events. From various cultural organizations, festivals, and businesses, we serve as a home for meetings, concerts, dance recitals, film screenings, and all points in between.
As New Brunswick communities continue to grow and expand, the funding associated with this announcement will have a significant impact on the arts in New Brunswick by enabling arts centres across the province to better serve our artists and our communities.
Thank you to Premier Holt, Minister Theriault, and the government of New Brunswick for recognizing the importance of supporting arts and culture as both an economic driver and the fabric that connects communities across our beautiful province.
Matt Carter
Executive Director
Charlotte Street Arts Centre