Calgary festivals will see an additional investment of $300,000 this year through Calgary Arts Development’s Festival Special Project Grant supported by The City of Calgary.  These grants are the result of a recent City Council decision to increase investment in arts festivals in the City.   17 grants have been provided to support Calgary festivals in programming excellence, increased awareness and participation, and healthy operations and growth.

“Calgary is home to a dynamic, year-round festival scene, and this investment will go a long way toward building strong festival organizations that engage audiences and are known for top-notch programming and presentation,” said Terry Rock, President & CEO of Calgary Arts Development.  read more »

ArtsMart is a free service operated by Calgary Arts Development that provides an online guide to Calgary arts and entertainment events and a promotional resource for our city's community of artists and presenters. The ArtsMart website features an events calendar, as well as a place to sign up for a weekly e-newsletter (published each Wednesday) that features event highlights and special offers.

If you'd like to promote your event through ArtsMart, please submit your event details through this simple online form available on the ArtsMart website.  read more »

The next deadlines for Calgary Arts Development's Special Projects Grant are May 15 and October 15. This program invests in specific projects of artists, organizations and ad-hoc groups in Calgary. Special Project Grants are usually awarded in the $1,000 to $10,000 range. Guidelines and criteria for the program are available here.

Calgary Arts Development is in the final stages of our 2008 Arts Space Investment Program (ASIP). Through ASIP organizations and/or individuals may apply to be recommended by Calgary Arts Development for funding of up to 25% of the costs of a capital (building) project from the City of Calgary.
Earlier this year City Council ear-marked 5% of the province's $3.3 billion infrastructure contribution for arts and culture space in the city. This amounts to $165 million in civic funding for arts and culture space over the next 10 years. Much of this support will be directed towards projects brought forward by Calgary Arts Development though the Arts Space Investment Process.

The deadline to submit a letter of intent for the 2009 Arts Space Investment Process is November 15, 2008.Please contact Karen Ball at Calgary Arts Development for more information.

Please take a few moments to share your impressions on the JUNO Awards, proudly hosted in Calgary from April 3 to 6, 2008. 

Fill out this short survey by April 30, 2008 and you will be entered into a draw to win a $50 gift certificate for music downloads at KerfMusic, a local company that boasts a catalogue of over 100 albums by over 75 independent artists in all genres, including JunoFest artists like Dave Simpson, Kris Demeanor, Beija Flor, the Plaid Tongued Devils and Sinistrio. Visit KerfMusic.com to browse, listen and discover great new music or read the KerfMusic Artist of the Week profiles on MusicLivesHere.ca.  read more »

Calgary Arts Development invites applications for Board of Director positions to be filled in May and September. These are voluntary positions ideal for corporate and community leaders dedicated to building a culturally vibrant city.

The Board operates under a policy governance model on behalf of Calgary City Council. The Board provides high level direction to the CEO and exercises fiduciary oversight of the affairs of the organization. Members are appointed for a term of up to three years and may be reappointed for one further term of three years. The time commitment requires preparation for and attendance at monthly meetings with some additional committee work.

We are currently seeking board members that reflect the full diversity of Calgary, with accomplishments and experience in the following areas:
- Communications professionals
- Professional artists
- Arts administrators
- Experience in the for-profit arts  read more »

We are happy to present the video of the talk John Holden gave here in Calgary on January 24th. The turnout was very encouraging and we would like to thank all of those in attendance. If you were not able to attend, there is now a video and a MP3 of the lecture.  read more »

"Culture connects us to our communities, our province, and to the world. Our culture reflects who we are: what we value and consider beautiful, how we spend our leisure time, how we think about and treat each other, where we come from, and where we are going."

Read the policy here.

(Calgary, AB) -"Today's launch of the new cultural policy for the province is an important step towards securing the quality of life expected by Albertans. It is notable that provincial political parties are engaging in a healthy debate on the best ways to support culture in the province. As representatives of the agencies charged with arts and culture development in our respective cities, we welcome this focus and commend the Government and the Opposition for prioritizing culture.  read more »