The Government of the Northwest Territories invests close to $2.9 million in the arts sector annually.
The NWT Arts Council's grant program supported 88 projects in 10 communities over the past year. The GNWT announced restructuring of the grant program in September 2023. Taking effect in 2024-25, the new Small Arts Project Grant has an annual budget of $150,000 annually, the Medium Arts Project Grant has an yearly budget of $350,000 and the Large Arts Project Fund has an annual limit of $450,000. As well, the Arts Organizations and Support for Northern Performers programs have been merged to create the Arts Operating Fund, which is capped at $311,000 per year.
Seventeen organizations applied for funding under the Arts Organizations Operating Fund in 2023-24. Of those, 15 were approved for a total of $540,000. The largest single amount was to the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre for $165,000.
There were 18 applications received for the Support for Northern Performers program. Of those, 15 were approved for a total $101,000.
SEED sprouts
Under the 2022-23 Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (SEED) program through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), arts and crafts accounted for $469,159, or 13.2 per cent of close to $3.6 million in total SEED funding.
Out of the 25 categories that received financial support, arts and crafts ranked second, slightly behind the generic "other services."
Among the few initiatives granted funding that were specified in the ITI 2022-23 Grants and Contributions report were the Great Slave Arts Festival, which was given $25,000; the Great Northern Arts Festival Society Inuvik was allotted $17,320 and the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre made use of $5,000.
Measured in terms of gross domestic product, the arts sector is combined with entertainment and recreation by Statistics Canada. Combined, those three realms accounted for 0.14 per cent of the territory's GDP in 2023.
Grant funding rises
The Canada Council for the Arts doled out $485,200 in grants to NWT artists in 2022-23, up from $427,000 the previous year.
Most of the money -- $406,400 -- went to five arts organizations while eight artists split $73,000 and one other arts group received $5,900.
Funding was disbursed to entities in six communities.
Western Arctic Moving Pictures was the biggest beneficiary with $115,200. That was followed by Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning at $100,000, the Gwich'in Tribal Council Department of Cultural Heritage at $80,000, Folk on the Rocks at $56,200 and the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre at $55,000.
The category that received the most funding was Indigenous arts at $237,300. Media arts was next at $115,200. There was $64,300 for music and sound, $55,000 for multidisciplinary activities, $10,000 for dance and $3,500 for literature.
The Crown corporation has a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.”
Rolling out film funds
The GNWT has multiple programs in support of the NWT film industry.
The Film Rebate Program encourages projects to be shot on location in the territory by offering rebates on various expenses, such as travel and labour. The offering had a $100,000 budget in 2022-23.
Most of that money — $68,000 — went to Yellowknife Divers Inc. to produce the fourth season of 'Sh*t I Found Diving." It was shot in Fort Providence and the South Slave.
Another $32,248 was turned over to Alberta Forest Road Productions Inc. to aid in the production of the short film 'Cold Road' in the South Slave.
According to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, since its launch in 2015-2016, the Film Rebate Program (FRP) "has provided $1 million in support for 20 projects and resulted in direct spending in the amount of $8 million. When the multiplier effect is applied to these numbers, the amount that has injected into the NWT economy is $11.6 million. Based on this data, on average every dollar of support under the FRP led to $8.90 of spending in the NWT’s film and media sector for the period."
The NWT Producers Incentive Pilot Program assists producers in developing creative and pitch materials and local technical expertise to better the chances of clinching funding from financiers and broadcasters. The fund offers up to $100,000 in total.
The largest award in 2022-23 -- $45,000 -- went to 507385 N.W.T. Limited in the Yellowknife/North Slave region.
Walden Paint Studio Incorporated, also in the Yellowknife/North Slave region, benefitted from a $35,000 contribution.
Mary Caroline Cox, working out of the Dehcho region, and Cabin Productions, in the Yellowknife/North Slave, each made use of $10,000 to support their respective projects.
Film rebates add up
The GNWT has calculated that its NWT Film Rebate Program, which offers a 25-40 per cent rebate on travel, local labour and local expenditures for projects shot in the territory, has had a substantial impact since its inception in 2015-16. Over that time, the program has funded 20 projects for a total of $1 million. However, direct spending that resulted was close to $8 million.
"When the multiplier effect is applied to these numbers, the amount that has injected into the NWT economy is $11.6M. Based on this data, on average every dollar of support under the FRP led to $8.90 of spending in the NWT’s film and media sector for the period," the GNWT stated.
Screenings galore
The 17th annual Yellowknife International Film Festival was held Nov. 1-5 and featured back to back screenings of Kelvin Redvers' thriller Cold Road on opening night. Other showcased Northern content included 'Nihtâkwikihew/She Gives Birth,' by Sadetło Scott and Heather Heinrichs, Jonathan Antoine's 'Dene on the Land' and Martin Rehak's 'The Fantastic Journey in Search of Turchacha.'
In Fort Simpson, the fifth annual Liidlli Kue Film Festival took place Feb. 12-16.