Interview

The Elusive Grant: An Interview with the Canada Council for the Arts

by Jen Maingot

"Canada is recognized around the world as a country with the greatest quality of life and the vitality of our culture and heritage is one of the strongest signs of our collective success. Today, Canada has everything it needs to become one of the major creative centres of the world. Our artists are powerful instruments of change and innovation. In their diversity lies our strength and originality on the international stage... We salute the richness of Canadian culture and... help our artists pave the way to the future ... "

The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada
May 2001

Since the 1950s, Canada has seen an explosion of artistic activity. The trials of The Great Depression and the Second World War fuelled a need for new literary outlets, giving rise to several institutions dedicated to encouraging the work of Canadian writers. One of these was the Canada Council for the Arts. Created by an Act of Parliament in 1957, the Canada Council for the Arts is funded by both the private and public sector and supports and promotes the work of Canadian artists and arts organizations working in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, media arts, writing and publishing, and interdisciplinary arts.

Did the Council’s inception in 1957 create an environment that encouraged a "writing boom," or did it facilitate the growth of an already expanding industry? Carole Boucher, a Program Officer who has spent nine years with the Writing and Publishing division in the Canada Council for the Arts, discusses the changing face of Canadian publishing and the role grants and loans for artists has played over the years.

Jen Maingot speaks with Carole Boucher.

WB: The 1950s in Canada was a time of nation building. Naturally, the construction of a national identity was important. Were loans and grants for writers a direct result of this climate?

CB: I think so. It’s one of the reasons. But at the same time, the artistic community was growing. There was not a lot of activity before the 1960s, and suddenly the number of artists increased.

WB: I read that during this time, if you were a writer and wanted to write, the best solution was to get out of Canada — many writers did, including Mavis Gallant, Mordecai Richler, Sinclair Ross and Margaret Laurence. Why?

CB: The literary climate in countries other than Canada allowed artists more freedom. There were not a lot of cultural activities here, no real exchanges or interactions between writers at that time. If they wanted to meet and interact with other artists, they had to leave. Canada lacked the network where writers could share ideas, experiences, and be challenged. There wasn’t a strong enough artistic infrastructure present in Canada at that time.

WB: The Canada Council was founded in 1957. Was this a direct response to the literary climate, or lack thereof, in Canada?

CB: There were more and more artists putting pressure on the government to receive help in their craft. [The Canada Council] was founded as a result from a mix between the desire to create a national identity and as a response to the growth in the artistic community.

WB: Half a century later, how would you characterize the Canadian writing environment today?

CB: It is impossible to compare the [writing] environment today with what it was 50 years ago. It is now very healthy and diverse. There is a lot happening here now, lots of authors who are receiving recognition, both nationally and abroad. I think it’s a real achievement.

WB: How realistic is the idea of an individual quitting his or her job to become a full-time writer, even with the Council’s help?

CB: It’s totally unrealistic. Grants awarded from the Canada Council are designed to aid a writer with miscellaneous expenses, such as travel expenses that must be incurred while researching. Even if a writer has a work published, he or she will only receive 10% of the selling price of the book in royalty payments. It is amazingly low here in Canada. Some publishers will give advances, which will allow the writer to make more money up front, but not much more. A small publishing house would give about a $1,000 advance, while a larger publishing house may offer up to $15,000. I think that the larger advances are getting fewer and farther between. Commercial type books seem to be the most sought after by publishing companies — self-help books and the like. These types of books are high-sellers, and usually come with the largest advance offers. There are very few writers living off of their writing talents in Canada. Individuals should not start writing because they want to make money; they should write because they love to do it and it’s important to them.

WB: Competing for loans and grants has been described by some writers as cutthroat. What percentage of applicants actually succeed?

CB: The Canada Council for the Arts will only award grants to 20 to 25% of the applicants. There is usually somewhere around 800 applicants per year. Applicants are only allowed to receive two grants for every 48-month period.

WB: Assuming that many applicants meet all the criteria set out for them, how does the Council decide who receives the money? The Council’s mission "to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts" seems difficult to apply in a situation like this. What is the primary consideration: commerce or culture?

CB: Artistic merit is what counts. It’s the primary criteria. There is no obligation for an artist to be published after receiving a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. And how a grant candidate is chosen is definitely subjective. Grants are awarded by a Peer Assessment Committee. The committee is composed of three authors, all coming from different generations and cultural backgrounds. Every time an Assessment Committee is needed, we ask three new authors to [participate]. That way, someone who wasn’t awarded a grant one year can reapply with a brand new chance. Not every writing style or plot line appeals to every author, so in doing the committee this way, we try to ensure that a great writer won’t be refused.

WB: Are projects that directly address or define Canadian culture or themes more likely to receive funding than those that do not?

CB: No. The artist must be Canadian. That is the only criteria. The setting of a writer’s work can [be] anywhere.

WB: What was the Council’s original mission? Has it changed over the years?

CB: No. The Canada Council for the Arts has always had the same basic, primary mission, which was to "help the creation, production, and dissemination of new work." We have always focused on that. However, in 1995, the Council went through major restructuring due to budgetary cuts. The Board of Directors for the Council had to rethink the mission statement. The result of many deliberations was not the rewriting of a mandate, however, but an improvement to one. Priority was given to various fields in the arts where the Council felt that it had not kept up with the growth and change occurring in the nation. For example, the Council now offers grant programs for electronic media printing and Aboriginal writers. Existing grant programs are constantly being updated, or new ones created, to adapt to the literary climate.

WB: Some writers describe receiving loans and grants as akin to welfare. Should they?

CB: No. A grant is not a regular income. You are receiving money with an obligation to do something. You must produce something, regardless of whether it gets published. As well, when you receive that money, you are being recognized as something. You are being recognized as an artist with merit.

WB: Do you consider what the Council does to be solely a government responsibility?

CB: I think it’s really important to be independent from political influences. The Canada Council for the Arts is publicly funded. It is absolutely important and essential to follow a process when granting money, while still maintaining control over where it goes. At the same time, we have to report to the Canadian Heritage Council. The board members for the Canada Council report on money allocation and management in order to [maintain] our eligibility. Anybody receiving public funds must do so.

For more information about the variety of opportunities available to Canadian writers, visit the Canada Council for the Arts.

Jen Maingot is a writer living in Ottawa, Ontario. She can be reached by e-mail at jenmaingot@hotmail.com.