The 2020 Victoria Foundation Vital Signs report says 82 per cent of all organizations tied to the arts are going to have a financial loss this year, due to the pandemic.
The Foundation’s chief executive officer Sandra Richardson agrees with the finding, commenting that “out of all the non-profits that have had to twist and change and pivot, and come up with ideas, the arts sector has had the greatest challenge, but [arts organizations have been] very creative.”
One of those “very creative” pivots has been accomplished by Ballet Victoria, with artistic director Paul Destrooper doing everything he can to ensure his dancers can continue working during the pandemic.
Now, Ballet Victoria is one of 126 organizations on Southern Vancouver Island that has received grant funding from The Victoria Foundation’s Community Recovery Program.
“This is a [fund] to help non-profits, to keep them afloat, because of COVID 19” says Richardson. “It is made up of a suite of new funds, called the Community Action Funds. These were designed after the Rapid Relief Fund. There’s nine different funds in there.”
Richardson goes on to explain that donors can choose any one of those nine funds, from arts to education to healthcare, to direct their donation. “The generosity of this community is incredible, and it makes us all thankful” says Richardson, in acknowledgement of all who have donated to The Community Action Funds.
Veronica Cooper visited Ballet Victoria as the dancers rehearsed The Nutcracker, to find out what receiving a grant from the Community Recovery Program means to the organization.
Veronica Cooper
