Arts Council of Surrey

On Friday, September 6th The Honourable Minister of Defense for Canada and MP for Vancouver South, Harjit Sajjun came to Surrey’s Newton Cultural Centre [NCC] to announce on behalf of the Canadian Heritage Department the funding to the Arts Council of Surrey [ACS] of $42,950.00 for Surrey’s internationally acclaimed Fusion Festival. The festival takes place each July and is heralded as the largest multi-cultural event in British Columbia.

James Crosty, ACS Director/Business Development took to the podium to express the ACS’s deepest gratitude and to acknowledge that this event would not take place without the unprecedented partnership with the city of Surrey and their extraordinary staff. “Surrey Fusion Festival touches the lives of 100,000-plus attendees,” said Crosty, adding that it helps “to promote inter-cultural acceptance and awareness of various cultures and traditions.”

The MC for the event was ACS Marketing Coordinator Paul R Thompson who had the expressed honour of introducing the distinguished Minster, as well as other local dignitaries such as MP for Surrey-Newton Sukh Dhaliwal. Also in attendance were MP for Surrey Centre Randeep Sarai, MP for Cloverdale-Langley John Aldag, and MP for Fleetwood-Port Kells Ken Hardie. Canadian Heritage had a number of staff executing the announcement including Anna Gravelle, Regional Communications Manager. In addition to James Crosty, Steve Purewal from the Indus Media Foundation, Surrey whose organization received $366,000 also addressed the audience.

The mid-afternoon event was to announce the funding of $3.5 million for positive programming for multi-cultural and anti-racism initiatives. The audience of approximately 75 people, including media reporters, was comprised of members representing the forty-seven organizations who received part of this funding.

Light refreshment supplied compliments of the ACS were prepared and served by ACS VP Maxine Howchin. Photos were taken by ACS TEAM members Jenny Lewis and Ryan Broderick.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING MODELS: While the funding of the Surrey Fusion Festival is important to celebrating our diversity, there are other funding models now coming on-line. These funding programmes help address the first of four themes identified [Funding, Space, Organization Capacity and Connections] at the June 2019 Round Table with over 75 Surrey Arts Organization representatives and the City Cultural Division. [SEE SIDE BAR]

[focused on the Arts Council of Surrey aspect]
READ MORE: Melanie Minty Surrey NOW-Leader …’ Surrey Fusion Festival a fine fit for federal multicultural funding – Sep 9, 2019
[focused on the general announcement]
READ MORE: Amy Reid Cloverdale Reporter…$3.5M Boost for BC Multi-cultural Anti-racism initiative announced in Surrey – Sep 6, 2019