Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council
The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council
(NLAC) is a non-profit Crown agency created in 1980 byThe
Arts Council Act. Its mission is to foster and promote the creation
and enjoyment of the arts for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians. The NLAC is governed by a volunteer board of 12,
appointed by government. This includes 10 artists, reflecting
sectoral and regional representation, and two representatives of
the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The NLAC
receives an annual grant from the Province to support a variety of
granting programs, office administration, and communications. It
also seeks support from the public and private sector. It supports
the following artistic disciplines: dance, film, multidiscipline,
music, theatre, visual art, and writing.
The NLAC administers several awards programs including its
annual Arts Awards, the Winterset Award, the Rhonda Payne Theatre
Award and the Lawrence Jackson Writers' Award. It also administers
the Cultural Assistance Plan for Emergencies (CAPE).
Peer Assessment Process - Overview
What is peer assessment?
In the context of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts
Council (NLAC), peer assessment is the process of having practicing
artists and/or other experts review and assess the merit and
viability of applications for funding. Peer assessors recommend
which projects should be funded and amounts to award successful
applicants. The NLAC uses peer assessment to determine funding for
all of its funding programs.
Why does the nlac use peer assessment?
The NLAC uses peer assessment for three reasons:
- To ensure applications in a specific artistic
discipline or area are evaluated by qualified individuals with
experience in that area and knowledge of the artistic
community
- To maintain an effective mechanism for the NLAC to
stay connected with the artistic community and its developing
trends
- To maintain the arms-length nature of the NLAC and
protect arts funding from political influences.
How are peer assessment committees formed?
The program manager/officer selects individuals to
serve on peer assessment committees for each of the funding
programs administered by the NLAC. He/she works from a list of
artists who have received NLAC funding in the past, or have a
significant artistic background. This list was compiled by past and
present NLAC members and staff and is updated regularly. Members of
the community are encouraged to recommend people. You may recommend
yourself. Recommendations are accepted on an ongoing basis, an
official recommendation form is available from the NLAC.
In most programs a peer assessor will only be used
once every two years. The Sustaining Program for Professional Arts
Organizations and ArtsSmarts have assessment committees that sit
for three year terms. Assessment committees usually include one
NLAC member and between two and six members of the artistic
community. Some programs, based on their nature, may require
expertise from outside the arts community. The Professional Project
Grants Program uses seven three-person committees to cover all
artistic disciplines, and a committee of up to seven assessors for
the organizations category. Applications to the Professional
Artists' Travel Fund, the Labrador Cultural Travel Fund, and the
Visiting Artist Program are reviewed by two assessors due to the
responsive nature of these programs and the two week turn-around on
applications.
Contacts
The Newfoundland and
Labrador Arts Council
Mail: P.O. Box 98,
St. John's, NL, A1C 5H5
Office Location: The Newman
Building
1 Springdale Street, St. John's, NL
Tel: (709) 726-2212 Fax: (709) 726-0619
Toll Free: 1 (866) 726-2212 (NL only)
E-mail: nlacmail@nlac.ca
Labrador Cultural Outreach
Office
Mail: P.O. Box 2243,
Station B
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, A0P 1E0
Office Location: Elizabeth Goudie
Building
141 Hamilton River Road
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
Tel: (709)
896-9565 Fax: (709) 896-9564
Toll Free: 1 (888) 896-9565 (NL only)
E-mail: droberts@nlac.ca
