Yes, I believe the continued development of the program is essential to be able to best serve artists, especially because of their diversity. As well, the experience of the Dancers of Damelahamid is certainly that our success has been because of the program officers we have worked with—especially with the Canada Council for the Arts, which really listened to us as individuals, looking at our needs and our projects and making it possible for our company to grow in the manner it has.
However, throughout all of this process, there is an ongoing need to have to look at program criteria and do your best to sit within those boundaries. I think that always places limitations on artistic practices, especially when your artistic practices are coming from a place that is so distinctly unique and often not completely in line with the way the program criteria are set out now. I think a continual effort to move that forward is just as necessary as the funding itself.