Thank you.
Greetings, everyone.
I must say that it's a privilege to be here. In our daily work with the arts council, economic development isn't top of mind. It's rather the creative industry. I am the manager of community programs, which is part of the culture and heritage division of the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment in the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is a multifaceted role and the administration of the arts council is one part of that portfolio. I've been administering for the arts council since 1995.
Before I address the workings of the NWT Arts Council, I thought it would be good to provide some context. The arts council functions as a partner in the NWT arts strategy. In 2004, after extensive consultation with NWT communities, the Government of the Northwest Territories developed a strategy to guide programs, services, and marketing efforts on behalf of the arts and cultural industries in the Northwest Territories.
There were two departments to lead this: the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, which I represent; and the the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment. In this framework, the NWT operates with a mandate to promote the arts, and the NWT Arts Council operates with a mandate to promote the arts in the NWT.
I have some speaking notes that say a little more about the vision and goals of the NWT arts strategy, but I won't go into that at this point. I just wanted to give you a frame of reference so that you could see how we operate as colleagues with a sister department.
I hope I'm not going too quickly for anyone.