PEI Council of the Arts > Our Work > Community Consultations > Policy Input

Policy Input Sought: Eligiblity

October 11, 2011

The Board of Directors for the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts seeks input in preparation for some much needed policy updates. In particular, the Board seeks your thoughts and comments on the following line in the Grants Policy regarding Eligibility (line #21):

“Applicants must have been a resident of Prince Edward Island for a minimum of six months prior to the submission of their application.”

With the advent and increased use of new technologies, the need for artists to travel to disseminate work, and the benefit of collaborating across jurisdictional boundaries, this simple line no longer provides the level of sophistication required to implement our programs consistently.

Indeed, this line is usually interpreted to mean:

“Applicants must have been a resident of, and resided in, Prince Edward Island for a minimum of six months prior to the submission of their application.”

Then, internally, exceptions are regularly made for Island residents who are enrolled in formal post-secondary programs off-Island at the baccalaureate, post-graduate, and doctoral levels, recognizing that, in almost all cases, this level of education in the arts is available primarily off-Island.

The updated policy should include language that codifies the following (and this list is not exhaustive but outlines our primary concerns):

• What, precisely, is meant by resident?
• A formal articulation of the circumstances under which post-secondary students may apply for and, potentially, receive funding.
• If we use language that refers to a “permanent residence,” what, precisely, does that mean, and what proof is deemed sufficient?

Therefore, the Council seeks the input of its membership. Please send us your thoughts and comments via email to chair@peica.ca (email is the preferred method) or by regular mail at:

The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts
115 Richmond Street
Charlottetown, PE C1A 1H7

Your comments should be received by December 01, 2011. In addition to your submissions, the Council’s staff will conduct a best-practice review of the Eligibility requirements for our peer Councils. The Board will then consider both your submissions and the best-practice report in designing the new policy around Eligibility.