Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 16/99) - Artists who were to receive grants from the Northwest Territories Arts Council have known since May. Artists in Nunavut, on the other hand, have been itching to find out what has been going on with their grant applications.

"We're doing the consultation, the process required before it's given to cabinet," says Carmen Levi, acting deputy minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth (CLEY).

The consultation involves communicating with other Nunavut government departments, such as Nunavut Social Development Council, and the arts community.

"We're looking at how to go about administering the funds," says Levi.

Levi would not comment on whether or not Nunavut would do things differently now that the territories are divided.

Beth Beattie, of the Nunavut Arts and Craft Association, has been involved in the process.

"They (CLEY) are sending us revisions to the policy," Beattie says, fresh from a meeting.

"And eventually when they take it back to the powers that be to be processed, it has to be rubber stamped or approved by the public, or rather the other organizations. So it's good. We're quite pleased."

For Beattie, the wait is well worth it.

"It means that the policy will be more appropriate to the needs of artists of the North. Better to have a policy that works than one that's in place that doesn't. No -- this is great, this is really good."

So far, the policy is in a draft state, but Levi hopes that it will be ready to present to cabinet on Aug. 19, though she admits that's a tentative date.

"I think they're working their hardest to get it in place as fast as possible," says Beattie.

"It was a good meeting. They really want to develop something that works and is really for Nunavut artists."

At this point it isn't clear just how much money will be allocated for artists.

Beattie notes that these consultations are good news for the artists "in that we're working together."

"Hopefully, there's some pressure somehow made to find additional funds for artists -- as long as the money is being used for artists and not being used for a lot of bureaucratic positions and papers."

Levi hopes that artists will hear what they've been longing to hear sometime after Aug. 19.