Date: Mar 1, 2023

A Message from AFA Board Acting Chair Paul R. Baay
On February 28, the Alberta government announced details of its 2023-24 budget. In Budget 2023, funding for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) was maintained at $25.6 million.
The AFA is pleased that we can continue to provide essential support to Alberta’s arts sector. As the arts community continues to recover, we can see arts activities and participation rates are growing and audiences are returning. While we recognize challenges remain, we are encouraged by these positive trends, and will continue to monitor the sector.
With a funding commitment from government now confirmed, the next step will be for the AFA Board of Directors to develop its 2023-24 spending plan. Once that plan is approved, we will communicate our funding approach to the community. At this time, the AFA has not made any decisions related to program funding allocations.
The government has tasked the AFA to prioritize artists, art, and cultural materials. These priorities align with our mandate to support and contribute to the development of the arts in Alberta.
The AFA board will work to ensure our spending plan is reflective of community priorities. We are committed to continuing to engage with the sector in an ongoing way and gathering feedback from our clients, grant recipients, and other stakeholders. As per our Pluralism policy, the AFA is committed to applying a Pluralism lens to our decision-making in all respects for our organization.
The board appreciates all the feedback we have received from the arts community during the last many months and look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
Paul Baay
Acting Chair, Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Budget 2023 information
- Budget 2023
- Alberta Culture 2023-26 Business Plan (PDF) – English | French
- Government of Alberta 2023-26 Fiscal Plan (PDF) – Schedule 21: Allocation of 2023-24 Net Gaming / Lottery Revenue to AFA on page 160