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Media Release
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For Immediate Release: August 25, 2008
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CALGARY - Marcie Januska, Chair of the Betty Mitchell Awards Steering Committee today announced that the Actors' Fund of Canada is the recipient of the first-ever honorary Betty Mitchell Award, which was presented on behalf of Calgary's theatre community at a gala awards ceremony held at Stage West Calgary.
Commenting on the award, Ms Januska said, "Calgary's theatre community is vibrant, growing and engaged with the issues that affect artists and their colleagues locally and nationally. Though some of us are fortunate enough to work with great theatre companies here and elsewhere in Canada, we all know that an artist working on a theatre contract today can go weeks-or months-before landing his or her next job. For 50 years, the Actors' Fund has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Canada by directly supporting the artists who produce the kind of work we honour with the Betty Mitchell Awards. Without the Fund, many of our finest artists would have been forced to abandon a creative career due to extreme financial hardship. We can think of no more fitting recognition of the Actors' Fund of Canada's extraordinary contribution than to honour it with a special award of its own."
The Actors' Fund is the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. Performers and people working behind the scenes in theatre, film and television, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which recently set a new record for the amount of financial aid delivered to industry members in a single year, topping $500,000 in the 12-month period that ended on March 31, 2008. The Fund has helped over 10,000 entertainment industry workers recover from illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship since it was founded in 1958. The Fund marks its 50th anniversary in 2008 with an effort to raise its national profile and unite entertainment industry members in support of its financial aid program.
Actors' Fund of Canada Executive Director David Hope was enthusiastic in his response to news of the honour, saying "We are thrilled to receive the first-ever honorary Betty Mitchell Award. The fact that the Actors' Fund is receiving this honour in Calgary is testament to the Fund's presence on the national scene and the incredible amount of support we have received from Calgary's theatre community over the years. Our clients and donors come from everywhere in Canada. We are very grateful to the Steering Committee for the award and for creating another opportunity for us to say to say to artists and their entertainment industry colleagues that, wherever you are in Canada, this Fund is your fund, too."
The Actors' Fund of Canada is a registered charity that has paid out over $3.5 million in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses in the last 10 years. Performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can benefit from the Fund, which receives no government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.
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CONTACT:
David Hope, The Actors' Fund of Canada
Phone: 1-877-399-8392
E-mail: contact@actorsfund.ca
Web site: www.actorsfund.ca
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©2010 The Actors' Fund of Canada - 1000 Yonge Street, Suite 301 Toronto, ON M4W 2K2
contact@actorsfund.ca / Tel: 416.975.0304 / Toll-Free: 1.877.399.8392 / Fax: 416.975.0306
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