In recognition of the historical and geographic context within which the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op (BSTC) operates, two new funds will be launched to support the Deaf community, as well as Indigenous people and people of African descent.
Both funds will be officially launched on January 1st, 2021. The $5,000 per fund seed money will be collected through our 2020 Holiday Basket Auction and through support from the Canada Council for the Arts. In November 2020, we will be applying for a Non-Profit Property Tax Rebate from HRM and will use the savings on tax to replenish these funds on an annual basis. We will also solicit donations through our regular fundraising efforts to be directed toward these funds and will additionally create a voluntary tax-like donation on all rentals at the BSTC to help support these funds. Any renter at the BSTC will have the choice to pay a contribution equal to 1.752% of their rental costs in honour of the Peace & Friendship Treaty signed in 1752. The collected contributions will be directed toward both funds below.
Sign Language Interpretation Subsidy
Before and after the 1917 explosion, Halifax has always had a strong connection to Deaf culture. Gottingen Street was home to the first School for the Deaf in Atlantic Canada, established in 1856. In recognition of this, and in recognition of the barriers faced by the Deaf and hard of hearing community to access live performance events, we are implementing a Sign Language Interpretation Subsidy. This will provide an incentive for the procurement of sign language interpreters by our renters and also increase the accessibility of events held at the BSTC.
A renter choosing to hire the services of an interpreter for their event (or at least one performance in the case of a show with multiple showings) may request a $100 subsidy from the BSTC in order to help defray the costs of the service. The subsidy will be drawn from an annually renewed $5,000 fund.
To apply to the fund, a renter must submit an invoice with documentation that the services of an interpreter were used for an event hosted at the BSTC. A $100 discount will then be applied to their rental invoice from the BSTC. This fund can be accessed on a first come, first serve basis as needed.
Email rentals@thebusstoptheatre.org to apply to the subsidy
Reconciliation & Reparations Fund
In response to the recommendations presented by Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission, and also in response to the United Nations’ proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, the BSTC will implement a Reconciliation & Reparations Fund. This fund is intended to acknowledge and help redress the past and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous peoples and people of African descent in Nova Scotia.
The BSTC will allocate a $5,000 fund that can be accessed to help cover the rental costs of renters who are Indigenous or of African descent. The fund can be accessed through a rolling deadline and requests will be reviewed by the Co-op’s Representation and Inclusion Committee. The fund will be reset at $5,000 every 1st of January.
To be eligible, at least 50% of the event’s production team must be Indigenous or of African descent. Applicants can apply to have the cost of up to a full day’s rental covered, including any associated equipment or technical labour costs. Renters can access this fund once per year, members of the Co-op can access this fund three times per year.
Email info@thebusstoptheatre.org to apply to the Fund
